Henderson seeks Cheltenham redemption with star turns after 2024 blank | Nicky Henderson

Forty years on from his first Cheltenham competition success, with See You Then within the 1985 Champion Hurdle, Nicky Henderson continues to be on the peak of his career – and nonetheless taking nothing without any consideration.

“The one time I’ve ever been assured about something was Altior’s Supreme [Novice Hurdle in 2016],” Henderson stated on Monday. “It didn’t matter what Willie [Mullins] introduced over that 12 months, he wasn’t going to beat him.

“However we at all times have stated, you’d accept one [winner at the Cheltenham festival]. You probably have one on the primary day then you definately get the bit between your tooth and you’ll say, OK, let’s kick on. That one is totally essential, and didn’t we half discover out final 12 months, as a result of none is horrendous.”

Setbacks, disappointments and frustrations flew at Henderson from all instructions each earlier than and through final 12 months’s competition assembly, as star turns together with Structure Hill, Jonbon and Sir Gino have been last-minute scratches as a bug swept by means of the secure on the worst doable second of the 12 months. The handful of horses from his yard that made it to put up confirmed little or nothing of their greatest kind, and Henderson’s eventual clean over the 4 days was his first since 2008.

There was recent misfortune already earlier than this 12 months’s assembly with Sir Gino, the seemingly odds-on favorite for the Arkle Trophy on the assembly’s opening day, dominated out with an harm.

However probably the most profitable British-based coach on the assembly during the last 4 a long time nonetheless has a number of large probabilities throughout the week, together with three present Grade One favourites in Structure Hill, within the Champion Hurdle on 11 March, Jonbon, within the Champion Chase the next day, and Lulamba within the Triumph Hurdle, the opener on the ultimate afternoon on 14 March.

All three have been on parade right here on Monday together with Palladium, final 12 months’s German Derby winner, who can be on the right track for the Triumph, and clearly in wonderful well being.

The market leaders for the characteristic occasions on the primary two days of the competition have sharply differing characters. “[Constitution Hill] is probably the most laid-back particular person you’ll ever come throughout, and the opposite one is a whole fuss-pot and may’t stand nonetheless for 2 minutes,” Henderson stated. “The opposite horse [Constitution Hill] would stand nonetheless for 2 days, I may tie him as much as a telegraph pole and are available again and get him within the morning and he’d be advantageous.”

Structure Hill, who stays unbeaten after 10 begins over hurdles, has raced simply 4 instances since successful the Champion Hurdle in 2023, and spent a 12 months on the sidelines between his two wins within the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton in December 2023 and 2024. However he seemed to be again to one thing near his greatest on Boxing Day final 12 months and adopted up in snug trend – bar an sudden mistake on the final – within the Worldwide Hurdle at Cheltenham final month.

“Funnily sufficient, from my viewpoint, I hated Cheltenham the opposite day,” Henderson says. “It completely killed me, as a result of I feel we went into Kempton with half a thoughts that he may simply get crushed, and if he did, we felt we’ll be all proper in March … [but] Cheltenham was one thing else. That day completely did me in as a result of it was kind of a no-win state of affairs, wasn’t it?

“His work is similar [as it was before his latest start]. I think Nico [de Boinville, his big-race jockey] could have a sit on him this week simply to see the place he’s and the way he feels however I suppose he’d higher leap a hurdle at some stage. You hardly need to go in [to the Champion Hurdle] with the final hurdle he jumped being that one.”

Subsequent month’s Champion Hurdle guarantees to be one among deepest and strongest for a few years, with State Man, final 12 months’s winner, and the high-class mares Brighterdaysahead and Lossiemouth – the runner-up within the Christmas Hurdle – all seemingly being aimed on the race.

“You’re actually going to get tempo,” Henderson stated. “It’s what she [Brighterdaysahead] has at all times finished [but] the one good factor is that he can journey off any tempo. The tempo that Lossiemouth discovered tough at Kempton was no fear to him, he can journey at a really excessive velocity.”

There was a touch of reception that Henderson, De Boinville and Structure Hill can count on if he retains his unbeaten report subsequent month after his newest success at brief odds in January.

“The final time I noticed that kind of crowd [for a Cheltenham winner] was in Sprinter Sacre’s day,” Henderson stated. “It’s a really particular factor. Individuals do love these horses and it exhibits {that a} ‘boring’ five-horse race with a 1-12 shot, to some folks it’s a tragedy however for most individuals it was one thing unbelievable.

“It means so much to us that folks love him. We simply take care of him, we’re the curator of one thing that could be a bit particular and so’s the opposite fella [Jonbon], and it’s simply nice that folks do like them.”