Henderson dipping toe in water with Ballymore Trial for Balco Coastal
- Planet Sport writer
- 20 January 2022
Top jumps trainer Nicky Henderson has high hopes for Balco Coastal but is considering a Cheltenham Festival Trial date for his promising hurdler.
Seven Barrows trainer Nicky Henderson is mulling over a Festival Trials Day for Balco Coastal at Cheltenham later this month to see if he has Ballymore Novices' Hurdle potential.
Henderson has an embarassment of riches with his two exciting prospects Constitution Hill and Jonbon in the two-mile Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle, but he is looking for suitable contenders for the Ballymore over an extra five furlongs.
Balco Coastal is yet to go beyond two miles over hurdles, although he won both his starts at Huntingdon and Ludlow last month in eye-catching fashion.
"I think Balco Coastal will go to Cheltenham possibly, as I think he might be a two-and-a-half-mile horse," said Henderson.
"I'm trying to juggle them. I think we know where the other two are going (Jonbon and Constitution Hill).
"They do look as though they will be taking each other on and they are both two-milers. They will both get two and a half - there's no doubt about that - but at the moment they are two-milers.
✅ Winning hurdling debut
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) December 5, 2021
Smart bumper performer Balco Coastal scores at the first time of asking over timber for @NdeBoinville & @sevenbarrows at @Huntingdon_Race pic.twitter.com/bwRFXJ6C8f
"If Balco Coastal got two and half, we probably might run him in the Ballymore Trial, so Walking On Air (a winner at Newbury on Wednesday) would have another look somewhere else, but he is bred to get two and half and Nico (De Boinville) said he felt like two and half."
Henderson revealed Firestep, a well-regarded six-year-old, will wait until next season before making his jumps debut.
The Mahler gelding took both his bumpers last term and was expected to set his stall out over obstacles this season.
"Firestep has had an issue and is going to have to wait until next year, because to be honest, it is too late to get him out and get enough experience into him for this year," he said.
"He was part of what I thought was the A Team at the beginning of the season, but the rest have done what we hoped they might do.
"The first step for this fella will be novice hurdles next year. We might as well make sure we have got one for next year."
