Paul Nicholls intends to send Henri The Second on a trip to France in the spring for a tilt at the Grande Course de Haies d’Auteuil.
The Grade One contest, which Nicholls won with Ptit Zig in 2016, has been earmarked by the Ditcheat handler as the main aim for the nine-year-old.
Having got off the mark in testing conditions at Sandown Park last month the Saddler Maker gelding backed that effort up when filling the runner-up spot in the Grade Two ZYN Rendlesham Hurdle at Haydock Park on his latest start.
And Nicholls believes the extended three mile one furlong test at Auteuil on May 16 will suit Henri The Second down to the ground.
Nicholls said: “He ran very well in the Grade Two at Haydock Park considering that the ground had dried up and he only ran a couple of weeks before.
“He does like heavy ground and Haydock Park would be sharp enough for him nowadays.
"To put up the performance he did at Sandown two weeks before was always going to take a bit out of him, but we didn’t have many options for him.
“There is not much over here for him so we are going to go to Auteuil. We’ve won the race in the past with Ptit Zig.
“He will like the ground, and he will stay forever, and that is where he is off to. I’m looking forward to going to Auteuil with him.”
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