Might Bite To Prove His Worth Next Season

There is not much attention given to national hunt racing in the summer months, by punters or by the media. It is, of course, understandable given that our attention is focused on the flat season: the action at Royal Ascot, the Classics and the rest of the elements that define the summer racing season. Some punters might have a dabble at an ante post bet for Cheltenham next year, but by and large we forget about it until the autumn.

It would, however, be intriguing to hear the thoughts of Nicky Henderson as he strolls up and down the picturesque Seven Barrows Stables in Lambourn. While great trainers will always look ahead to the next race, one would forgive Henderson for reflecting on a brilliant national hunt season just past. As he walks through the training complex, he can check in on Buveur D’Air, the first horse to win successive Champion Hurdles in over a decade. Perhaps he takes a look in at the biggest star in his stable, Altior, and thinks of the future possibilities for this super horse?

Soft ground at the finish impacted Might Bite’s Gold Cup chances

What, then, crosses Henderson’s mind when it comes to Might Bite? So near and yet so far in the 2018 Cheltenham Gold Cup? Does he think: ‘if that ground was just a little less testing, I would be looking at a Gold Cup winner’? Possibly not. Henderson does not strike you as a man who likes to stew in regret. Instead, he will be plotting and scheming about ways to ensure Might Bite can go one better next year.

Of course, Henderson will not be alone in thinking that Might Bite has plenty more left to give at the very top level. He did, after all, bounce back from the disappointment at Cheltenham with a blistering run in the Betway Bowl Chase at Aintree a few weeks later. Indeed, Betfair have made him a clear favourite to win the King George VI Chase again this year. Might Bite is 3/1, with his closest rival in the ante post odds Ruth Jefferson’s up and coming seven-year-old Waiting Patiently (7/1). Footpad (10/1) and Bristol De Mai (16/1) are also listed, but it might be worth using a Betfair free bet with the race picture so unclear at the moment.

Might Bite clear favourite for King George VI Chase

Might Bite - Aintree Betway Bowl ChaseWhile a second King George win would be a tremendous achievement for Henderson and Might Bite, it is the Gold Cup that will be the chief target. Betfair’s current odds for that are interesting to say the least. Might Bite is a co-second-favourite at 13/2 with his conqueror in the 2018 Gold Cup, Native River. It is, in fact, it is Patrick Kelly’s brilliant Presenting Percy who leads the way at 6/1, although several major bookmakers have Might Bite as the favourite at 5/1.

It is not a ‘lazy’ act by the bookmakers to stick Might Bite at the top of the odds for those races next season. It is an affirmation of the horse’s quality and his narrow and somewhat unlucky defeat in the Gold Cup last season. The nine-year-old has low mileage on the clock with only sixteen lifetime starts and really can reach the pinnacle in 2019.

From a racing fans’ perspective, it is just wonderful to dream of another epic start-to-finish battle like we saw in last season’s Gold Cup and let’s hope all the horses summer well and return in top shape for the challenges ahead.