Luccia shines at Exeter

Nicky Henderson’s Luccia opened up further Cheltenham Festival options with a straightforward victory in the Virgin Bet Daily Extra Places Novices’ Hurdle at Exeter.

Unbeaten in three starts prior to the run, the chestnut brought forward flawless bumper form and an existing Listed hurdle win gained at Newbury in November.

Not seen since after her Tolworth preparations were interrupted by an unsatisfactory scope, Luccia was nevertheless the 8-13 favourite under Nico de Boinville.

She travelled happily throughout and swept past her rivals with ease when asked, only giving connections a sole moment of doubt with a cat-leap at last.

Her 11-length Listed victory was still easily achieved, however, and she remains undefeated.

“She’s good, isn’t she? She’s been amazing because she had two bumpers last year and then we seriously nearly lost her,” Henderson told Racing TV.

“She had an extraordinary incident and she was as close to being put down as you’ll see. We didn’t know if she’d come back at all or if she’d be able to jump, it was a hind-end injury.

“We were a bit brave, we started her in a Listed race and she won that really well, then she had a dirty scope like one or two of them over the winter.

“This was the perfect race and the perfect timing just to get one more run into her. To be fair, it looked competitive and like it was going to be a good test but it didn’t seem to phase her at all.”

Of her less fluent attempt at the last flight, the trainer added: “She jumps well, we do a lot of extra schooling with her in the indoor school. Nico loves going round there on her, it just helps her technique a little bit.

“Rather than just hurdling, she learns to jump properly and she does jump well, she was just untidy at the last but otherwise she was very quick and economical all the way round. I’ve got to say I was impressed.”

The Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle was always the intended target for Luccia, but the triumph has brought the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle into the equation come March.

“I’d say the mares’, personally,” said Henderson.

To the suggestion that she is good enough for the Supreme, he then added: “That’s what my jockey said — we’ve got four weeks to discuss it.”