Jingko Blue wins on chase debut at Uttoxeter

He was last seen being pulled up in the Grade One Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival when the stable were enduring a spell of ill health.

Today he jumped well and only 11/8 favourite Jagwar challenged as they approached the last fence, but when after he made an error Jingko Blue  eventually increased his winning margin to nine and a half lengths.

“I loved that, I was very, very pleased with that. He was great,” said trainer Nicky Henderson.

“He’s a good horse and that was a good performance, first time out as well, he was excellent.

“The ground is no problem for him, he goes in soft ground, he wouldn’t be the biggest horse in the world but he is very intelligent and a very intelligent jumper, I’d say.”

Of future plans for the five-year-old the master of Seven Barrows added: “We’re quite lucky to have so many nice novice chasers this year, we’ve a strong team and we’ll have to see how the rest of them go this week and think about where to send them all.

“Tony (Barney, owner) also has Jango Baie as well as Jingko Blue. Jango Baie was meant to go to Aintree on Saturday and now he’s going to have to go to Cheltenham on Friday and clash with Peaky Boy.

“We’ve got so many nice novices that it’s proving very difficult to map them out.

“Would he get three miles? I don’t know, possibly. You won’t see him again until the new year anyway, I’m sure, but that was a competitive race and I was delighted.

“It was certainly a brilliant way to celebrate my birthday, that gave me a lot of pleasure to watch.”