Henderson wary of Acambo threat

Nicky Henderson is fearful of the threat posed by ante-post favourite Acambo to his trio of intended runners in totesport Trophy at Newbury on Saturday.

Caracciola, Papini and Tarlac are set to represent the master of Seven Barrows in the £150,000 (€227,000) contest, but Henderson believes his contenders will do well to finish in front of the Ladbroke Trophy winner.

The David Pipe-trained Acambo tops the 29 confirmations for the extended two-mile race, although he could end up carrying top weight if Irish challenger Studmaster stays at home.

Henderson said: “Acambo stands out and looks a big danger. There is no reason why we should beat him, but we have to try.”

Henderson has every reason to be wary of Acambo, who is quoted at 5-1 by the sponsors, after he sluiced up at Ascot in December when Tarlac finished a two-length second.

Course and distance winner Caracciola has not raced for over two months but has been saved for this weekend, while Papini has won both his starts this winter and is the probable mount of stable jockey Mick Fitzgerald.

Henderson, who is seeking his fifth win in the race, said: “I will probably run all three, with AP (McCoy) on Tarlac and Mick will probably ride Papini.

“Caracciola has been kept for this and has been working well. He would like good ground, but the other two go well on soft.

“Papini, who is owned by Newbury Racehorse Owners Group, became an obvious sort for this race after he won at Sandown, and if we can run these horses at Newbury then we should.

“He came back from Haydock with a nasty cut which is why he had time off and he will go chasing next year.

“The race has also been a target for Tarlac for sometime and after the Ladbroke it was the obvious way to go. He wouldn’t be quite good enough for the Champion Hurdle, but this race will suit him. He loves a strong pace and that helps him to relax and settle.

“You always need luck in running in this race as it is fiercely competitive and fiercely run.”

However, Henderson believes his outsider of the three, Caracciola, provides the most value, and he was cut into 12-1 from 20s with the sponsors after support following the confirmations.

He added: “Caracciola is a very good value and he is a solid each-way bet.”

Pipe was not overjoyed at the prospect of top weight, and told At The Races: “Studmaster of Jessica Harrington’s has been left in at this stage anyway, so we will wait and see if he ends up with top weight as that wouldn’t be ideal, but there you go.”

Pipe is hoping for a bold show from Acambo and, should he come out on top, the Pond House handler would then consider a tilt at the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle, for which he is as low as 16-1 with Ladbrokes.

“He’s got to win to warrant going there really. We hope he will put up a good performance,” he said.

“If he wins, then obviously you have got to go to the Champion Hurdle.”

Pipe also has Desert Air, My Immortal and Bongo Fury in the race, while Willie Mullins could send Mister Hight and Quatre Heures from his County Carlow base.

Another prominent in totesport’s ante-post list is 2005 Champion Bumper runner-up De Soto, who was last seen when finishing fourth in the Tolworth Hurdle.

His trainer Paul Webber is keeping a careful eye on the weather before committing the six-year-old, and he said: “We would like to go to Newbury, but we wouldn’t want the ground to be too soft.

“Newbury would be the intention, but he’s shown he doesn’t like soft ground so we will have to see what the weather does.

“He’s in good form at present. Sam Thomas came down and rode him in a couple of pieces last week and it all went well.”

Webber has also entered him for the Grade One Deloitte Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown on Saturday, as well as Sunday’s Listed totesport.com Novices’ Hurdle at Exeter.

Totesport are offering odds of 4-1 about a Henderson-trained winner, and the firm’s spokesman, Damien Walker, said: “We have three losers in the book and two of those are trained by Nicky Henderson – Tarlac and Papini.

“Acambo is the other loser, but we have painful memories of Henderson’s Landing Light, who cost bookmakers dear when winning as the well-backed 4-1 favourite in 2001.”

Totesport Trophy, sponsors bet: 5-1 Acambo, 7-1 Tarlac, 10-1 Papini, 11-1 Mister Hight, Pedrobob, 12-1 Caracciola, Quatre Heures, 14-1 Well Mounted, 16-1 De Soto, My Immortal, New Field, 20-1 Moore’s Law, Orcadian, Overstrand, Victram, 22-1 Jaamid, Studmaster, 25-1 bar.