Horse Racing: Newbury's prospects improve

Prospects for Newbury’s high-class card on Saturday have improved which should be good news for trainer Nicky Henderson.

The master of Seven Barrows has Marlborough and Bacchanal in the £60,000 (€97,000) Aon Chase, while he could well have four runners in the £110,000 (€179,000) Tote Gold Trophy, a race he will be trying to win for the fourth time in five years.

‘‘I’m going to go and have a look at the ground,’’ Henderson said. ‘‘We could do with a few more days of this drying wind, that would help him (Marlborough).

‘‘The difficulty with Marlborough is that we could wait for the Racing Post Chase (at Kempton on February 23) or the Wincanton race (Jim Ford Chase on February 21) but who’s to say what the ground is going to be like then.

‘‘I’d prefer not to run him in heavy ground. Bacchanal will run. In the past he has been very happy on soft ground.’’

Henderson’s quartet in the Tote Gold Trophy comprises of Tysou, Regal Exit, Got One Too, and Lady Boston.’’