Feilden First for Henderson’s Street

Top weight takes Listed honours.

Nicky Henderson continued his great record in the Coral Bet Bundles Intermediate Handicap Hurdle, better known as the Gerry Feilden, when First Street defied top weight to score narrowly after an epic duel with Grivetana.

James Bowen, who had earlier triumphed for Henderson on Luccia, gave the five-year-old a peach of a ride, with the gritty winner scoring by two and a half lengths.

“James doesn’t feel a lot of pressure,” said Henderson. “He has a bit of Constitution Hill in him – ‘I’m cool, mate’.

“He gave both the winners a great ride. He is top class and he is champion jockey material.

“And there is nobody better on the big day than Nico (de Boinville) – they are both ice cool.”

The Seven Barrows number one rider was at Newcastle to ride impressive Fighting Fifth Hurdle winner Constitution Hill, and with First Street and Epatante among a plethora of good two-milers in the yard, Henderson is finding races for them hard to choose.

He added: “We just want to keep feet on the ground. We are very lucky – there are a lot of very nice horses on the place and they have got to go and find themselves. Tomorrow morning is going to be fun, because I have got to sit down and make some plans.”

The Gerry Feilden is a race in which he has had plenty of success and Henderson added: “That was good. This was always the race I’ve had in mind for him since the beginning of the season. I’ve loved it. Epatante won it (in 2019) and went straight from here to the Christmas Hurdle.

“Now, I can’t say he will, because I think somebody else is going to (Constitution Hill).

“That might be a silly one. But I think that is the end of handicapping. He had top weight and was giving the second nearly two stone. He is a very talented person. Love him.

“He is gritty, he jumps and does everything right.

“We are very lucky – they are lovely horses and this has been my objective with him. The Gerry Feilden always gives those second-season novices’ a great opportunity to break into the next league and it is a great introduction and it has always been a great race to us.

“The other filly (Theatre Glory, who unseated Nathan Brennan at the fourth flight) had a slip up the back and then did four circuits, so I don’t think she will be running next week.

First Street and James Bowen at the last
First Street and James Bowen at the last (John Walton/PA)

“First Street was very tough to do that. James said we have always ran him in a hood, now you are in this sort of company, you can afford to take the hood off. He has learned to relax and race properly and we might discard that. He said we might have won better without one.”

Henderson could now consider a relatively swift turnaround and step back up in company at Cheltenham next month.

He added: “The International Hurdle is a fortnight today. I can’t see he’s had an easy race today, but would you dare? It is just possible, but only just.”

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