Trainer Nicky Henderson is hopeful that Sprinter Sacre will be fit and ready for Cheltenham, despite finding blood in his nostrils.
The blood was detected after the nine-year-old steeplechaser was beaten by Dodging Bullets on his comeback race at Ascot on Saturday.
Sprinter Sacre's performance pleased Henderson and connections, but the 64-year-old spoke out to confirm he had suffered “a small bleed” when undergoing a veterinary examination following the race.
He revealed the bleed is around two-and-a-half out of four on the scale used by vets to measure post-race bleeding and the hope is he will be ready for the Cheltenham Festival in March.
“I have to say we've been talking to the veterinaries and things and there was some blood in his nose afterwards that, obviously, you'd prefer not to see, but he's been scoped and I think in veterinary opinion it was two and a half – you'd prefer it not to be there, sure, but I don't think it was significant as far as his performance was concerned today,” said Henderson.
“There was some blood in his nose when he was in the veterinary box up here for a routine test. Celia Marr [the equine heart specialist, who has treated Sprinter Sacre since his heart problem was found in December 2013] was here, all the heart things were there – that's absolutely 100 per cent.
“Celia's just rung me and said ‘Great, no problems on that score'. But there is, and we have discussed it with the vets and everything, just to keep everybody in the picture – I could do without it – there was some blood in his nose, he has been scoped and they didn't think it was of any significance as far as his performance was concerned.
“Obviously I'd prefer it not to be there. But, I think, you know, we've got to take it as we find it. It's relevant, but I think – desperately, I hope – that at this point it's not seriously significant.”
