Soft ground at the Cheltenham Festival will make Ryanair Chase favourite Un De Sceaux ‘near unbeatable’
NICKY HENDERSON believes Un De Sceaux will be near on unbeatable in the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival should conditions be in his favour.
Although the Seven Barrows handler is set to be double-handed in the Grade One with Josses Hill and Vaniteux he feels that both horses will be up against it if the ground turns soft.
While Vaniteux arrives on the back of victory in a Listed chase at Kempton, Josses Hill will make his first start since finishing last in the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day.
Henderson said: "Both are in great form. They both run and are in really good shape. But Un De Sceaux is going to be a serious horse to take on.
"Good ground is very important to both and Un De Sceaux loves it soft. If it is soft ground he will be impossible to beat.
"What happened last year with Un De Sceaux is that the ground went Sprinter Sacre's way. He just likes to get his toe in the ground. Just for that race, can we have good ground, please?
"Josses Hill has been absolutely excellent all the way through this year although he wasn't that good at Kempton."
Henderson feels Top Notch will have to raise his game again if he is to add the JLT Novices' Chase to his victory in the Scilly Isles Novices' Chase at Sandown.
He said: "I know nobody likes watching two- and three-horse novice chases but what you can do with a horse like him is go round in these races and let him get the hang of it, learn to jump and get his confidence up.
"He was the best jumper of them all in the Scilly Isles. That was his first time over two and a half (miles) and that has helped him to.
"He has got a tough task with Yorkhill, there is no doubt about that."
