Five-time British champion Jump trainer Nicky Henderson is the second most successful trainer of all time at The Festival™ presented by Magners, with 60 victories, which includes a record seven winners in the G1 Unibet Champion Hurdle. He gained two winners at The Festival in 2018 - Buveur D'Air in the G1 Unibet Champion Hurdle and G1 Altior in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase - and both are set to feature among another powerful team for this year's four-day meeting which commences on Tuesday, March 12.
Born - December 10, 1950 in Lambeth, London
Background - The son of financier and amateur jockey John Henderson MBE, who founded Racecourse Holdings Trust, the forerunner for Jockey Club Racecourses and the owner of Cheltenham Racecourse, he was educated at Eton and the Royal Agricultural College.He worked for stockbrokers Cazenove in London and Australia, where he gained experience riding work at Randwick, before devoting himself full-time to racing.
Henderson first made his name in Britain as an amateur rider, finishing runner-up three times in the non-professional championship.His main wins as a rider came on Happy Warrior in the 1977 Foxhunters' Chase at Aintree and on Acquaint in Sandown's Imperial Cup the same year. Henderson recorded his 78th and final win under Rules on Rolls Rambler in the Horse & Hound Cup at Stratford in June, 1978.
He became assistant trainer to Fred Winter in 1974 and received his own training licence in July, 1978, taking over from Roger Charlton at Windsor House Stables in Lambourn, Berkshire.He moved to Seven Barrows, to the north of the village, in 1992, after swapping yards with Peter Walwyn.Henderson has won the British Jump trainers' championship five times - 1985/86, 1986/87, 2012/2013, 2016/2017 and 2017/18.
He was made a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order in the 2018 New Year's Honours List, reflecting his role as principal Jump trainer to the late Queen Mother and Her Majesty The Queen.
First winner as a trainer - Dukery at Uttoxeter, October 14, 1978
Cheltenham Festival wins (60):
1985: 3 - Unibet Champion Hurdle (See You Then), Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate (The Tsarevich), JCB Triumph Hurdle (First Bout)
1986: 3 - Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle (River Ceiriog), Unibet Champion Hurdle (See You Then), Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate (The Tsarevich)
1987: 2 - Unibet Champion Hurdle (See You Then), JCB Triumph Hurdle (Alone Success)
1989: 1 - Sun Racing Stayers' Hurdle (Rustle)
1990: 2 - Cathcart Chase (Brown Windsor), Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Handicap Chase (Master Bob)
1991: 1 - Racing Post Arkle (Remittance Man)
1992: 2 - Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase (Remittance Man), Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle (Flown)
1993: 2 - Racing Post Arkle (Travado), Randox Health County Handicap Hurdle (Thumbs Up)
1994: 1 - Cathcart Chase (Raymylette)
1997: 1 Randox Health County Handicap Hurdle (Barna Boy)
1999: 2 - Cathcart Chase (Stormyfairweather), JCB Triumph Hurdle (Katarino)
2000: 4 - Racing Post Arkle (Tiutchev), Ultima Handicap Chase (Marlborough), Cathcart Chase (Stormyfairweather), Sun Racing Stayers' Hurdle (Bacchanal)
2002: 1 - Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Handicap Chase (The Bushkeeper)
2005: 3 - RSA Insurance Novices' Chase (Trabolgan), Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate (Liberthine), Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Handicap Chase (Juveigneur)
2006: 3 - Ryanair Chase (Fondmort), Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate (Non So), Johnny Henderson Grand Annual (Greenhope)
2009: 3 - Unibet Champion Hurdle (Punjabi), JCB Triumph Hurdle (Zaynar), Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys H'cap H (Andytown)
2010: 3 - Unibet Champion Hurdle (Binocular), Coral Cup (Spirit River), JCB Triumph Hurdle (Soldatino)
2011: 2 - Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle (Bobs Worth), Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup (Long Run)
2012: 7- Racing Post Arkle (Sprinter Sacre), Ballymore Novices' Hurdle (Simonsig), RSA Insurance Novices' Chase (Bobs Worth), Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase (Finian's Rainbow), Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (Une Artiste), Ryanair Chase (Riverside Theatre), Johnny Henderson Grand Annual (Bellvano)
2013: 4 - Racing Post Arkle (Simonsig), Close Brothers Novices' Handicap Chase (Rajdhani Express), Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase (Sprinter Sacre), Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup (Bobs Worth)
2014: 1- Coral Cup (Whisper)
2015: 2 - Pertemps Network Final (Call The Cops), JCB Triumph Hurdle (Peace And Co)
2016: 2 - Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle (Altior), Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase (Sprinter Sacre)
2017: 3 - Racing Post Arkle (Altior), Unibet Champion Hurdle (Buveur D'Air), RSA Insurance Novices' Chase (Might Bite)
2018: 2 - Unibet Champion Hurdle (Buveur D'Air), Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase (Altior)
Winner of The Irish Independent Leading Trainer Award at The Festival™: 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1992, 1993, 2000, 2010, 2012
MOST SUCCESSFUL TRAINERS OF ALL-TIME AT THE FESTIVAL
61 wins Willie Mullins IRE
60 wins Nicky Henderson
43 wins Paul Nicholls
The Irish Independent Leading Trainer Award -
Final 2018 Standings
Trainer 1st 2nd 3rd
GORDON ELLIOTT IRE 8 1 5
Willie Mullins IRE 7 5 4
Nicky Henderson 2 6 1
Paul Nicholls 2 1 1
Colin Tizzard 2 - 2
Nicky Henderson's entries so far for The Festival™ presented by Magners
Champion Day - Tuesday, March 12, 2019 (Old Course)
1.30pm £125,000 Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m 87y
Angels Breath, Champagne Platinum, Heatstroke, Mister Fisher
2.10pm £175,000 Racing Post Arkle Novices' Chase (Grade1) 1m 7f 199y
No entries
2.50pm £110,000 Ultima Handicap Steeple Chase (Grade 3) 3m 1f
Entries close February 19
3.30pm £450,000 Unibet Champion Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m 87y
Brain Power, Buveur D'Air, Call Me Lord, Charli Parcs, Verdana Blue, We Have A Dream
4.10pm £120,000 OLBG Mares' Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m 3f 200y
Apple's Shakira
4.50pm £70,000 Close Brothers Novices' Handicap Chase (Listed) 2m 4f 44y
Entries close February 19
5.30pm £125,000 National Hunt Chase (Amateur Riders' Novices' Chase) (Grade 2) 3m 7f 147y
Chef Des Obeaux, Mr Whipped, Ok Corral
Ladies Day - Wednesday, March 13 (Old Course & Cross Country)
1.30pm £125,000 Ballymore Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m 5f
Angels Breath, Birchdale, Champ, Champagne Platinum, Clarendon Street, Downtown Getaway, I Can't Explain, Igor, Pym
2.10pm £175,000 RSA Insurance Novices' Chase (Grade 1) 3m 80y
Mr Whipped, Ok Corral, On The Blind Side, Santini
2.50pm £100,000 Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3) 2m 5f
Entries close February 19
3.30pm £400,000 Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1) 1m 7f 199y
Altior
4.10pm £65,000 Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase 3m 6f 37y
Entries close February 26
4.50pm £80,000 Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3) 2m 87y
Entries close February 19
5.30pm £75,000 Weatherbys Champion Bumper (Grade 1) 2m 87y
Entries close February 26
St Patrick's Thursday - Thursday, March 14 (New Course)
1.30pm £150,000 JLT Novices' Chase (Grade 1) 2m 3f 166y
Burbank, Mr Whipped
2.10pm £100,000 Pertemps Network Final (Handicap Hurdle) (Grade 3) 2m 7f 213y
Entries close February 19
2.50pm £350,000 Ryanair Chase (Grade 1) 2m 4f 127y
Janika, Terrefort, Top Notch
3.30pm £325,000 Sun Racing Stayers' Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m 7f 213y
Thomas Campbell, Top Notch
4.10pm £110,000 Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate (Handicap Chase) (Grade 3) 2m 4f 127y
Entries close February 19
4.50pm £90,000 Dawn Run Mares' Novices' Hurdle (Grade 2) 2m 179y
Entries close February 26
5.30pm £70,000 Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Amateur Riders' Handicap Chase 3m 2f
Entries close February 19
Gold Cup Day - Friday, March 15 (New Course)
1.30pm £125,000 JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m 179y
Adjali, Fusil Raffles, Laskadine, Pentland Hills
2.10pm £100,000 Randox Health County Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3) 2m 179y
Entries close February 19
2.50pm £125,000 Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m 7f 213y
Birchdale, Clarendon Street, Dickie Diver, Downtown Getaway, Gallahers Cross, The Cashel Man, Valtor, Yellow Dockets
3.30pm £625,000 Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup (Grade 1) 3m 2f 70y
Might Bite, Terrefort
4.10pm £45,000 St James's Place Foxhunter Chase 3m 2f 70y
Entries close February 26
4.50pm £110,000 Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Chase (Grade 3) 2m 62y
Entries close February 19
5.30pm £70,000 Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle (0-145) 2m 4f 56y
Entries close February 19
Nicky Henderson's stable stars
Altior (IRE)
Born: May 6, 2010
Breeding: b g High Chaparral (IRE) - Monte Solaro (IRE) (Key Of Luck (USA))
Owner: Patricia Pugh
Form: 13/611111/111111/111-111
*2/5 favourite with Betway to win the G1 Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase for the second time on Ladies Day, Wednesday, March 13.
*Unbeaten in 17 starts over obstacles, including the 2018 G1 Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase, 2017 G1 Racing Post Arkle Novices' Chase and G1 2016 Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle at The Festival.
*Britain's highest-rated chaser has won his three races this season by a total of 30 lengths and is the red-hot favourite to gain a fourth successive victory at The Festival.
*Nicky Henderson is chasing a record-equalling sixth Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase victory.
*Previous 5 wins - 1992 Remittance Man, 2012 Finian's Rainbow, 2013 & 2016 Sprinter Sacre, 2018 Altior.
Race record: Starts: 20; Wins: 18; 2nd: -; 3rd: 1; Win & Place Prize Money: £924,246
Buveur D'Air (FR)
Born: May 12, 2011
Breeding: b g Crillon (FR) - History (FR) (Alesso (USA))
Owner: J P McManus
Form: 1124/1131/11111/1111-121
* He is 15/8 favourite with Unibet to triumph in the G1 Unibet Champion Hurdle for the third successive year.
*Last year he became the first back-to-back winner of the two-mile hurdling championship since Hardy Eustace in 2004 and 2005.
* The eight-year-old would be the sixth three-time winner of the Unibet Champion Hurdle and the first since Istabraq in 2000 if successful on the opening Champion Day, Tuesday, March 12 of The Festival™ presented by Magners.
*This season he won the G1 Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle in tremendous style, was surprisingly beaten a short-head by stable companion Verdana Blue in the G1 Unibet Christmas Hurdle at Kempton Park and captured without fuss the Listed Contenders' Hurdle at Sandown Park on February 2.
*Nicky Henderson is seeking his eighth Unibet Champion Hurdle victory.
*His seven winners so far - 1985, 1986 & 1987 See You Then, 2009 Punjabi, 2010 Binocular, 2017 & 2018 Buveur D'Air.
Race record: Starts: 20; Wins: 16; 2nd: 2; 3rd: 1; Win & Place Prize Money: £973,541
Might Bite (IRE)
Born: June 20, 2009
Breeding: b g Scorpion (IRE) - Knotted Midge (IRE) (Presenting (GB))
Owner: The Knot Again Partnership
Form: 311/517/21F111-1121-57
*Priced as high as 20/1 for the highlight of The Festival, the G1 Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup, on Gold Cup Day, Friday, March 15, despite his gallant second to Native River last year.
*Won the 2017 G1 RSA Novices' Chase by a nose from stable companion Whisper at The Festival, rallying after veering sharply right on the run-in when 15 lengths clear.
*Not shown his best form in two starts so far this season in the G1 Betfair Chase at Haydock Park and the G1 32Red King George VI Chase at Kempton Park
Race record: Starts: 18; Wins: 10; 2nd: 2; 3rd: 1; Win & Place Prize Money: £599,044
Angels Breath (IRE)
Born: March 16, 2014
Breeding: gr g Shantou (USA) - Mystic Maisie (IRE) (Turgeon (USA))
Owner: Walters Plant Hire & Ronnie Bartlett
Form: 1
*Offered at 6/1 by Sky Bet for the opening G1 Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle at The Festival.
*Once raced under Rules, he was the easy winner of a G2 Ascot novices' hurdle on December 21 when both hurdles in the straight were omitted.
*Bred and raised in Ireland, he won a maiden point-to-point easily at Moira on April 14, 2018.
Race record: Starts: 1; Wins: 1; 2nd: -; 3rd: -; Win & Place Prize Money: £19,933
The Festival™ presented by Magners 2019 race programme
Champion Day - Tuesday, March 12 (Old Course) - prize money £1,175,000
Time Race Distance Prize Money
1.30pm Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m 87y £125,000
2.10pm Racing Post Arkle Novices' Chase (Grade1) 1m 7f 199y £175,000
2.50pm Ultima Handicap Chase (Grade 3) 3m 1f £110,000
3.30pm Unibet Champion Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m 87y £450,000
4.10pm OLBG Mares' Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m 3f 200y £120,000
(registered as the David Nicholson Mares' Hurdle)
4.50pm Close Brothers Novices' Handicap Chase (Listed) (0-145) 2m 4f 44y £70,000
5.30pm National Hunt Chase (Amateur Riders' Novices' Chase) (Grade 2) 3m 7f 147y £125,000
Ladies Day - Wednesday, March 13 (Old Course & Cross Country) - prize money £1,020,000
Time Race Distance Prize Money
1.30pm Ballymore Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m 5f £125,000
(registered as the Baring Bingham)
2.10pm RSA Insurance Novices' Chase (Grade 1) 3m 80y £175,000
2.50pm Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3) 2m 5f £100,000
3.30pm Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1) 1m 7f 199y £400,000
4.10pm Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase 3m 6f 37y £65,000
4.50pm Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3) 2m 87y £80,000
(registered as the Fred Winter)
5.30pm Weatherbys Champion Bumper (Grade 1) 2m 87y £75,000
St Patrick's Thursday - Thursday, March 14 (New Course) - prize money £1,195,000
Time Race Distance Prize Money
1.30pm JLT Novices' Chase (Grade 1) (registered as the Golden Miller) 2m 3f 166y £150,000
2.10pm Pertemps Network Final (Handicap Hurdle) (Grade 3) 2m 7f 213y £100,000
2.50pm Ryanair Chase (Grade 1) (registered as the Festival Trophy) (Grade 1)2m 4f 127y £350,000
3.30pm Sun Racing Stayers' Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m 7f 213y £325,000
4.10pm Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate (Handicap Chase) (Grade 3) 2m 4f 127y £110,000
4.50pm Dawn Run Mares' Novices' Hurdle (Grade 2) 2m 179y £90,000
5.30pm Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Amateur Riders' Handicap Chase 3m 2f £70,000
Gold Cup Day - Friday, March 15 (New Course) - prize money £1,200,000
Time Race Distance Prize Money
1.30pm JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m 179y £125,000
2.10pm Randox Health County Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3) 2m 179y £100,000
2.50pm Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m 7f 213y £125,000
(registered as the Spa Novices' Hurdle)
3.30pm Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup (Grade 1) 3m 2f 70y £625,000
4.10pm St James's Place Foxhunter Chase 3m 2f 70y £45,000
4.50pm Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Chase (Grade 3) 2m 62y £110,000
5.30pm Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle (0-145) 2m 4f 56y £70,000
If you need any information about racing at Cheltenham, please contact: Sophia Dale, Communications Manager - Jockey Club Racecourses South West 01242 537 683 sophia.dale@thejockeyclub.co.uk
