Lulamba made it two wins from as many starts over fences as he cruised to a comfortable victory in the Grade 1 Betfair Henry VIII Novices’ Chase at Sandown Park on Saturday.

Wearing the famous black and yellow checked silks of owners Joe and Marie Donnelly, the four-year-old cruised to the lead two out to come home the nine and a half lengths clear winner under Nico de Boinville.

It was trainer Nicky Henderson’s sixth victory in the contest following Acre Hill (1990), Fondmort (2001), Captain Conan (2012), Altior (2016) and Jonbon (2022).

Lulamba was the 2/5 favourite.

Henderson said: “He has shown today he’s a good two miler. The quandary was going to be did he want further and I think he has shown today that he doesn’t. It was a fair contest today – his jumping was good and the pace was great, they went a good gallop.

“He is effective at two miles, which is the best thing as that sorts out the plan. He stays very well but has got the pace and the class to go and do that. He is only a baby too, he only had three runs over hurdles last year and one chase and then we came here. His life is in front of him and now he is the front of the picture too.

“He enjoys it, which is the great thing. Henry Main rides him every day and he gets so fresh and well. The horse loves life and talks to you.

“It is two years running now we’ve done it with four-year-olds (running over fences), which has become a bit more fashionable these days. It never used to be, but the allowance is kind.”

With the Arkle Novices’ Chase at The Cheltenham Festival the likely long-term target, Henderson is not sure at the moment where Lulamba will be seen next.

He added: “He looks effective at two (miles) and we’ll stay at two. We’ll have a look and see. He went into the Triumph Hurdle on the back of one run but I’m not going to do that. I think experience will help him. He is a lovely big baby with a great character and attitude.”

Henderson went on to reveal that Sir Gino, also owned by the Donnellys and off the track for almost a year, is likely to head to the Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle at Kempton Park over Christmas for his seasonal reappearance.

Moore winners

Having enjoyed a 39/1 treble here on Friday, the combination of training partnership Gary & Josh Moore and jockey Caoilin Quinn were on the mark again in the opening Listed Betfair Exchange Claremont Novices’ Hurdle over two miles with Hurricane Pat (7/2).

There was much to like about the performance of the five-year-old, who took the lead two out and was not off the bridle as he came home the facile five and a half lengths scorer.

Josh Moore said: “He has won very impressively. I was quite confident when I made the entry that it was the right race for him. It looked like a good race on paper, but I was confident as he did a very good piece of work last week with Macktoad who won here yesterday and that, for me, was enough to come here today as it made me think two miles could be for him.

“It is interesting that Caoilin said he liked the ground today as we thought he might want better ground.

“I said to Noel (Fehily) and David (Crosse) (of owner the Noel Fehily Racing Syndicate) when he came back in over the summer that he looked a proper horse. He was a nice horse last year but strengthened up a lot over the summer. His mind has grown up a lot as well, which is a big part of it as more trainable now.

“He’s won a listed race now and we’ll play it by ear as to where he goes next as we wouldn’t want to over-race him. If the Tolworth was still here we might have run him in that but we’re not in a rush to run him again.”

Elsewhere on the card, there was a victory for Sunset Marquesa (Joe Tizzard/Brendan Powell, 11/8 Favourite) in the Betfair Supports Racing With Pride Mares' Handicap Hurdle and for Kikijo (Philip Hobbs & Johnson White/Callum Pritchard, 9/4 Joint-Favourite) in the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle Qualifier. The Bet At Your Best With Betfair Handicap Hurdle went to Go Dante (Olly Murphy/Sean Bowen, 11/2).