Nicky Henderson eager to get show on the road -
- (March 6th 2017)
Nicky Henderson is desperate to saddle a winner at Cheltenham next Tuesday in order to "get the show on the road".
In recent seasons the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival has been dominated by the battalion of horses sent over by Irish master Willie Mullins.
It has seen punters in profit and sent bookmakers running for cover, with so many of the Closutton handler's 'good things' turning out to be just that.
This year could once again see bookmakers facing up to more misery, but not from Mullins. Instead from a man much closer to home - Nicky Henderson.
Having enjoyed two victories at each of the previous two Festivals, the 66-year-old - who is the all-time leading trainer at the showpiece meeting - could match that figure on day one such is the strength of his team this year.
While holding leading claims in the Stan James Champion Hurdle, the Seven Barrows handler should be up and running before if the majestic Altior does what is expected of him in the Arkle Challenge Trophy and adds to his win in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle of 12 months ago.
Henderson said: "It's an extraordinary game. All you need, no matter how many you have got running, is one success at the Festival.
"If you can have one on the first day, as we did with Altior in the first race last year, then you have got the show on the road and from then on you can add to it - the world ends if you do not get one.
"We are a long way from another Sprinter Sacre, but Altior is creeping up the right road, only because of the Game Spirit in that he took the same route Sprinter Sacre did. Now he has got to come out and do the same in the Arkle.
"There are bound to be comparisons. There are now. You wouldn't believe that you have to put away one that was as great as that and to replace it with another serious two-miler, and this horse is two miles and two miles only.
"I was very confident about Altior at this time last year. I think he has transferred his ability to chasing and not made many mistakes.
"He has to do it this year. He wasn't even favourite last year."
Since sending out See You Then to win the first of three consecutive Champion Hurdles in 1985, Henderson has enjoyed two further victories in the two-mile blue riband with Punjabi in 2009 and Binocular in 2010 placing him as the joint most-successful trainer in the race.
Buveur D'Air, Brain Power and last year's runner-up My Tent Or Yours represent a strong hand for Henderson in this year's renewal.
Henderson said: "They wouldn't be far off it (previous winners). You would have to say it is a very open. It's a good year to have three in there with a chance, because it is wide open. Usually we have either got something like a See You Then or a Binocular which are stand-out horses.
"Altior was always going for the Arkle, so Buveur D'Air would have found it difficult to beat him in that race. It seemed an obvious thing really (to switch back to hurdles).
"I know the Sandown race (which he won easily) did not tell us anything because he did not beat much. He beat Rayvin Black and Irving, who probably didn't perform at Sandown and neither did they perform at Wincanton. We've just got to do our own thing. I always thought he was a Champion Hurdle horse.
"He goes on soft ground and is in good form. He ran third in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle last year at the Festival and most of our very good horses of the future have been placed in the Supreme.
"He finished the Supreme very, very strongly and then he went on to Aintree and beat Petit Mouchoir, which is very solid form over two miles, and he is a better horse now.
"The change was not totally because of what was happening to the Champion Hurdle. I said to Barry (Geraghty) before racing at Cheltenham that day (trials day) that this horse needs to come back into the Champion Hurdle whatever happens with Faugheen.
"We've seen these horses come through handicaps and fall flat on their face at the first go (raised in class). It's always a big gap, but at 163 Brain Power has nowhere else to go.
"He wouldn't want bullying. He is by Kalanisi and they just take a bit of humouring. Those were tough races he won, but he was able to boss it all the way through and he was very good to watch.
"His jumping was good over fences, but his work was excellent and you thought he had more to give over hurdles."
But for all those chances Henderson will be hoping can oblige on day one and throughout the meeting, there will be one name missing from those helping him build on his record tally of 55 Festival winners - that of the mighty Sprinter Sacre, now enjoying life in retirement.
He said: "He went to Newbury for a day out and he will go to Cheltenham on the Tuesday and say hello. He loves it until you turn him back to the stables and tell him you can't go down to the start. That's where he gets annoyed.
"We miss him not stood here and waiting for the battle with Douvan in the Queen Mother, as wouldn't it be something, but unfortunately I can't pull that piece of news out of the hat for you."