Willmount 'flying at home' as Nicky Henderson star prepares for Challow challenge - but Nico de Boinville misses ride

Nicky Henderson has already won a Grade 1 novice hurdle this week and sets his sights on another with the exciting Willmount, who seems set to start favourite for the Challow.

Henderson won Tuesday's Formby Novices' Hurdle (the old Tolworth) with Jango Baie and has an equally bright prospect in Willmount, who impressed in bumpers for Neil Mulholland before dazzling at Newbury on his Seven Barrows and hurdles debut last month.

The Blue Bresil gelding can be backed at 12-1 for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle and the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle at March's Cheltenham Festival.

"He is flying at home and schooled on Thursday, and was electric," owner Olly Harris said. "Stepping up to Grade 1 level, you never know until they go and do it, but Nicky likes him a lot. I am hoping it will be my second Grade 1. It's a nice, small field, soft ground and a big galloping track, so no excuses. I wouldn't swap him."

Henderson also runs Brave Jen, who outran her odds in a Listed race at Newbury last time, but there is little doubt who is the stable's main hope.

"He could be absolutely anything and one thing is for sure, we’ll know a lot more after this race," Henderson said in his Unibet blog. "We’re going up in trip, which shouldn’t be a problem. There is no doubt he has to improve again, but he’s a lovely, big strong horse who has done nothing wrong since coming to us and I’m really looking forward to seeing what we’ve got."

De Boinville out

James Bowen will ride Willmount in the Challow after Nico de Boinville suffered a heavy fall aboard Therapist at Doncaster on Friday.

De Boinville was seen with his arm in a sling with a suspected collarbone injury and was set to have an x-ray late on Friday evening. 

Bowen has also replaced De Boinville on Jeriko Du Reponet and Steal A March at Newbury on Saturday.

Nicholls two-handed in his bid for sixth Challow 

Paul Nicholls is a good place to start when it comes to the Challow, which he has won a record five times. That haul includes success for the mighty Denman and in the last three runnings with Bravemansgame, Stage Star and Hermes Allen

Captain Teague, the mount of stable jockey Harry Cobden, bids to bounce back having been beaten at odds-on last time, while Farnoge also possesses claims.

Hermes Allen: Challow winner for Paul Nicholls 12 months agoCredit: Edward Whitaker

"We've won this for the last three years, but it's quite a hot race with lots of horses with big reputations in it," the 14-time champion trainer said. "It will be interesting and both of mine like soft ground and have chances. 

"I don't think there's much between them. Farnoge is a nice horse who needs to improve a little bit, but he's unbeaten, while things didn't work out for Captain Teague last time, but he's in good shape."

What they say

Jonjo O'Neill, trainer of Johnnywho
He won his bumper at Taunton well last season and that was everything we could have hoped for on his first start over hurdles at Carlisle in November. We had wanted to give him another run before this, but he came back from that run with a bit of infection in him and we couldn't fit that in. At this stage we still thought it was worth going for a good race and it will tell us plenty for the future. He got the trip well at Carlisle so that should be no problem and he's doing it nicely at home.

Neil King, trainer of Lookaway
We had a choice of running in the big handicap at Ascot before Christmas or what was the Tolworth at Aintree on Boxing Day, but we've always thought going up in trip would improve him so that's why he's here. He's won at Newbury before and is in great form. He had a pop over hurdles on Thursday morning and he was mustard. I'm looking forward to it and hope he'll win.

Alan King, trainer of Masaccio
He’s taking well to hurdling and has certainly earned the chance to run in a race I won with Messire Des Obeaux in 2016. Having shown smart form in bumpers last season, he made a fine start over hurdles when winning well at Chepstow in October and then ran a solid race at Newbury, just getting beaten on the line by Jingko Blue, who Nicky Henderson thinks plenty of and who was getting 6lb. This has been the target ever since and slower ground will help, as it was plenty quick enough last time. He’s come out of the race well and is a horse to look forward to.

Ben Pauling, trainer of The Jukebox Man
He's done nothing wrong and I'm not sure what he's beaten, but he's won as he's liked. We think he's a very good horse on proper soft ground, so hopefully Newbury gets plenty of rain and is quite testing. It's a good opportunity to see where we are with him. He's a nice horse for the future who will win some lovely races, but he's a chaser through and through and this will tell where he is as a hurdler. It's a very good race, but he deserves to line up.

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