Jango Baie and Lulamba are on track to spearhead a strong team for Nicky Henderson at Aintree’s Grand National meeting.
Jango Baie was having his third run of the campaign when an admirable second in the Gold Cup and is a likely contender for the Aintree Bowl Chase on April 9.
The race was won last year by his Cheltenham conqueror Gaelic Warrior.
A late mistake sealed Lulamba’s fate in the Arkle, but the Game Spirit winner emerged from the race with plenty of credit in finishing third behind Kargese, and could step up in trip for the Manifesto Novices’ Chase on the opening day at Aintree.
Reflecting on the festival, Henderson said: “It’s been a long week of stresses and strains, but it’s been terrific, I can’t complain about it.
Everybody wants more, but you’d have settled for three winners at the start of the week.
Touch wood, they’re all fine at home – they’re all sound and moving well.
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“Jango Baie could go to Aintree.
He had a tough race, and with a Gold Cup as competitive as that, it’s entitled to be tough.
He’s had only three starts this season because we missed the Denman Chase on purpose, so I’d like to think he could run again.
I’d like to go there if we can.
“I’d like to run Lulamba again too.
He ought to go over two and a half miles at Aintree, and that looks the obvious place to run him.
We’ve got the four-week gap this year.”
BetMGM Cup winner Jingko Blue could join the Seven Barrows squad at Aintree, while options remain open for Jonbon following his second in the Ryanair Chase.
“We’ll see how Jonbon goes,” said Henderson.
“It was a very hard race at Ascot and he looked tired that day, and he looked tired again at Cheltenham.
You might look at the Aintree Hurdle for Jingko Blue, and he’ll definitely go again.
He’s got the scope to go on, but not over fences.”
Supreme winner Old Park Star and Turners second Act Of Innocence look set to tackle fences next season and are unlikely to be seen again this campaign.
“I’m pretty sure Old Park Star and Act Of Innocence won’t run again,” said the trainer.
“I’d have thought they’d be chasers through and through.
I don’t see a Champion Hurdle horse in there.”
“I’ve got two of them,” he added, referring to Constitution Hill and Sir Gino.
“One can’t jump and the other is ill.
“Sir Gino is still in hospital and is taking his time.
It’s a long time since Trials day when he went wrong.
It’s not the pelvis, it’s just the infection he had last year.
It took three months then and we got him back; you pray we can do it again.”
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