Talented Verdana aims to bloom again for Henderson in Wild Flower

6.30 Kempton
32 Red Wild Flower Stakes Listed (Class 1)| 1m4f | 3yo+| RUK

We do not regularly see Nicky Henderson representatives on the Flat but the thriving Grade 2-winning hurdler Verdana Blue is poised to contest her first Listed contest on the level in the Wild Flower Stakes at Kempton on Wednesday.

Verdana Blue warmed up for her victory in the Elite Hurdle at Wincanton last month by shedding her maiden tag on the Flat at the first timing of asking at Chelmsford in October, and has since finished fourth when sent off favourite for the Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Watch Verdana Blue win the Greatwood Hurdle

With the mare in such good form connections are keen to exploit all opportunities and with the softening turf conditions Henderson believes a trip to Kempton could suit: "She has to have good ground and has run out of it on turf now.

"She's had one run on the Flat, but needs three before she gets a handicap mark so we just felt it was worth her having a couple more runs on the all-weather, where she'll get her conditions."

"When she ran at Chelmsford they were probably all wondering what I was doing with a six-year-old maiden mare and she probably wasn't very considered," continued Henderson. "But now they have seen what she's done over hurdles since, maybe they won't have been as surprised as they were."

Palmer keen to be the architect of a stakes victory

Things clearly have not gone entirely to plan for the Hugo Palmer-trained Architecture after a three-year-old campaign which culminated in a trio of placed finishes in the Oaks, Irish Oaks and German Oaks.

Hugo Palmer:'She's placed in three Oaks' and we would really like to get a stakes victory into her this season'Credit: Edward Whitaker

Now a five-year-old and winless since a maiden victory at Nottingham in 2015, Palmer drew encouragement from her comeback after a lay-off when second in a course-and-distance Listed event last month and anticipates improvement from that outing.

"It was frustrating last year as she was off with a setback but we were pleased enough with her comeback run," the trainer explained. "I think she'll take a step forward from it but I'd be slightly concerned by her draw in stall eight.

"She's placed in three Oaks and we would really like to get a stakes victory into her this season."

What they say

Brian Meehan, trainer of Spark Plug
He's very well in himself and is holding his coat nicely. He's probably a bit out of his ground over a mile and although he's never raced over 1m4f I feel it might well suit.

Stuart Williams, trainer of Via Via
We hadn't had him long when we ran him over a mile at Kempton last time out and he shaped as if he needed further. This is a very big step up in trip but there aren't too many races for him and the owners are very sporting.

Read The Briefing from 8.30am daily on racingpost.com with all the day's latest going, weather, market moves and non-runner news