Henderson: Might Bite was in panic mode but he'll be back to his best at Kempton

Nicky Henderson on Sunday warned punters not to write off last season's 32Red King George VI Chase winner Might Bite despite his Betfair Chase flop.

Henderson's top-class three-miler remains favourite for this year's Kempton Christmas showpiece but his odds were pushed out to as big as 7-2 (from a best-priced 2-1) after he trailed in last of five behind Bristol De Mai in the Betfair Chase.

Might Bite had not finished out of the first two in a completed race for more than two and a half years until his 29-length defeat under Nico de Boinville on Saturday.

Watch Saturday's Betfair Chase

In a revelation that recalled the mercurial reputation Might Bite earned after almost throwing away the 2017 RSA Chase by coming to a near-stop on the run-in, Henderson said he believes his chaser was unsettled and left in "panic mode" by the controversial Haydock fences.

He said: "My feeling is that he nudged the second or third fence and, for me, throughout the race he wasn't jumping with his normal fluency. When he's in full flow it's aggression, it's attack, attack, attack.

"If you go back to the early days of him as a steeplechaser, the first time we ran him I thought he was brilliant. He went to Cheltenham and we frightened the living daylights out of him and I had to put him back over hurdles for a year. The next time he ran in a chase was at Ffos Las and he got beaten because he was ballooning fences.

"There's no doubt the fences [at Haydock] were bigger than they normally are and I just think he got in a bit of a panic mode. It unsettled him, it was his first run of the season, he's come back from two big battles at Cheltenham and Aintree and first time out he's bound to be a bit ring-rusty."

Henderson had been confident that the evens favourite was ready for the Betfair Chase, which is the first leg of a £1 million bonus if the winner can follow up in the King George and Gold Cup.

"I was pretty sure he was fit," he said. "Noel Fehily schooled him on Monday morning and he was absolutely electric but our schooling fences are half the size of those [at Haydock].

"There's no doubt the fences were big. I don't blame the course and it's the same for everyone. But I did go down and have a look at the fences because the jockeys were saying they were very big and they were very solid.

"He was using up a lot of mental energy and physical energy by jumping too carefully and he wasn't his usual fluent self. Normally when he's in full flow he'll take you from fence to fence and he just wasn't doing that yesterday."

Watch Might Bite win last year's 32Red King George VI Chase

Henderson has already spoken to jumping guru Yogi Breisner and is confident that Might Bite will be in top shape at Kempton, where he took the King George last year and would have bolted up in a Grade 1 novice event 12 months earlier but for a fall at the last fence.

"He's not soft, he's a very good horse, but we've always had to treat him with kid gloves," the trainer said. "I've been discussing it with Yogi Breisner, who knows this horse quite well, and he agrees.

"He'll be back for the King George, don't worry, and he'll back with his confidence sky high. I said to Yogi we'll talk in ten days' time and he's the guru.

"He just needs to get his confidence back. He came back from that defeat at Ffos Las, he went to the Feltham and jumped brilliantly until his fall."

Stablemate River Wylde went to Leahurst Hospital after falling at the last in the graduation chase on Saturday and Henderson said: "He's still there, he was very lame. They said he was comfortable last night."

Four other stars who flopped on return this season

Samcro (2nd at 4-9)
Down Royal, November 2

Looked to have the world at his feet during highly successful novice season, winning the Ballymore and largely living up to the enormous hype, with the one black mark being a fall in the Punchestown Champion Hurdle. Was readily outpaced by race-fit rival on return, though, raising questions about whether he has the speed for a Champion Hurdle.

Footpad (fell at 4-9)
Naas, November 10

Impressed with his jumping during an unbeaten novice campaign comprising five wins, culminating in the Arkle. Made a couple of serious errors on return and was beaten when falling at the last. Subsequently found to have suffered an overreach injury.

Faugheen (2nd at 2-5)
Punchestown, November 18

Looked to have the Morgiana Hurdle at his mercy when Samcro and Supasundae were withdrawn but had no answer to stablemate Sharjah, who arrived travelling strongly and readily settled matters. A step back up in trip beckons for the Champion Stayers Hurdle winner.

Relegate (2nd at 4-9)
Punchestown, November 18

Champion Bumper winner was possibly unlucky not to score on hurdling debut after being hampered after the last. However, that wasn't a strong contest and she didn't convince with her jumping, so it was an underwhelming return.
Tony McFadden

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