Nicky Henderson insists he can’t wait to unleash Lulamba at Kempton this weekend if weather permits – as he hails his new star as ‘a fine, big horse’

Nicky Henderson will put the finishing touches to his latest exciting prospect for Cheltenham on Saturday, provided Kempton can beat the deep freeze.

Lulamba, who runs in the yellow and black silks of Sir Gino’s owners Joe and Marie Donnelly, has been the subject of continued support for the Triumph Hurdle, so much so that he is vying for favoritism for the Grade One Cheltenham Festival race.

Last March Sir Gino was denied the chance to contest the Triumph Hurdle as Henderson was struck by illness, but Lulamba is giving Henderson all the right signals that he could be perfect for the race.

The Seven Barrows coach hopes Kempton can step up their high-profile card on Saturday as he wants to see if the positive impression Lulamba has made at home can be transferred to where it really matters.

“He had one run in France and he won,” Henderson said on the Nick Luck Daily podcast. ‘It is difficult to determine the form, almost all of them were debutants. He did a nice job, but you have no idea what it was and what was in it. He’s just a nice, big horse.

‘If he had been in England I suspect he would probably still be in the field, but in France they usually get on well with them. It is a very nice, very linear and agile animal.’