Chantry House Completes Grade 1 Festival Double

Chantry House (7g Yeats - The Last Bank, by Phardante) completed an impressive Grade 1 Aintree/Cheltenham on Friday when landing in the Mildmay Novices’ Chase under Nico de Boinville.

Nicky Henderson’s charge stayed on strongly to win the Marsh Novices’ Chase last month and was sent off favourite to make a successful step up to three miles and one furlong. Tracking the leaders in the early stages, he was pushed along from three out and led at the next, running on well to win by all of 32 lengths.

Henderson was understandably full of praise for the winner, saying, “Any horse that can come to Cheltenham and follow up here has got to be pretty good and he's got a great temperament, a lovely attitude to life. He's a very good horse.”

Chantry House is now a seven-time winner for JP McManus, who went to £295,000 for the son of Yeats after his point-to-point maiden victory. Bred by Michael Conaghan, he is one of three black-type horses out of The Last Bank, who has a five-year-old gelding by Ocovango and a four-year-old filly by Soldier Of Fortune.