Henry VIII Chase 2012 Sandown

[Old Vic]

Henry VIII Nov Chase entries: Act Of Kalanisi, Captain Conan, Escort'men, Overturn, Stormy Weather, Tap Night, Third Intention, Hinterland.

[mayo]

Overturn not certain to run ...Jason in aintree for Becher. Would have though AP in Aintree for Albertas so Tap Night might not run.

[1833]

Captain Conan vs hinterland could have shades of the main event

[Statto]

http://www.fatjockey.com/festivals/racing_festivals.php?Sandown-Henry-VIII-Novice-Chase-Stats-109

Henry VIII Novices Chase Stats

Paul Nicholls and the retired Henrietta Knight have been the trainers to follow with 3 wins each in the last decade
No winner priced bigger than 7-2 in the last decade
9 of the last 10 winners aged between 4 and 6

[Old Vic]

Tap Night will not make his chasing debut in the Markel Insurance Henry VIII Novices' Chase at Sandown on Saturday.

The Grade Two-winning hurdler was successful in a decent handicap at Ayr on his first run for owner JP McManus in November and is now due to embark upon a new career.

Tap Night also holds an entry in a handicap hurdle at Sandown and a novice chase at Wetherby on Saturday but is instead likely to run at Hexham next Wednesday.

"I think he goes to Hexham," said trainer Lucinda Russell.

"We'll start him off chasing and see how we get on, but he definitely won't be going to Sandown."

[Sprinter]

Barry's Blog

I’m very sweet on the chances of CAPTAIN CONAN (1.55) in the Markel Insurance Henry VIII Novices’ Chase.

This was always going to be his job and he couldn’t have operated any better than he did on his chase debut at Cheltenham last month.

He jumped well and had no trouble handling the soft ground and the way he came up the hill there would indicate that the Sandown hill wouldn’t be a problem. This lad has a bright future.

[Sprinter]

Alex Hammond ( Overturn NR)

Also at Sandown, the Grade 1 Henry VIII Novices' Chase looks superb too. Nicky Henderson's Captain Conan could meet Donald McCain's likeable Overturn and Paul Nicholls has also entered Hinterland, who would get the four-year-old weight allowance in this two-mile contest.

Captain Conan is a gorgeous individual and he impressed me on a recent visit to Seven Barrows. He made the perfect start to his chasing career in the Arkle Trial Trophy at Cheltenham's Open meeting, jumping well and winning comfortably. He looks a natural at this game and whilst he could be vying for two-mile honours with stablemate Simonsig when he reappears, he looks a fair old stand-in for the time being.

Captain Conan and Overturn are both 7/1 shots with Sky Bet for the Arkle at this stage. Overturn is a horse you can't help but warm to. He made a pleasing chasing debut over this course and distance last month and he jumped the fences like a natural. The railway fences can be very tricky for a novice but he pinged them and showed plenty of scope. I would be concerned about his claims on the type of ground he is likely to encounter on Saturday and whilst normally I would hate to take him on, I don't think conditions are in his favour.

Hinterland was too keen on his chase debut last time out and although he gets the weight allowance, he will need to settle better round here. So, as much as I hate to desert Overturn, it's Captain Conan for me in this.

[mayo]

Chris mcGrath

The two stables that increasingly dominate British jump racing likewise provide a hot favourite and his most obvious danger in the Markel Insurance Henry VIII Novice Chase. Captain Conan (1.55) got everything right in his first steeplechase, which is more than can be said of Hinterland, and can duly set up a double for Messrs Henderson and Geraghty.

Only the boldest, mind you, will risk short odds about a novice over the railway fences, especially if they saw Fingal Bay at Exeter yesterday. Apparently in a different league from his two rivals, Fingal Bay jumped badly left in front and, artfully declined a lead by Paddy Brennan aboard the winner Chartreux, eventually veered through the plastic wings of the third last. Fortunately, both Richard Johnson and his wayward mount walked away unscathed.

[mayo]

Daqman

1.55 Sandown (Henry V111 Novices’ Chase) Paul Nicholls is 1321 in this in the last four years, with three winners since 2003, including the star-quality Al Ferof last year.

However, for me, it’s not Nicholls but Henderson who has the potential champion here in Captain Conan and he can strike first blood before their Tringle Creek showdown of Sanctuaire and Sprinter Sacre.

A Cheltenham winner, even as dashing as the bold Captain, is not always effective on a flatter track like Sandown, albeit with a hill-climb finish, but this boy won a novice hurdle at the Esher venue and is my first leg of a confident Saturday treble chance.

[mayo]

*By*Peter Scargill 2:02PM 8 DEC 2012*

Report: Sandown, Saturday

Markel Insurance Henry VIII Novices' Chase (Grade 1) 2m, 4yo+

CAPTAIN CONAN made it two wins from two races over fences with a bold, dominant performance as odds-on favourite at Sandown on Saturday.

Winner of the Grade 1 Tolworth Hurdle at the course earlier this year, the Nicky Henderson-trained Captain Conan went straight to the lead under Barry Geraghty and produced a near-perfect round of jumping to see off nearest rival Hinterland with ease.
Jockey Ruby Walsh had moved Hinterland into a stalking position behind the eventual winner approaching the third-last fence but the four-year-old hit the obstacle and was quickly left behind by the impressive winner, who returned the 4-7 favourite.

Henderson said: "He was great. Nobody wants to do it on their own like that, but nobody was going to help. He's very good for a big horse. He'll keep galloping, but he's agile, tidy and scopey.

"He's not slow, but we knew he stays and we knew what Ruby was going to do. He rather bullied them into submission with a very powerful display of jumping and galloping.&quo t;

BetVictor cut the winner to 5-1 (from 6) for the Racing Post Arkle at the Cheltenham Festival but Paddy Power left him unchanged at 7-1 for the same race.