Henderson to run two in Vodafone Gold Cup

Nicky Henderson has confirmed that he plans to run both Chauvinist and Scots Grey in Saturday’s Vodafone Gold Cup at Newbury to try to maintain his 100% record in the race.

The master of Seven Barrows sent out the winner of the inaugural running last year with Isio, and he has already finalised his riding arrangements for the valuable two-and-a-half-mile contest this time around.

“I’ve just seen the weights and basically that has sorted out the jockey plans for me,” said Henderson.

“With Scots Grey on 10st Andrew Tinkler will ride him and Mick (Fitzgerald) will be on Chauvinist.

According the betting, 8-1 shot Chauvinist (10st 5lb) appears to be the first choice. Although in his first season chasing, he has won twice, including an impressive recent victory at Sandown last time.

“Chauvinist sees out the trip really well, and Mick has been telling me that he would even get three miles. He didn’t have a handicap mark over fences until today and I think the mark he’s got is about right,” Henderson said.

“He’s still a novice but he’s 10 now and we can’t keep wrapping him up in cotton wool. “If he runs as well as he did last time at Sandown then he’d have a chance.”

Scots Grey, around a 12-1 shot, has shown little in two runs at Cheltenham so far this term, but Henderson reports that he seems to be returning to the sort of form that saw him defeat Hand Inn Hand around 14 months ago.

“It’s a good job I pulled him out of the Racing Post Chase last Saturday because the ground was horrible, most unlike Kempton and he would have hated it.

“The plan had been to run there before going for the Mildmay of Flete but now we will try and win some of Vodafone’s money instead.

“He had a horrible fall at Aintree last year and he was knocked over twice as he was trying to get up from it.

“It took him time to get over that but I really think he is just starting to come back to himself.”