Chantry House rolled back the years to take the Betfair Handicap Chase in decisive fashion at Cheltenham.
Nicky Henderson’s veteran was a dual Grade One winner in his novice chasing days, winning at both the Cheltenham Festival and Aintree in 2021.
He would go on to be a Gold Cup contender the following year, but was pulled up in the blue riband after claiming the Cotswold Chase on Trials day. Since then he has found victories hard to come by and has most recently been seen campaigning over hurdles.
Reverting back to the larger obstacles on the day he turned 11, Chantry House showed plenty of his old zest when sent off at 8-1 and travelled kindly for his pilot Nico de Boinville to stalk Ben Pauling’s Bowtogreatness and Sam Thomas’ Our Power into the straight.
He was delivered by De Boinville heading towards the last before galloping home six and a half lengths clear of Our Power who edged out Bowtogreatness for second. Nigel Twiston-Davies’ 5-6 favourite Broadway Boy was well held in fourth.
A surprised Henderson told ITV Racing: “The plan was to actually go hunter chasing with him and I just needed to get another run into him to get him ready.
“I’m not sure we haven’t made a bodge of this and I’m not sure he is still eligible (for hunter chases) now – he might have to go and win a Grand National or something instead!
“It has scuppered me a little and we were just trying to rekindle his enthusiasm as he was a very, very good horse. We might have to rethink.
“He’s really enjoyed himself and he hasn’t been over fences for a long time only because he had a fall at Wetherby a couple of years ago which really hurt him and damaged his confidence.
“He spent last year running intermittently over hurdles and it has been hard work, I must admit, but he is just lovely.
“He’s jumped well, travelled well and he’s just followed them round. I thought he would get tired, but it is lovely to see him come back and do that. It was slightly unexpected at the time though I must admit.”
Kalif Du Berlais impresses for Ditcheat team
Kalif Du Berlais got Paul Nicholls’ new year off to a blistering start with a bloodless display in the opening Sonic The Hedgehog 3 In Cinemas Now Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase at Cheltenham.
Some of the Ditcheat handler’s string had failed to sparkle over the Christmas period, including Regent’s Stroll who was a beaten favourite in the same colours of part-owner Sir Alex Ferguson at Newbury last Saturday.
However, there were no such problems for the 4-7 favourite Kalif Du Berlais, who readily dispatched his two rivals under a motionless Harry Cobden to build on his chasing victory in the autumn.
Cobden told Racing TV: “We have always liked him a lot and he was very lucky not to hurt himself at Carlisle the first time when he had a terrible fall at the ditch.
“Today the plan was to take a lead but I didn’t think we were going overly quick, so I just let him bowl away and I thought his jumping was fantastic.
“He doesn’t ride like a five-year-old and he’s just turned that today. Everything was very assured and never really in any doubt.
“We have plenty of options of where we can go and he will definitely get two and a half miles. But he’s only five isn’t he, so he probably doesn’t want tons of mileage on the clock at a young age. We’re lucky to have him.”
Diva Luna (5-4 favourite) bravely repelled the challenge of Newton Tornado to win the Richmond Villages And Bupa Care Homes Maiden Hurdle.
Trained by Ben Pauling and ridden by Kielan Woods, Diva Luna was a Grade Two bumper winner at Aintree but suffered a surprise reverse when beaten on her hurdles bow last month.
The six-year-old made amends with a gutsy performance, digging deep after jumping the last to hold on for a one-and-three-quarter-length verdict which saw her cut to 14-1 from 25s with Paddy Power for the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Festival in March.
