Henderson considers Rose options

Nicky Henderson is mulling plans for Amaretto Rose after the mare was pulled up on her seasonal bow at Wincanton.

The seven-year-old was having her first start since last March in the Bathwick Tyres Kingwell Hurdle won by Katchit on Saturday.

Henderson had been hoping the two-mile heat would be a perfect springboard for the Cheltenham Festival, but is now considering another run before looking at the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle.

“She seems absolutely fine and I’m none the wiser about what happened,” he said.

“Mick (Fitzgerald) felt she had gone lame and pulled her up accordingly but she came back fine and she’s fine this morning.

“What we do next, I don’t really know. That was the last of the realistic hurdle trials.

“We might have a look at the two-and-a-half-mile race at Fontwell but I didn’t really want to go for the National Spirit over that trip with her.

“(Cheltenham) is what she’s here for so we will see.”

Amaretto Rose is a general 25-1 shot for the Champion Hurdle.