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2026 Novice Chasers

Faced with just two rivals, Lucky Place was the 1-2 favourite for his seasonal reappearance and first start over the larger obstacles in the Get Your Ladbrokes Free Ascot Bet ‘Chasing Excellence’ Beginners’ Chase.

Aside from one serious mistake he jumped well in the main and looked the most likely winner as he rounded the home turn in front under Nico de Boinville.

However, he dropped to the rear of the field on the approach to the second fence from home and while he got going again after the last, he had to make do with third place behind the winner Thomas Mor and runner-up Jet To Vegas.

Henderson told Sky Sports Racing: “He’s run like a lot of ours have I’m afraid – they’re having a blow and as Nico said it’s probably happening too late. They’re nearly there, but when you take a blow as late on as that you haven’t got time to get going again.

“He has got going and finished race nicely. It’s disappointing, of course it is, but he’ll have learnt plenty and so have we to be honest.

“We’ve just been caught out again but he will come on a lot for it, that’s the pattern (of our horses) at the moment.

“I don’t think he wants three miles, just talking to Nico there he said if anything you’d come back a tiny bit, rather than go up (in trip), and I’d agree with that. Two-five is probably far enough.”
 
Yosser said:
I hope that whatever is going on there can get sorted. Everybody loves Nicky Henderson and would love to see him at the top table but grandfather time is upon him.
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One would hope that he would recognise the time to make way for someone to take over, and when that time comes, his jockey maybe?
I don’t think it will be long now. The first signs have been around for a little while now.
His big owners who he’s friends with could well be crucial to any decision.
 
riccirich said:
It does leave them looking pretty top heavy with mares over fences compared to hurdles, which is a bit unusual given the mares chase is a grade two and the mares hurdle is a grade one, and there's probably better races over hurdles for them throughout the season too.

What it looks like so far

Hurdles- lossie, murcia, aurora vega maybe.

Chasing - dinoblue, spindleberry, jade, kargese, karoline banbou.

And to add to that there's now a good chance lossie goes champion hurdle. If that is the case, are they really going to just leave themselves with murcia and aurora vega for the mares hurdle?

You also could say that a few of the mares going chasing may go into open company, kargese - arkle, spindleberry - gold cup etc, but it's not really something mullins does too often, and will he do any different this season? It's not as if they're looking short of hopes for the arkle or gold cup at this moment.

I could see kargese or jade coming back over hurdles during the season, whichever one improves the least for fences might end up being they're mares hurdle number one.
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Carnage at Taunton said:
One would hope that he would recognise the time to make way for someone to take over, and when that time comes, his jockey maybe?
I don’t think it will be long now. The first signs have been around for a little while now.
His big owners who he’s friends with could well be crucial to any decision.
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And that’s largely why I wouldn’t touch CH, Lulamba, sir Gino and jonbon for antepost interest
 
All this talk about Henderson's horses and fucking Jango Bango Bongo is Fav for the Grade 2 at ascot tomorrow.
Can't really understand that myself.

Can only be based around Leau du sud, but that's daft logic IMO as those that finished in a bunch in the arkle can't all be 170 horses.
 
Quevega said:
All this talk about Henderson's horses and fucking Jango Bango Bongo is Fav for the Grade 2 at ascot tomorrow.
Can't really understand that myself.

Can only be based around Leau du sud, but that's daft logic IMO as those that finished in a bunch in the arkle can't all be 170 horses.
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Not sure he should be fav either, but I do think he’s a big player for the Ryanair, this is his distance imo.
Good race this tomorrow.
 
Quevega said:
All this talk about Henderson's horses and fucking Jango Bango Bongo is Fav for the Grade 2 at ascot tomorrow.
Can't really understand that myself.

Can only be based around Leau du sud, but that's daft logic IMO as those that finished in a bunch in the arkle can't all be 170 horses.
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I can't understand that either. Especially with Hendo's needing a run and Jango running off the back of an op to have a screw inserted in his leg after picking up an injury in his final race last season. IEF has to go off fav surely??
 
Carnage at Taunton said:
Not sure he should be fav either, but I do think he’s a big player for the Ryanair, this is his distance imo.
Good race this tomorrow.
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Before i knew the result of Lucky Place today, i nipped to the bookies on the way home from work and tucked Jango Baie and Il Est Francais into the Ryanair book. Only have Croke Park (probably a mistake but we shall see) and Heart Wood backed. I only have Fact To File and Djelo written down otherwise. Fact To File will probably be needed to be rolled up but we shall see after the JD. Il Est Francais is a bit of a poke to nothing at 50/1. It remains to be seen how him being trained over here full time will have an affect on him but it could be positive. We know what he is capable of and i am on at a nice price for the King George so made sense to complete the set. Jango could be anything but ultimately this will probably be his target (another i have at a nice price for the KG mini-book) I don't think Djelo will go anywhere else and behind those...... i am struggling. Could be a very small field.
 
Don't think IEF will run LH again Yosser. It's the reason he left France.

Jagwar.
 
Lobos said:
Don't think IEF will run LH again Yosser. It's the reason he left France.

Jagwar.
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Very good horse Jagwar. Would want to see an entry first though because i think they might try him up in trip.......... though possibly not first time out. Wonder if he could go all the way up towards a national trip. Lovely jumper, that's for sure.

Aye, like i say Lobos, just a shot to nothing with him being over here full time. Big Tom could change something and get him right. His head will probably burst on the run in tomorrow now.
 
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Lobos said:
I can't understand that either. Especially with Hendo's needing a run and Jango running off the back of an op to have a screw inserted in his leg after picking up an injury in his final race last season. IEF has to go off fav surely??
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Yeah, I expect Jango to drift and the course specialist and IEF to shorten
 
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Trainer has mentioned Ryanair a few times for Jagwar. Will give Fact To File a free hit at the Gold Cup....... 🤫
 
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Kitzbuhel still 33/1 for the BANC with B365. Every other bookie is 20/1. Last chance to get on the train !!! 🤞
 
Still 20s available for the book builders. There won't be many lining up on the day and if anything happens to Final Demand, he is a corking price.
 
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