Nicky Henderson had to wait seven years for his first Cheltenham Festival winner having left his position as assistant trainer for Fred Winter in 1978, but the stalwart of the National Hunt game has been a dominant force at Prestbury Park ever since.
See You Then was Henderson’s first Cheltenham winner in 1985 when landing the Champion Hurdle, and he successfully defended that title in the two subsequent renewals, becoming one of just five horses to have won the Champion Hurdle three times.
After an immense amount of success at the festival, Henderson took over the historic Seven Barrows stables from Peter Walwyn in 1992, a season crowned by Remittance Man’s Champion Chase heroics, the first of six Champion Chases for Henderson.
Nicky Henderson has become synonymous with developing electric thoroughbreds, demonstrated by him possessing the record for the most Champion Hurdles won by any trainer with See You Then’s hat-trick, Punjabi (2009), Binocular (2010), Buveur d’Air (2017,2018), Epatante (2018) and most notably of all, Constitution Hill in 2023). Henderson has produced a number of household names regarding the two mile chase division, with the likes of Altior, Simonsig, Sprinter Sacre and Shiskhin all acquiring top honours in that respected distance at the festival. The penultimate named won the Champion Chase twice, latterly in 2016 after going off the boil since his initial success in 2013, thus becoming responsible for one of the most memorable pieces of commentary within the last decade – “But it is Sprinter Sacre. They say they never come back. This is one of the great comebacks in the history of the Cheltenham Festival. As Sprinter Sacre is the champion, AGAIN!”
Nicky Henderson is longevity personified, but despite being the most successful British trainer in Cheltenham Festival history with seventy two wins, the yard had a season to forget last term. Going into last years’ festival, Sir Gino, Jonbon and Constitution Hill were just three of several good chances, but with an underlying issue lingering over the yard, it became apparent that his big guns were simply not able to line up. Of those who did, the likes of Jingko Blue, Jeriko Du Reponet, Iberico Lord, Marie’s Rock, Excello and Theatre Glory were all unable to complete their respective races, with only Luccia and Lucky Place justifying their claims.
Despite his dominance at the pinnacle of the British training pyramid, there’s an air of redemption lurking around Seven Barrows this season, and it will be all guns blazing come March.
Main Cheltenham Festival Chances
Constitution Hill – Blue Bresil x Queen Of The Stage (King’s Theatre) – Champion Hurdle
National Hunt racing has seen some mesmerising two mile hurdlers, but perhaps none so more than Constitution Hill. The son of Blue Bresil is unbeaten in ten starts under rules, and he stamped his authority on the division when a devastating twenty two length winner of the 2022 Supreme Novice Hurdle, leaving stablemate Jonbon trailing in his wake. He conrmed his superiority when pulling nine lengths clear of State Man, who was coming o the back of three Irish Grade Ones, in the Champion Hurdle in 2023 and brought that season to a crescendo when making all to win the Aintree Hurdle over 2m4f. Since then it’s been far form plain sailing. With poor gallops, missed engagements and a serious bout of colic, it remains to be seen whether Constitution Hill can return to his demolishing ways, but his two wins this season suggests the fire still very much burns. He was workmanlike in defeating Lossiemouth at Kempton when understandably half cooked, and while he was hardly devastating in the International Hurdle, he won unchallenged and would’ve had harder pieces of work at home. This Champion Hurdle will answer every question he’s been at the centre of for the last two seasons, and a mouthwatering potential clash with two high class mares will top the billing of the opening day.
Jonbon – Walk In The Park x Star Face (Saint Des Saints) – Champion Chase
As mentioned, Nicky Henderson has a knack for handling a high class two mile chaser and Jonbon is his most recent masterpiece. The full brother to Douvan has become a star chaser in his own right, but only recently has that reputation started to solidify. His career is somewhat tarnished by failing to win at the Cheltenham Festival, but he hardly stood a chance in hindsight against Constitution Hill, and he lost little in defeat to a peak El Fabiolo in the Arkle. Failing to beat Elixir De Nutz at 1/4F in the Clarence House also raised a slight eyebrow too, but he made a horrible mistake ve and four out, nishing a tired neck second as a result. His jumping was still somewhat inconspicuous despite two subsequent Grade One victories last season, he’s reappeared this term looking somewhat very close to the nished article. A wiser, more economical and mature stamp of a thoroughbred, his exuberant leaps have decreased, though the ones he’s put in he’s quickly recorrected his stride and he’s looked a much easier ride in general having racked up a comfortable hattrick of Grade One’s, including beating Energumene in the Clarence House last time out. Jonbon looks a cut above the rest this season, and if getting into a rhythm around Prestbury Park next month, it’s hard to envisage him not getting that deserved Festival success, and the ten time grade one winner can finally be granted the universal respect from the critics.
Lulamba – Nirvana Du Berlais x Ejland (Vision D’Etat) – Triumph Hurdle
Nicky Henderson has won the Triumph Hurdle an impressive seven times, latterly with smart flat recruit Pentland Hills, but he has a different model vying for favouritism this time in the ex-French horse Lulamba. By a grade one winning hurdler out of a mare who finished second in a listed contest at Auteuil, Lulamba is certainly bred to be above average and those were the murmurs coming out of Seven Barrows prior to his debut at Ascot in January. On ground livelier than man be ideal, he jumped and travelled strongly in behind the leaders, angling out wide and challenging two out before going on with ease under Nico De Boinville, who merely pushed him out toward the line. He gave 10lbs to the highly regarded former classy at horse Mondo Man (111 in that sphere), who wasn’t entirely disgraced when beaten a length in the Adonis at Kempton, after again pulling too keen in rear in worsening going. The third and fifth have both won since, and you gather the impression that there’s a lot more to come from Lulamba, though he’ll have to improve once more to beat the impressive East India Dock.
Palladium – Gleneagles x Path Wind (Anabaa) – Triumph Hurdle
Given Nicky Henderson’s lack of strength elsewhere, I thought I’d note Palladium for the Triumph as the 2024 German Derby winner appears to be going slightly under the radar for Lady Bamford. The Gleneagles gelding switched hands for £1,400,000 in October with a view to a dual purpose career ultimately peaking in a Melbourne Cup victory, and he did what he had to do on hurdles debut at Huntingdon. While visually it didn’t look all that impressive, the eort came in open company and the second has won cosily since. The pair pulled ten lengths clear of the third and the fourth’s won since too. That was his first run since nishing six lengths behind Rebel’s Romance in a Cologne Grade One 123 days prior and he’s bound to have come on for it. He’s a half brother to the Scottish Supreme Novice Hurdle winner Panjari for Paul Nicholls so the bloodline for jumping is there, but with him bringing considerably stronger at form than that one, it’s easy to envisage he’ll possess the class required to win a Triumph, for all he would have to step up on that original form
Lucky Place – Pastorius x Luckystar Du Frene (Perrault) – Stayers’ Hurdle
Progeny of Pastorius are slowly coming to the boil in this sphere, with the likes of Zenta, Kabral Du Mathan, Khrisma and July Flower all progressing well for the 2012 German Derby winner. Lucky Place was one of a very few number of horses in Henderson’s festival consortium to perform well last March, staying on in an eye-catching manner from rear to be beaten four lengths by Langer Dan in the Coral Cup. He had form figures of 22122 going into the race, including finished behind three smart types in Tellherthename, Golden Ace and Gidleigh Park, but there certainly wasn’t much expecting for him at the festival having gone of 25/1, for all that was partly due to the yard form. Lucky Place has established himself as a smart hurdler going forward this season, as the improving six year old has landed a pair of G2’s around the middle distance. The latest was the Relkeel Hurdle, where he gave 6lbs to Gowel Road despite being rated a pound inferior, who subsequently came out and beat last years’ Pertemps winner Monmiral in the Cleeve Hurdle. Lucky Place also gave Golden Ace 10lbs in the Relkeel despite being rated only a pound higher, and she came out last time out and beat Burnett Road in the Kingwell Hurdle last time out. The slight doubt would be whether he’ll stay the three miles as his pedigree doest scream stamina, but visually he’s been strong at the line in most of his races thus far and there’s certainly a glint in Henderson’s eye when asked about him.
Nicky Henderson’s Cheltenham team may lack the depth of the Mullins’, Elliots and Skeltons of the world, but he comes here not only with a touch of redemption, but with two of the greatest around in their respective divisions in Constitution Hill and Jonbon. Famed for his talents in mastering the art of patience and galvanising an out of form star, the shoe is very much on the foot of the man at the helm this time around, and it will give the sport great pleasure to kick the meeting off on the front foot.
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