Trainer Harry Fry is looking forward to seeing how recent Ascot winner Boothill shapes up against Jonbon in Saturday’s Close Brothers Henry VIII Novices’ Chase at Sandown.
Nicky Henderson’s Jonbon is already odds-on across the board for the two-mile Grade One this weekend on the back of a comfortable win first time out over fences at Warwick, but Fry isn’t put off by JP McManus’s horse in opposition.
He was particularly pleased with how Boothill delivered on the promise of his chasing debut win at Newton Abbot in mid-November when landing the Jim Barry Wines Hurst Park Handicap Chase at Ascot.
Fry, who is also set to run Cheltenham Festival heroine Love Envoi in handicap company, among others, on the same card, said on the Nick Luck Daily Podcast: “His last two runs over fences we’ve been delighted with and with that valuable prize at Ascot last time if was great to see him fulfil that potential we always felt he had.
“On Saturday we go there with a bit more experience than some of the others, particularly Jonbon who has only had the one start. They’ve all novices at the end of the day and Sandown is a good test for any horse.
“We weren’t originally going to go for the race but with the way it’s panned out, with drying conditions, we’re looking forward to taking our chance.”
Regarding Love Envoi, he said: "Making her handicap debut against the boys isn't the obvious choice maybe but we know she goes well at Sandown.
"We've really had our hand forced with the ground conditions to be honest as there aren't that many level-weights races for mares this side of Christmas. The races pick themselves from the New Year, from the race at Sandown on Tolworth Hurdle day, so this fits in nicely with the programme and it's about getting her season started on ground conditions that suit, and it'll be interesting to see her in a handicap.
"The alternative was to go to Cheltenham next weekend but I just felt we'd rather go now with the ground to suit.
"All being well we're hoping she'll warrant a place in the Mares' Hurdle at the (Cheltenham) Festival so we've been working back from that all along really."
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