Stopping Willie Mullins from dominating this year’s Cheltenham Festival is going to prove a tough task, but if there is one man that can meet the challenge it is Nicky Henderson.
While being dealt the cruel blow that ante-post My Pension Expert Arkle favourite Sir Gino will miss the race after picking up a season-ending infection earlier this month, the Seven Barrows master still looks to have plenty of aces up his sleeve.
With 2023 Unibet Champion Hurdle hero Constitution Hill back to his best and Jonbon the horse to beat in the BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase, the team Henderson looks set to send to the meeting appears to be an exciting one. And on the 40th anniversary of his first Festival winner with See You Then in the 1985 Champion Hurdle, it would take a brave man from betting against one of National Hunt racing’s most-loved characters adding to his 73 previous winners at the meeting.
Henderson said: “I’ve not added it up, but there will be plenty across the board there this year. I can remember a few that ran well last year, but we left the A-team behind. You just need one and that will be good."
However, while Sir Gino will be a high-profile absentee from his team, Henderson warned William Hill Hurdle winner Joyeuse and multiple course scorer Hyland are also likely to be missing from his team with other targets nominated for the pair.
Henderson added of Sir Gino: "He's still in the clinic and he will be there for another week. They are hoping if he stays the same for another week then we might be coming out of the woods, but there is still a way to go yet.
“They are positive because it is staying where it is. He is very happy and he honestly doesn’t know what is going on. He is in no pain or anything, but we have got to get the bug under control. It is this kind of superbug that gets into them. How it gets into them I’ve got no idea. It is very rare, and it can be dangerous. I think I have seen one other with it like it.
“I think the idea is to go for the Morebattle Hurdle with Joyeuse and that is where I’m thinking. It is a very valuable race. She can’t run in a handicap hurdle at Cheltenham as she hasn’t had enough runs, but this is worth a good few thousand pounds more than the County Hurdle.
“I think a day out in Kelso is what it will be, but we will see.
“We are doing something different with Hyland. He will go to Kempton Park on Saturday and then hopefully he will get into the Grand National, so he won’t be at Cheltenham.”
