Ground key to Henry plans

Lord Henry will escape the presence of Jack The Giant this week but connections are waiting for the ground to determine his likely target.

Minehead trainer Philip Hobbs and his owner Karola Vann have the choice of running the nine-year-old in the totesport.com Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon on Thursday or Saturday’s Boylesports.com Gold Cup at Cheltenham.

A winner at Ascot last season as well as a respectable second in the Celebration Chase, Lord Henry took the same position behind the improving but now injured Jack The Giant on his first run back at the Berkshire track last time.

“It all depends on the ground as he doesn’t want it soft,” said Vann.

“He could well go to Huntingdon but if it doesn’t dry up, we’ll wait for Cheltenham. He did well at Ascot the other day but we’re in with the big boys and it will be hard wherever we go.”

There are no extravagant plans for the owner’s other rising star Cockney Trucker, a good winner of a novice hurdle at Newbury’s Hennessy meeting.

She added: “He came out of the race really well and is doing nicely. Again with him it’s just a question of the weather, which you can never tell with.”