Darlan and Simonsig could hand Henderson big Cheltenham double
Published:Simonsig is now 9/4 to win the Neptune Novices’ Hurdle after being confirmed for the race by Nicky Henderson and the trainer now holds strong hands in two big novice hurdles at the Festival.
There were two big options for Simonsig at Cheltenham and the ultimate decision was whether he would be best suited to the 2m of the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle or the additional 5f of the Neptune.
It seems that the input of jockey Barry Geraghty had a huge bearing on the final decision, with the key point being that his jumping would be helped over the extended trip.
Meanwhile, the fact that he was seriously considered for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle suggests that he will not be lacking in speed in the closing stages of the Neptune.
Fingal Bay’s withdrawal from the Neptune would have also had a bearing on the decision, while it is hard not to believe that Henderson is secretly happy with the way things have developed.
Henderson is already well represented in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, with Darlan having a particularly strong chance in the Festival opener, while Tetlami and Keys could additionally take part.
The decision regarding Simonsig has resulted in Darlan taking over at the top of the Cheltenham betting for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at 5/1 and he has travelled strongly on the bridle throughout the majority of his races to date.
Therefore, Henderson now has favourites for two big novice hurdles, rather than running the duo against each other and limiting his chances of good prize money.
Henderson is 15/8 to train the most winners at the 2012 Cheltenham Festival and a victory for Darlan could set the tone for a productive opening day.
Sprinter Sacre and Binocular are others more than capable of wins and Henderson only requires two victories across all of the four days to become the most successful Cheltenham Festival trainer of all time.
