“You can’t win anything with kids”, remarked Alan Hansen in 1995. A quote that famously jinxed itself when Sir Alex Ferguson’s Class of 92 went on to land the 1999 Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League treble. For Nico De Boinville and Coneygree, the class of 2015’s Gold Cup success was reminiscent of that historic United triumph, as the novice chaser and De Boinville, who only rode out his claim in February, created history in landing the sports golden prize against all odds.
That success plunged Nico De Boinville to the forefront of the National Hunt sphere, notably becoming Nicky Henderson’s stable jockey the following season having climbed up the Seven Barrows ranks since joining them in 2009. Despite an initial bout of youthful exuberance and naivety, causing De Boinville to nearly quit, the partnership has etched De Boinville into racing’s historical fabric, with him boasting the current status of the most grade one-winning British jockey.
His Cheltenham Festival journey began a year earlier than Coneygree, with a quietly confident ride on Whisper providing him with success in the Coral Cup as a 5lbs claimer to chin A P McCoy off Get Me Out Of Here, who was later replaced by Barry Geraghty as J P McManus’ retained jockey, thus enabling De Boinville to be promoted to the head of affairs at Seven Barrows. Such a chess move is symbolic of De Boinville’s career, who’s calculated and cool manner has subsequently seen him notch up a total of 16 Cheltenham Festival winners.
14 of the 16 victories have come in Grade 1 company, mirroring his reputation as a jockey ‘for the big day’. In the last ve years of the festival, the Mullins domination has reflected the slight downturn of De Boinville’s rising success, with his overall record reading 6-52 (-£10). He’s just 2-20 in chases and 4-31 over hurdles, with all six coming in graded company and his recent record in handicaps reading 0-19.
His overall record at Cheltenham reads well, with 56 winners and 46 places from 312 rides returning a £42.48 profit to a £1 stake, amassing a total of £3,935,068 in prize money. In non-handicaps alone his record at the course reads 71-23-33 (£27.93+) in the last ve seasons. De Boinville has partnered some of the all time greats, notably the mighty Altior to land the 2017 Arkle and successive renewals of the Queen Mother Champion Chase. The great Sprinter Sacre defied the odds under De Boinville to retain his Champion Chase crown in 2016, and the likes of Shishkin and Jonbon are two of the other recent Prestbury Park greats synonymous with that of the Seven Barrows man.
None of the aforementioned are arguably in the realm of Constitution Hill, who has been widely regarded as one of the all time greatest hurdlers of late. Nico De Boinville has ridden the Blue Bresil star on all ten occasions under rules, and he’s yet to have met one close to being his maker, but this will arguably be his toughest test yet in retaining his 2023 Champion Hurdle crown. Brighterdayshead hasn’t looked backed since her defeat here in the Dawn Run, whereas Constitution Hill is still on something of a rehabilitation mission to prove he’s capable of elite level form.
Elsewhere, Nico De Boinville aims to steer Jonbon to a long overdue Cheltenham Festival success in the Champion Chase. He was second to Constitution Hill in the Supreme, second to El Fabiolo in the Arkle and he missed the festival last season due. While exuberant as a younger type, Jonbon has become a model thoroughbred this campaign, mirroring that of some of the Seven Barrow’s greats.
While the yard have some intriguing contenders in the handicaps, De Boinville’s best chances will be in the Grade 1s and there’ll be no man riding more possessed as to ensure not to re successive Cheltenham Festival blanks.
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