Henderson outlines plans for Cheltenham team

Nicky Henderson already believes Punchestowns and Long Run are the best two chasers he has ever trained.

The pair are set for a fascinating clash in the RSA Chase later this month and could not be held in higher regard by a man who has more Cheltenham Festival winners to his name than any other current trainer.

Admittedly most of Henderson's greatest earners have been hurdlers, but the likes of Remittance Man and Fondmort have passed through his Lambourn stables.

"They are the two horses we are lucky enough to have who could go all the way," he said.

"They have got two years to go but they are as good as we've had for a very long time. They're as good chasers as I've ever had.

"My duty is to keep them in one piece for two years. We all need stars to come through and we all want them in our yard."

Punchestowns and Long Run are both unbeaten in two runs over British fences but have rather different backgrounds.

The French recruit Long Run, owned by Robert Waley-Cohen and to be ridden by his son Sam, was a Grade One-winning hurdler at three and made an incredible debut in this country in the Feltham Novices' Chase at Kempton before following up over two miles at Warwick.

Punchestowns did start off in Flat races in France but made a quicker transfer and was second to Big Buck's in last year's Ladbrokes World Hurdle. His outings over fences have been in smaller events at Newbury and Sandown.

"Punchestowns stays three miles but is very good at two and a half - he's not a slow horse," said Henderson.

"I'd actually love to take Big Buck's on again one day and come from behind him. But that would only happen if his chasing career falls apart.

"He will probably go to Newbury on Sunday for a wander.

"Long Run won't - he will have a schooling session with Yogi Breisner on Tuesday and we have to be careful he's not too fresh.

"Long Run is just very talented. There are not many who can go a genuine two-mile pace and can also stay three-miles at Kempton.

"It's quite freakish really.

"We ran him over two at Warwick really for his future - if every race is to be over three miles, then his will be a shorter life."

With Barry Geraghty set to ride Punchestowns, there is a ride to spare on the third string Burton Port, and the trainer was keen not to rule out the Reynoldstown winner.

"His owner Trevor Hemmings wants to run." he said.

"He has nowhere else to go and he deserves to be there - in another year he would be our main runner.

We're not sure about jockeys - Andrew Tinkler gets on very well with him and AP McCoy can ride whoever."

A winning British debut at Kempton on Saturday by Soldatino has left the French recruit as Henderson's chief hope of retaining the JCB Triumph Hurdle.

Zaynar's victory 12 months ago was the fourth time Henderson had lifted the four-year-old highlight but several failures had left him searching for a suitable candidate for 2010.

Step forward Soldatino, who had scored at Pau at the start of the year, and was purchased by the increasingly influential owner Simon Munir. He took the Grade Two Adonis at Kempton last weekend by seven lengths.

"It was starting to look like there wouldn't be one," admitted Henderson.

"We did one piece of work with Soldatino and he hung all over the place. We were told he had to wear a hood, earplugs and a special bit when he came over so we were experimenting at Kempton. I hadn't even galloped him.

"He did wear earplugs in the race - he'll wear them again - but he was very sensible and relaxed and had his blows.

"He will come on an awful lot for it and I think you have got to be tempted to go to Cheltenham.

"It's a big ask but it looks a pretty weak year. I thought that before Christmas when I said I would be amazed if we had seen the Triumph Hurdle winner by then."

Henderson has written off the chances of According making the Triumph but has not yet unleashed Super Kenny.

He said: "Super Kenny is going to go to Newbury on Saturday but I am sure he wants good ground."

Actor James Nesbitt is getting "very, very excited" about the prospect of his Riverside Theatre participating in the Irish Independent Arkle Trophy.

The winner of both his starts over fences would appear to be Henderson's leading chance in the March 16th event and is 9-1 with totesport to see off the likes of Sizing Europe, Captain Cee Bee and Somersby.

Henderson also has the gigantic Mad Max due to run in the Arkle while French Opera is another possible string to his bow.

The trainer said: "Barry (Geraghty) will ride Riverside Theatre and his owner is getting very, very excited.

"The horse loves being really, really fresh and has done nothing wrong at all.

"Both he and Mad Max schooled last week and were very, very good."

Mad Max has had well-documented breathing problems but his latest of three operations seems to have done the trick, although the 33-1 chance was turned over at Doncaster on his most recent outing.

"He is very, very big but very, very good too," added Henderson.

"He is not slow and will want to power along as he has a very high cruising speed while Riverside Theatre has more gears."

French Opera took third in the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual - named after the trainer's late father - at the Festival last spring and is likely to head back to the same race again despite being engaged in the Arkle.

"French Opera is still in the Arkle and is probably one of the highest rated in there," said Henderson.

"His form and his rating would probably say he is the best of the three - and I am wanting to run him in a handicap!

"He will almost certainly have top weight in the Grand Annual. He will work at Newbury on Sunday and we will take it from there, although he is more likely to run in the Grand Annual.

"Not surprisingly we want to hit the Grand Annual quite hard and Pepsyrock, French Opera, You're The Top and Dave's Dream are in the race too."

Oscar Whisky will know he has had a race after clashing with the mighty Dunguib in the Spinal Research Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham, according to trainer Nicky Henderson.

The five-year-old is unbeaten in four starts and marked himself out as one the leading British challengers to the Irish hotpot with his recent Sandown strike.

"He definitely runs and has always been very pacey and very talented," said Henderson.

"He has not had a big scrap yet and has to contend with Dunguib so he will know he's had a scrap this time, but he does have a lot of talent."

Bellvano is another prominent in the Supreme betting but the JP McManus-owned six-year-old but could bypass the race for the County Hurdle depending on McManus' running plans.

"He is also in the County and I am not sure where he will go," said Henderson.

"I talked to JP on Sunday and we also have Quantitativeeasing, while he also has the likes of Get Me Out Of Here and they all have to be juggled around."

General Miller is another Henderson contender in the Supreme and the Henry Ponsonby-owned five-year-old is 20-1 alongside Bellvano after his defeat at the track in January.

"He was beaten over two and a half miles last time which has led to us come back to two miles," said his trainer.

"He needs to get his jumping spot on at speed but is very talented."

Quantitativeeasing is a 14-1 shot with totesport for the Neptune Investment Novices' Hurdle while stablemate Finian's Rainbow is just 6-1 after shining at Ascot most recently.

"I see Quantitativeeasing as a genuine Neptune horse and this race has been the plan for Finian's all the way along.

"I was disappointed he got beat in the Challow as he came there to win but I might have been looking after him as I see him as a chaser.

"That may have been in my mind prior to the Challow but he is entitled to be here."