Nov 2022
CHAMP AND FIRST STREET SET TO LEAD HENDERSON’S SUPPORTING TEAM ON CORAL GOLD CUP WEEKEND
CHAMP AND FIRST STREET SET TO LEAD HENDERSON’S SUPPORTING TEAM ON CORAL GOLD CUP WEEKEND
Caption: Shishkin and Nico De Boinville (far left) and Champ ridden by Sir AP McCoy (near right)
at the Coral Gold Cup Gallops Morning. Credit: Steve Cargill
Nicky Henderson’s plans for Coral Gold Cup weekend are some way from being finalised, but besides Chantry House in the big race on Saturday 26 November, he has Champ in the Coral Long Distance Hurdle on Friday 25 November and he is excited about First Street’s prospects in the Gerry Feilden Hurdle.
Sir Anthony McCoy partnered Champ, who was named in his honour, in a gallop with Shishkin (Nico de Boinville) and Chantry House (Adrian Heskin), and Henderson was delighted with the way the former RSA Chase went through the workout before passing the post a few lengths behind Shishkin in second.
He said: “AP was very pleased with Champ, and so was I. He led, he enjoyed it, and he finished his gallop strongly. And to be fair, AP would have been giving Nico a fair bit of weight, so he’s worked very well. Whether we come next weekend we’ll have to see, as he did win the Long Walk (at Ascot) last year, but he’s in good form.”
He added: “It was the first time he’d had cheekpieces on, and it was very much an experiment. I’m not sure they made a whole heap of difference, but I thought he might run away with AP and that Nico would be laughing his socks off, but he didn’t. He travelled strongly, but not stupidly. I thought they might just wake him up a bit, and they didn’t.”
Henderson said that the Coral Long Distance Hurdle is also an option for Marie’s Rock, but that he is reluctant to run her over three miles first time out.
The stable has won the Gerry Feilden no fewer than eight times, including with subsequent Champion Hurdle winner Epatante in 2019, so the fact that Henderson has had it in mind for First Street for months speaks volumes.
Caption: First Street (L), Epatante (M), Marie’s Rock (R). Credit: Steven Cargill
After First Street had galloped with last season’s dual Grade 1 winner Marie’s Rock and Epatante Henderson said: “I’ve had the race written in the book for him since the beginning of the season. I’ve used it for all sorts of horses before, and I think First Street is a very talented horse.
“He was very good last year in what was his first season in racing (three wins and placed in Betfair Hurdle and County Hurdle). He’d never done anything before, but he never stopped improving and we saw here that he’s in good shape.”
Another who has been earmarked for the meeting for a good while is the Paul Nicholls-trained Kapcorse, who will bid for a third win in the Sir Peter O’Sullevan Memorial Chase, in which the JP McManus-owned nine-year-old normally carries Sir Peter’s old silks.
Nicholls said: “Kapcorse hasn’t raced since February, but he goes very well fresh and he’s had exactly the same preparation as last year. He looks great, and AP was happy.
“He’s 7lb higher this time, but that will tune him up nicely. I’d say he’d be ready next week and if he runs like he can do then he ought to have a good chance.”