Nicky Henderson's hopes of seventh Triumph rise after Adjali gallop

Adjali is stepping into the JCB Triumph Hurdle void left by the defection of Saturday's impressive Kempton winner Fusil Raffles after Nicky Henderson saw enough in his racecourse gallop with Daphne Du Clos and Countister at Kempton on Tuesday to suggest he is a realistic contender.

Henderson has won the Triumph no fewer than six times but at his press day last week he was not at all optimistic about a seventh.

Hopes rose rapidly when Fusil Raffles carried the Simon Munir and Isaac Souede colours to an impressive victory, then fell just as quickly when he returned with a bad cut.

He now has a replacement, and for the same owners, and possibly a second string in Monday's Plumpton winner Pentland Hills.

Henderson said: "I was pleased with Adjali because his last run was disappointing and we'd nearly thrown him out of the equation but, in the last fortnight, he's very much come back to the front line.

"I don't know what happened with him last time at Cheltenham - that wasn't him - but that was a good piece of work this morning as Countister couldn't get to him and she has been working well of late.

"It's particularly pleasing for everyone involved with him following the cut sustained on Saturday by Fusil Raffles, because he really did look good and he's now going to have to wait."

Adjali is a top-priced 20-1 chance, the same odds as Pentland Hills, who has yet to be confirmed but will be following in distinguished footsteps if he does run.

Henderson revealed: "The race he won at Plumpton must have been the one I won with First Bout, who was my first Triumph winner in 1985. It was First Bout's hurdling debut too and he won easily but the handicapper told me that the form wouldn't be good enough to get him into the Triumph, which in those days was always oversubscribed.

"So I had to run him again at Newbury at the weekend and he won even easier, by 20 lengths. This time the handicapper said 'that'll do', but it meant that when he went to Cheltenham for the Triumph and won again it was his third race in under three weeks!"

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