This afternoon, Nicky Henderson will give the most costly Jumps horse in history his debut at, umm, Huntingdon. Last October, Lady Bamford paid €1.4 million (£1.2 million) for the German Derby winner Palladium, who was then transferred to Seven Barrows in preparation for a National Hunt campaign. The season’s main goal is the Triumph Hurdle, which is sponsored by ownership connections through JCB. For the Gleneagles colt, the Class 4 Pertemps Network Maiden Hurdle at Huntingdon is the first stop on the route to the Cheltenham Festival.
Henderson stated, “Let him start quietly and have a nice time,” in reference to Palladium. He must prove himself there; I’m not sure if he will enjoy himself. I am quite aware that everyone will be watching him, but we must just go about our work.We’re thrilled with him and prepared to leave, but I don’t believe I’ve ever had one with that price tag before.He and [Triumph Hurdle favorite and stablemate] Lulamba are quite different; hopefully, he will be a strapping chaser. “Although Palladium is to return to the Flat, Lulamba is an all-out chaser, so we’ll have to work through the issues as they arise. We will examine the Triumph if that is suitable, but if not we’ll head back to the Flat, I’ve always thought the Hardwicke [at Royal Ascot] or something like that would be suitable.
“You have to remember, he is still a colt!”
TIPS FOR HUNTINGDON 12.47
Timeform: PALLADIUM, the German Derby winner, has been highly recommended as a young horse to watch. He is starting this field a little late, but he should be able to handle some mediocre competitors. Karton Plein’s point form gives him some hope despite an unimpressive start under Rules in a bumper, and Jack Hyde could make an appearance if he improves on his hurdling debut.
HUNTINGDON LIVE STREAM 12.47
Palladium’s debut can be streamed live on both the Paddy Power app and paddypower.com. After creating an account or logging into your Paddy Power account, go to the Horse Racing website, choose the Huntingdon 12.47 betting tab, and click the “Watch Live” button. It’s that easy, and you don’t even need to wager!
