Nicky Henderson
Encyclopedia
Nicky Henderson is a British racehorse
trainer
. He has been British jump racing Champion Trainer
twice.
Henderson, educated at Eton College, has been a trainer since 1978, based at Seven Barrows near Lambourn
, Berkshire
. Previously he was an amateur jockey
, and assistant trainer to Fred Winter between 1974 and 1978.
His most notable successes have come with See You Then, winner of the Champion Hurdle
in 1985, 1986 and 1987; Remittance Man, winner of the Queen Mother Champion Chase
in 1992; Punjabi
, winner of the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle
in 2009 at the Cheltenham Festival
, Binocular
, winner of the 2010 Champion Hurdle, and Long Run
, winner of the 2011 Cheltenham Gold Cup
. Binocular's Champion Hurdle gave Henderson a fifth win in the race, equalling the record held by Peter Easterby
. Zaynar, another horse he trained, also won at the 2009 Cheltenham Festival
in the Triumph Hurdle
. He was Champion Trainer in the 1985/86 and 1986/87 seasons. His record at the Cheltenham Festival
is particularly good and no currently active trainer has won more races at the Festival than Henderson. His main stable jockey was Mick Fitzgerald
until Fitzgerald was forced to retire by an injury sustained in the 2008 Grand National
; since the 2008-09 season Barry Geraghty
has been Henderson's principal jockey in Britain.
One of Henderson's most popular horses in recent years, Caracciola, won the Cesarewitch Handicap flat race at Newmarket in 2008 at odds of 50/1 as an 11 year old, despite mainly being a National Hunt horse. Caracciola followed up this success by winning the Queen Alexandra Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2009 as a 12 year old with Eddie Ahern riding on both occasions. Henderson claimed his second winner at the famous Royal Ascot meeting when Veiled won the 2011 Ascot Stakes at 11/2.
His father was Johnny Henderson who was one of the founders of the Racecourse Holdings Trust as well as earlier in life being Aide-de-camp
to Field Marshal Montgomery. In 2005 two years after Johnny Henderson's death Cheltenham renamed one of the races at the Cheltenham Festival
in his honour as the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase
. In 2006 Nicky Henderson won this race with a horse called Greenhope.
In June 2009, Henderson was found guilty by a British Horseracing Authority panel of breaching the rules of racing, after Moonlit Path, a mare he trains for the Queen, failed a drugs test. Henderson admitted to three of the four charges he faced in relation to the case, in which a prohibited anti-bleeding drug
was found in the horse's bloodstream. Henderson accepted that the drug should not have been administered, but argued that it had been done so for the horse's welfare, and that he had not been attempting to enhance performance.
A further hearing was held in July 2009 to determine the sanction to be applied, and Henderson was fined £40,000 (a record penalty for the sport in the UK) and banned from running horses for three months (11 July to 10 October 2009).However, as Henderson is primarily a jumps trainer and this ban was during the flat season it caused him little inconvenience. Additionally he was allowed to continue training during the "ban" and was allowed to enter and race horses as long as they ran under the name of another trainer and were moved to that other trainer's stables the day before the race. This was seen by many as akin to not being banned at all.
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
trainer
Horse trainer
In horse racing, a trainer prepares a horse for races, with responsibility for exercising it, getting it race-ready and determining which races it should enter...
. He has been British jump racing Champion Trainer
British jump racing Champion Trainer
The Champion Trainer of National Hunt racing in Great Britain is the trainer whose horses have won the most prizemoney during a season. The list below shows the Champion Trainer for each season since 1945-46.-----See also:...
twice.
Henderson, educated at Eton College, has been a trainer since 1978, based at Seven Barrows near Lambourn
Lambourn
Lambourn is a large village and civil parish in the northwestern part of the ceremonial county of Berkshire in England. Its metropolitan district has a population of 4,017, and is most noted for its associations with British National Hunt racehorse training....
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
. Previously he was an amateur jockey
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
, and assistant trainer to Fred Winter between 1974 and 1978.
His most notable successes have come with See You Then, winner of the Champion Hurdle
Champion Hurdle
The Champion Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. As part of a sponsorship agreement with the online sportsbook StanJames.com, the race is now known as the Stan James Champion Hurdle...
in 1985, 1986 and 1987; Remittance Man, winner of the Queen Mother Champion Chase
Queen Mother Champion Chase
The Queen Mother Champion Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles , and during its running there are twelve fences to be jumped...
in 1992; Punjabi
Punjabi (horse)
Punjabi is a British Thoroughbred racehorse, born to sire, Komatie and dam, Competa. Punjabi started racing as a three year old in 2005...
, winner of the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle
Champion Hurdle
The Champion Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. As part of a sponsorship agreement with the online sportsbook StanJames.com, the race is now known as the Stan James Champion Hurdle...
in 2009 at the Cheltenham Festival
Cheltenham Festival
The Cheltenham Festival is one of the most prestigious meetings in the National Hunt racing calendar in the United Kingdom, and has race prize money second only to the Grand National...
, Binocular
Binocular (horse)
Binocular, foaled on March 17, 2004 in France, is a French thoroughbred racehorse, born to sire, Enrique and dam Bleu Ciel Et Blanc. He is owned by J. P. McManus and trained by Nicky Henderson. His primary jockey is Tony McCoy....
, winner of the 2010 Champion Hurdle, and Long Run
Long Run (horse)
Long Run is a National Hunt racehorse owned by Robert Waley-Cohen and trained by Nicky Henderson in Great Britain.-Racing Career:In January 2011, ridden by amateur jockey Sam Waley-Cohen, the son of owner Robert Waley-Cohen, Long Run won the weather delayed 2010 King George VI Chase at Kempton...
, winner of the 2011 Cheltenham Gold Cup
Cheltenham Gold Cup
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase in the United Kingdom which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 3 miles and 2½ furlongs , and during its running there are twenty-two fences to be jumped...
. Binocular's Champion Hurdle gave Henderson a fifth win in the race, equalling the record held by Peter Easterby
Peter Easterby
Miles Henry 'Peter' Easterby is a retired British racehorse trainer. He was British jump racing Champion Trainer three times....
. Zaynar, another horse he trained, also won at the 2009 Cheltenham Festival
Cheltenham Festival
The Cheltenham Festival is one of the most prestigious meetings in the National Hunt racing calendar in the United Kingdom, and has race prize money second only to the Grand National...
in the Triumph Hurdle
Triumph Hurdle
The Triumph Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles and 1 furlong , and during its running there are eight hurdles to be jumped...
. He was Champion Trainer in the 1985/86 and 1986/87 seasons. His record at the Cheltenham Festival
Cheltenham Festival
The Cheltenham Festival is one of the most prestigious meetings in the National Hunt racing calendar in the United Kingdom, and has race prize money second only to the Grand National...
is particularly good and no currently active trainer has won more races at the Festival than Henderson. His main stable jockey was Mick Fitzgerald
Mick Fitzgerald
Mick Fitzgerald is an Irish National Hunt jockey who rode mainly in Great Britain. He has ridden the winners of the Grand National, on Rough Quest in 1996, and the Cheltenham Gold Cup on See More Business in 1999. He was the stable jockey for Nicky Henderson and was leading jockey at the...
until Fitzgerald was forced to retire by an injury sustained in the 2008 Grand National
2008 Grand National
The 2008 Grand National was the 161st official annual running of the world-famous Grand National steeplechase which took place at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England, on 5 April 2008 and attracted the maximum allowed field of 40 competitors, for total prize money of £450,640.Joint-favourite...
; since the 2008-09 season Barry Geraghty
Barry Geraghty
Barry Geraghty is an Irish jockey.Geraghty rode his first winner in January 1997, three years later he became the Irish Champion jump jockey for the first time. He rode his first Cheltenham winner on the Jessica Harrington trained Moscow Flyer in the 2002 Arkle Chase.He won the Grand National in...
has been Henderson's principal jockey in Britain.
One of Henderson's most popular horses in recent years, Caracciola, won the Cesarewitch Handicap flat race at Newmarket in 2008 at odds of 50/1 as an 11 year old, despite mainly being a National Hunt horse. Caracciola followed up this success by winning the Queen Alexandra Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2009 as a 12 year old with Eddie Ahern riding on both occasions. Henderson claimed his second winner at the famous Royal Ascot meeting when Veiled won the 2011 Ascot Stakes at 11/2.
His father was Johnny Henderson who was one of the founders of the Racecourse Holdings Trust as well as earlier in life being Aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to Field Marshal Montgomery. In 2005 two years after Johnny Henderson's death Cheltenham renamed one of the races at the Cheltenham Festival
Cheltenham Festival
The Cheltenham Festival is one of the most prestigious meetings in the National Hunt racing calendar in the United Kingdom, and has race prize money second only to the Grand National...
in his honour as the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase
Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase
The Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase is a Grade 3 National Hunt chase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles and 110 yards , and during its running there are fourteen fences to be jumped...
. In 2006 Nicky Henderson won this race with a horse called Greenhope.
In June 2009, Henderson was found guilty by a British Horseracing Authority panel of breaching the rules of racing, after Moonlit Path, a mare he trains for the Queen, failed a drugs test. Henderson admitted to three of the four charges he faced in relation to the case, in which a prohibited anti-bleeding drug
Tranexamic acid
Tranexamic acid is a drug used to treat or prevent excessive blood loss during surgery and in certain other conditions...
was found in the horse's bloodstream. Henderson accepted that the drug should not have been administered, but argued that it had been done so for the horse's welfare, and that he had not been attempting to enhance performance.
A further hearing was held in July 2009 to determine the sanction to be applied, and Henderson was fined £40,000 (a record penalty for the sport in the UK) and banned from running horses for three months (11 July to 10 October 2009).However, as Henderson is primarily a jumps trainer and this ban was during the flat season it caused him little inconvenience. Additionally he was allowed to continue training during the "ban" and was allowed to enter and race horses as long as they ran under the name of another trainer and were moved to that other trainer's stables the day before the race. This was seen by many as akin to not being banned at all.