Royal Festival poser for Nicky

Lydia Hislop13 April 2012

Nicky Henderson could be forced to give Arkle Chase hopeful, Blue Royal, his firstever competitive start over fences in the Cheltenham Festival event itself, it emerged today.

The surprise option was raised after the injury-beset gelding missed further crucial exercise at his trainer's Lambourn yard this week.

Although ranked as highly as 10-1 fifth favourite for the Irish Independent-sponsored Grade One contest, Blue Royal is yet to jump a fence in public. He has not been sighted on a racecourse since his lacklustre eighth behind Grimes over hurdles at the 2000 Punchestown Festival.

"He worked well on Saturday, schooled brilliantly last week and is 100 per cent now. But he did miss work yesterday and the day before with a bruised foot," Henderson reported.

"The original problem was fast ground at Punchestown that shook him up a bit. It happened to Regal Exit and Stormyfairweather there, too. It's been hard and Blue Royal has had a series of niggly problems."

Henderson stressed he hasn't at all given up on Blue Royal for next month's Festival - even finding a quick prep-race has not yet been discounted. But, if time runs out, the 2000 Champion Hurdle third could make his seasonal and chase debut in the Arkle instead.

"It's a very difficult thing to ask a horse to do," admitted Henderson. "But he's very, very good over fences at home. There's no point running him in anything other than the Arkle. He wasn't entered in this year's Champion Hurdle because he's a chaser, through and through."

The last horse to attempt this bold feat was the Martin Pipe-trained Wahiba Sands, who finished sixth on his chase debut in the 2000 Arkle. He had at least raced over hurdles that season.

Henderson also confirmed his other Arkle candidate, Fondmort, heads straight to the Festival. The same applies to Stormyfairweather - sidelined like Blue Royal since May 2000 and his handler's main Martell Grand National hope, along with Goguenard.

"Stormy will probably start in the William Hill National Hunt Chase," said Henderson. "He'll also join a few of my horses - Blue Royal, Fondmort and Landing Light among them - in a racecourse gallop between now and Cheltenham. I don't know where yet."

Meanwhile, Andrew Parker, trainer of Hugo De Grez, reports his charge to be fit and ready for his tilt at the Tote Eider National at Newcastle on Saturday. The seven-year-old, 7-1 second favourite for the event with Blue Square, has impressed Parker with his work on the gallops.

He said: "He's grand, in great form."

Hugo De Grez has had just two runs this season, finishing second to Grey Abbey at Ayr before winning a 3m 2f event on testing ground at Carlisle. That outing was back in November but his racetrack absence is not a worry for Parker.

He said: "He's quite easy to keep. He's had four entries since then but the meetings have all been abandoned.

Tony McCoy's four rides at Taunton tomorrow include Family Business. McCoy won a remarkable race on the six-year-old at Southwell last month when all seven runners fell. The champion jockey remounted Family Business to land the spoils.

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