VAN OF HORRORS
The November meeting – Jenkins out to showcase his talents at Cheltenham
WARM favourite Jenkins will bid to prove champion trainer Nicky Henderson wrong in Sunday's Unibet Greatwood Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham.
The five-year-old has always carried a big reputation since his early days in bumpers and was the early ante-post favourite for last season's Supreme Novices' Hurdle after winning his hurdling debut at Newbury.
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He was subsequently disappointing on Boxing Day at Kempton and suffered a setback which ruled him out last season's Cheltenham Festival, although he did return to win a small novice event at Ffos Las in April.
"He was still awful that day he beat Bags Groove (at Newbury). He had been awful the whole way through. He couldn't jump a hurdle at home. He didn't jump one at Newbury and he sort of got away with it," said Henderson.
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"He came to Kempton and was terrible, then he won at Ffos Las in the most appalling race you would see in your life and somehow he ended up rated 137.
"Where in the world he (the handicapper) got that from, I don't know. He is handicapped on his reputation from bumpers - it is nothing to do with what he achieved over hurdles.
"We will see because for some extraordinary reason he is a completely different horse this season - he wants to jump and wants to work. We start here as he has got to start somewhere."
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Henderson's great rival Paul Nicholls runs former winner Old Guard and Amour De Nuit.
";Old Guard was running round last year in all those good races and was not quite good enough," said Nicholls.
"He had a wind operation over the summer. He ran very well at Chepstow on his comeback, then he won at Kempton quite nicely, so he is back in form and not without a chance.
"A fast-run race will suit Amour De Nuit. He has been gaining valuable experience in novice hurdles and at 25-1 he is a big price."
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Nicholls' former assistant Dan Skelton, who won this race last year with North Hill Harvey, is quite bullish about the chance of his lightly-weighted runner Mohaayed.
"He will run off 10st and it is an unusual weight for a horse of that calibre to be running off. Normally they are running off a lot more," said Skelton.
"It changes the complexion of the race. Whatever weight he has got, he is primed. I'm not going to come out of the race and say he will improve. He isn't going to improve. It is a £100,000 handicap so they should be ready."
Harry Fry has his string in great heart and he saddles Misterton.
"He is a young horse going in the right direction. We know he stays further and Noel (Fehily) gave him a positive ride over two miles at Chepstow," said Fry.
"A strongly-run race on Sunday will suit and his stamina will come in up the hill. Hopefully there is plenty of progress to be had yet."
Tigris River won the Galway Hurdle for Joseph O'Brien, who recently showcased his talents on the Flat by winning the Melbourne Cup.
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"He's had a break since winning the Galway Hurdle and it was always going to be the plan to bring him back for something like this," he told At The Races.
"It will probably be tough for him off his mark, but he's already won a good pot.
"It will be interesting to see how he goes. He'll probably have to be a 160-rated horse to win, so it's a big step up for him."
Watch the hilarious moment ex-jockey runs off live broadcast
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