Lulamba made it two wins in as many starts over fences with a cosy victory in the Grade One Betfair Henry VIII Novices’ Chase at Sandown.
Sent off the 2-5 favourite for trainer Nicky Henderson and jockey Nico de Boinville, Lulamba had run out a wide-margin winner on his chasing bow at Exeter last month and while he took a few fences to warm up with his jumping, he could be called the winner a long way from home.
Be Aware set the pace but his early efforts were beginning to tell when Lulamba cruised up to take the lead jumping the penultimate flight and while he did not meet the last obstacle perfectly, he never looked in danger of losing, coming home nine and a half lengths clear.
Henderson said: "It's always been a question of how good could he be and we didn't learn a lot over hurdles. He was a bit unlucky not to win a Triumph Hurdle but this was always going to be his game whether it was now or we waited another year.
"The feeling across the camp was that he might just want another half a mile but he showed there that is not necessary which is nice and having looked very effective at two miles, we can now stay at two.
"He's still a baby and he only had three runs over hurdles last year and he's now had one chase and we're here. His life is in front of him but on the other hand he's now at the head of the picture.
"He enjoys it and he's not the sort of horse you want to sit on on a Monday morning, he's so fresh and well and the horse just loves life. That's what I enjoy about him and every morning he comes out happy and if he never came out with a buck and a squeal, you would know there is something wrong, he talks to you.
"It was a bit brave to go chasing and it's two years running we have done this with four-year-olds after going chasing with Sir Gino last year.
"It was never fashionable but that allowance is kind to them and our opinion on him was he just wasn't a Champion Hurdle horse, which meant we could switch him."
Having joined illustrious Seven Barrows alumni Fondmort, Altior and Jonbon on the Henry VIII role of honour, Henderson is now keen to bank more fencing experience as he ponders his path to the Arkle in March.
"He went into the Triumph Hurdle on the back of one run and I'm not going to do that and experience will help him," added Henderson.
"We'll watch the Arkle picture and I'm sure Kopek Des Bordes will soon reappear, much like Exeter that day where we went home thinking this is good and then Kopek Des Bordes turns up and we're thinking 'here we go'.
"It was easy to go from Exeter to here and we now need to think again. I was going Game Spirit with Sir Gino last year and he wouldn't run again before the Game Spirit I would think and that could be an obvious place.
"It was quite quick, three weeks from Exeter to here, so I'm not sure I would want to do it again (and go to Kempton at Christmas)."
"He's going to keep learning but he doesn't need bullying at the same time, he's still a big, big baby and we're thinking his life is in front of him."
