Cheltenham Festival winners Bacchanal and Marlborough set foot on a racecourse for the first time since the spring with what trainer Nicky Henderson described as 'the perfect bit of work' at Kempton today.
The pair, winners respectively of the Stayers` Hurdle and the National Hunt Chase, galloped over two miles in company with the staying chaser Esprit De Cotte.
Bacchanal, partnered by Richard Johnson, `won` the gallop from Esprit De Cotte, under stable amateur Marcus Foley, with Norman Williamson and Marlborough, fully recovered from the leg injury sustained in the Scottish Grand National in April, hunting them up.
'They finished exactly where I would have expected them to at the weights,' said Henderson. 'We`ve done exactly what we wanted to do. It was the perfect bit of work.'
Bacchanal is set to reappear at Newbury next week, but Henderson admitted he is totally undecided whether it will be over hurdles or fences.
'He has been jumping fences surprisingly well because we all know his technique over hurdles was rather suspect. But jeepers, he`s been good at home.
'We always have the fallback of going for the Stayers` Hurdle again, but really shouldn`t we be trying to make this horse into a chaser? He`s a seriously good horse. All the schooling he`s done so far has been over fences, and he`ll school again next week.
'We`ll have to make our mind up what we are going to do by then.'
Marlborough is one of number of possible Hennessy contenders owned by Robert Ogden, who also has the first and second favourites, Ad Hoc, trained by Paul Nicholls, and Martin Todhunter`s Kingsmark.
Running plans will be guided by the owner, and also the availability of Mick Fitzgerald, who is expected to have returned from injury next week.
Henderson said: 'I`m keen on it, but we`ll be talking to the owner tonight.
'My first intention was to get ready to go wherever we want to go. I would say that I wouldn`t really want to go anywhere without Mick on him, and I think that is going to be an important part of next weekend. M Fitzgerald is pretty crucial to this horse.'
Esprit de Cotte is also in the Hennessy and Henderson will discuss the situation with the horse`s owner, Trevor Hemmings.
'I would just like to get this horse on the right road,' he said. 'If you remember, he was sat about three lengths behind the leaders in the Grand National and absolutely cantering.'
