Cheltenham Festival: Might Bite “more professional” ahead of Cheltenham Gold Cup test

NICKY HENDERSON is hoping Might Bite will show no signs of misbehaving in the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday.

Might Bite grabbed the headlines at last year’s Festival in the RSA Chase as he threw away a 20-length advantage on the run-in, only to rally past stablemate Whisper and win by a nose.

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The nine-year-old has been on his best behaviour since, emerging victorious on all three starts and winning the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.

“I’m not going to tell you he’s a better horse on the racecourse, but he is definitely a better work horse at home,” said Henderson.

“He’s been round Cheltenham in the RSA Chase last year. The fact that he was able to essentially come to a complete standstill in the RSA and then get going again means he must stay pretty well, as that is an extraordinary thing to do.

“He idled in the King George, but he definitely stayed and he did go very quick that day. He is a more mature horse and he possibly looks more professional, but his work is certainly better. It is just of a higher standard.

“He has been three miles round Cheltenham and he has got up the hill. I see no reason why he won’t get it. It’s not much further and he is another year stronger.”

The biggest fear for Henderson is that last year was not the first time Might Bite has wandered up the Cheltenham run-in, having drifted markedly to his right in three of his four appearances there.

“The good thing about Might Bite is you never know what course he will go on – it’s up to him,” joked Henderson.

“He hasn’t run since Kempton but that has been on purpose as he needs to be fresh, he’s just that sort of horse.

“You’ve got to be careful with him, like a few by his sire Scorpion, and I think that is how he likes it.

“He used to kill his races a long way out, but some were disappointed at Kempton. I think that is because the pace he had to go early to take on Bristol De Mai might have taken its toll.

“We’ve no idea if he stays the Gold Cup trip, but I had no intention of running him in the Cotswold Chase to find out on heavy ground. I’d rather find out now.

“If he could do what he did last year, come to a complete standstill and win, I can’t think an extra furlong and a half is a worry.”

Native River has only had the one run this season and Colin Tizzard’s hopes the patient approach will pay off on Friday for last year’s third place.

Tizzard said: “We wondered last season if by going for the Hennessy, then going on to the Welsh National and then the Denman Chase that maybe we had taken the edge off him so he wasn’t approaching the Cheltenham Gold Cup in the best of form. He ran well to finish third.

“We had Native River ready for Newbury – he had been to Larkhill three times as we didn’t want him to get tired, or injured and we wanted him to do himself justice so he was ready for that.

“He is bound to improve for that run, every horse does.”

Sizing John won a first Cheltenham Gold Cup for Jessica Harrington and she is represented again, but unfortunately not by last year’s champion after he was ruled out with an injury last week.

Irish National winner Our Duke is still a strong hand for the trainer.

“He seems to be in great form. We haven’t had to do too much with him because the Red Mills Chase wasn’t that long ago,” Harrington said.

“He needed that race as he’d made a bad mistake in the Irish Gold Cup and ended up finishing only fourth. The owners said last season we’d miss Cheltenham and go for the Gold Cup this year. It was their decision.”

Irish Gold Cup winner Edwulf, Noel Meade’s Road To Respect and Brian Ellison’s Definitly Red are other fascinating runners in the 18-runner field.