Aintree option open for Might Bite if Henderson is 100 per cent happy

Might Bite, who contributed hugely to a Cheltenham Gold Cup that stirred the soul on Friday when a gallant second to Native River, could head to Aintree next month if connections are completely pleased with him.

The Betway Bowl on April 12 would be the son of Scorpion's target, with Simon Philip, of owners the ten-strong Knot Again Partnership, saying: "Nicky will tell us a lot nearer the time if he's ready for that. He'll only go, I guess, if Nicky's 100 per cent happy with him."

Philip added: "He's had fewer races this season, but I think Friday was probably the first time he went into the red zone. You can't tell what the recovery would be, but unless he was absolutely right I don't think we'd consider sending him – he's far too precious to take a chance on."

Revelling in the nine-year-old's excellent Gold Cup effort, when he was sent off the 4-1 favourite, Philip said: "We were hugely proud. We said he'd grown up and he put absolutely everything in.

"We knew our fate, I think, probably ten days before when the snow came and we looked at the long-range weather forecast. He finished a lot nearer than we expected him to, but the ground was totally unsuitable for him."

Philip continued: "He got away with it at Kempton in the King George, but didn't get away with it on Friday. But we're hugely proud and that's the glorious uncertainty of sport.

"We caught a soft, heavy Cheltenham and we were always going to struggle. It was just horrible, horrible ground at the intersection and where it had been used, and there was nothing there by the time he'd traipsed through that."

Might Bite displayed none of the quirks that nearly led to his throwing away the RSA Novices' Chase at the festival 12 months ago, and nor did he on his next start when winning last year's Mildmay Novices' Chase at Aintree.

Philip said: "He was nothing like the horse at Aintree that he was at Cheltenham; it was the first thing Nico [de Boinville] said after he climbed off after winning the Mildmay.

Timico Cheltenham Gup race replay, result and analysis

"We keep saying he's grown up and got rid of his greenness and people keep harking back to it. But if ever you needed proof [it came in the Gold Cup] and I think we can drop that out of the conversation now. He jumps like a bunny rabbit."

Nico de Boinville debriefs the Mighty Bite crowd after his terrific effort in the Gold CupCredit: Edward Whitaker

Those involved in Might Bite also include Henderson's sister Josie, the champion trainer's great pal and bloodstock agent David Minton and former Sandown chairman John Jarvis, who will all be dreaming of going one better at Cheltenham next year.

"The King George must be his next major target and he's got very few miles on the clock," said Philip. "I still think there's plenty more to come from him.

"We may have to face the fact there's a pretty distinguished group that has Wayward Lad and Silviniaco Conti among others in it, who have been King George horses rather than Gold Cup horses and vice versa, but the bottom line is we're the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker. Owners like us aren't supposed to have top-rank steeplechasers and win Gold Cups."

He added: "Having him is the equine equivalent of winning the lottery. There are far bigger owners throwing more money at it than us, so it's just a huge privilege to be associated with him and he's taken us to places that, after him, we probably won't be travelling to again.

"From what people like Brough Scott are saying, there might be a chance in future that it's not just known as the Native River Gold Cup, but the Native River-Might Bite Gold Cup, a bit like it's the Grundy-Bustino King George. We'd settle for that."

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