- Nicky Henderson's horses were affected by a disease for Cheltenham last year
- Henderson knows that anything can happen before this year's festival
Nicky Henderson is not giving anything for granted ahead of the Cheltenham Festival, since he explained the impact of the 'Horrenda' experience last year impacted his stable.
With a series of short -term favorites, including Constitution Hill, Jonbon and Lulumba, it seems inconceivable that Henderson does not have a winner during the four most important days of the national hunting season.
Henderson has had 73 triumphs of the festival in his stellar career, but the 2024 meeting was the first time since 2008 that he had attracted a blank, since a virus that swept his seven bars avoided several of his main fantasies.
The coaches always walk along a tightrope at this time of the year and Henderson has already suffered a wild blow with Sir Gino being discarded from the persecution of Arkle last week. The castrated, owned by Joe and Marie Donnelly, is being treated by a serious leg infection.
All that is needed is for a work to be disappointing or a horse to cough in the patio so that the plans are discouraged and that means that it is not being carried away by the potential of success in three weeks.
“None was horrible,” said Henderson. 'We had no possibility last year. We had some who ran well, a couple of seconds and Luccia obtained third place in the obstacle champion. But we leave behind the team 'A'. You can never give anything for granted in this game. You just want a winner. One will be fine.
Nicky Henderson gives nothing for granted ahead of the Cheltenham Festival
Henderson has a number of short -term favorites, including Constitution Hill (in the photo)
40 years have passed since Henderson charged his first Cheltenham winner, we see you then, in The Champion Hurdle, he was one of the three in the three -day meeting, but it is still fiercely competitive and that is why the events 12 months still have slots.
A disastrous spell for the stable of Constitution Hill felt abysmally in a public gallop in Kempton at the end of February before several well -figured stable colleagues were disappointed in a variety of meetings; Henderson finally had to withdraw the current Hurdler champion from his defense of the title.
There has been no such problems this winter, with Constitution Hill roaring to train with two excellent victories: it looked like a photo of health when Henderson paraded him in an open morning, organized by the Jockey Club, and a series of possible stars that unleashed .
“We have sat here for years,” said Henderson. You come to see us and that is lovely. I have always said that the day you don't want to come to see us, it means that I am not worth showing you or talking, and I like to do it.
'How did I feel 12 months ago? Well, all those years in which we had very good horses of supreme rookie obstacles, the only time I have trusted that anything was Altior's supreme (in 2016). What Willie (Mullins) did not matter that year, he was not going to defeat him.
'But we have always said: you would settle for one. You just want one. When you get that the first day, get the part between your teeth and want more. Is that absolutely crucial and we don't discover it halfway last year?
The statements of Constitution Hill, who seeks to recover his obstacle crown, and Jonbon, favorite probabilities for Queen Champion Chase, are obvious, but they are also the prospects of Lulumba, who leads the market for the triumph of JCB Hurdle and could run in Kempton on Saturday.
“You could say this is a strong team for any year,” said Henderson. 'We are still here! But you will always be here if you have these upper class horses. We were very lucky. We have had to change a little over the years, but we will continue doing everything possible.