Chemical wants rain for Constitution Hill

Too much drainage is not good….straight through the gravel underneath and into the drainage pipe…turf should always hold a bit..

Not a great Moore stable follower, but I thought fair play to him speaking before the race saying

  Goshen was fit and well but would obviously have liked Softer ground, A nice reward for him.

Was NJH the only trainer to withdraw horses yesterday ? No i did not think so, so why all the aggro directed at him ?  If he had of run and done a ligament how many critics would of been on here with more verbal attacks. ? Everyone wants to see the best horses compete but surely the trainer knows best and gets paid to make a decision, in this case the correct one.  There are to many arm chair trainers on here who know sweet little about horse welfare and potential injuries and then never being the same horse again.  Time for the keyboard warriors to have a long look at theirselves, imo..

Why not withdraw Overnight ? what about all the Racegoers that were duped into going to see some great Horses. Anyone hear of any refunds ??  Thought not.

it was pitiful stuff in the racing media all last week. drooling over CH and the amazing work he was doing at home - only to be a no-show. and it's not like this hasn't happened before with Henderson.

NH racing has become dominated by the fragile egos of a number of super-wealthy owners who are just interested in Cheltenham and trainers who will race away from the track only if all conditions are perfect.

I hope we get a heatwave in March and it's like a ****g road at Cheltenham

Im coming onto the side of thinking, that Ascot has a big problem with the track draining too much. As other forum posters have said, weather wise has been a strange one this year.... I mean we have just turned on our heating at the end of November!

Why is NH referred to as 'Chemical'?!

https://www.attheraces.com/atrplayer-popout/programmes/1053060/Racing Debate/20-November-2022

Worth watching Nicky ripping into Matt!

Nicky saying the ground was nigh on dangerous and his horse WOULD have come back unwell. Hinting at racehorse welfare
Said it was good to firm.
I do hope he wasn't hinting that trainers who allowed their horses to run don't care about the welfare of their horses.
Goshen wins on good/firm going
Yeah Nicky, yeah

his horses*

@PJMASTER.

    Nicky Henderson, who was banned from making entries for three months in 2009 after one of his horses tested positive for tranexamic acid, has told a hearing at the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons that "plenty of trainers" were using the banned blood-clotting agent at the time.15 Feb 2011

Nicky blaming the media and the public for him running Altior against Cyrname at Ascot and both horses were bottomed in heavy going.
"I knew I shouldn't have run him but felt obligated"
Blame everybody else Nicky.

Nicky will start crying shortly

Nicky said Paul Nicholls will say the same about Cyrname
Matt asks the q of Paul 15 mins later
Paul doesn't regret running him "at all. he won didn't he?"
Nicky the Unibet spokesman shouldn't speak for other trainers to dig himnself out of a hole, iumo

11 horses of Nicholls who ran on saturday all came back safe.

What was the horse last season or the one before, when he withdrew one and there was a particularly 'awkward' interview on course with Lydia Hislop?

Watching this with Chapman, it's like take two

cant get heavy enough for either horse that ran in the 2 runner chase

Henderson settles into the black chair.

Your name : Nicky Henderson

Occupation  :  Racehorse Trainer

Nicky Henderson you have two minutes on your specialist subject 'Making Excuses'

I've followed racing for about 30 years can tell you now that ascot is in the top 5 jumps tracks for quality of ground
8 fixtures a year it doesn't get the battering that most courses do
no water goes on from the sunday fixture end of march to the following october
grass root length is deep & the surface takes rain extremely well

henderson & king are absolutely off their tits imo
refusing to run a horse on good ground because they regard that as g/f
THEY are the problem

condition your horses properly ffs
they need to be fit & running regularly
not running 3 times a year & having the occasional trot on an a/w gallop
any horses coming back with issues from friday or yesterday 1st thing that needs looking at is the training routine
because that ascot ground was perfect both days

Altior might've been the horse he withdrew.
(Tingle Creek?)

Cheers penzance.

Found a snippet of it here

https://en-gb.facebook.com/racingtv/videos/nicky-henderson-on-altior-being-a-non-runner/894936981317089/

Very good, Anorak

.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXNEW0rV480&t=444s

full interview

tingle creek won by politologue in 3:58...7s outside standard & he's calling it heavy

this aint too far behind biden

allmankind in henry VIII chase previous race v similar

just watching that full interview back again there's some proper gaslighting

In retrospect that one in the first should been kept at home.

will be expecting more of the same the coming 2 weeks, will he or won't Shiskin run in the Tingle Creek, only this time bound to be whether or not too soft/heavy.

wondersobright 20 Nov 22 13:20 
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXNEW0rV480&t=444s

full interview



gives the game away when he lists tracks that "won't suit" - just frightened of the horse being beaten

I think Chemical ought to multiple declared his runners to avoid any doubt the horse will run in a race. At least this way a punter will have public info to make an informed betting decision eg declare Constitution Hill for Ascot and Newcastle. There have been too many inconsistencies and excuses from Chemical about the participation (or non-participation) of his star runners recently.

I think comments attributed to Henderson in the press today are bordering on hysterical i.e. “if I’d run Constitution Hill on that ground yesterday (then) in my opinion he would have been in his box for a year, wounded. It would have been stupid, suicidal and in the interest of horse welfare we should have been banned for life if we had (run him)."

And Alan King "We've only had a handful of runners at Ascot this season and most of them have come back with a problem." looks like a bit of a suspect statement.

Ultimately connections quite rightly can decide what to do with there horses, but silly statements to try and justify decisions are not helpful.

King's owners might wonder why he can't run their horses at the UK's top track without them getting injured

So what Chemical is saying (or not saying), is that Constitution Hill is an unsound horse, liable to break down at any time and probably shouldn't be in training at all.

He's just reverted to type. See You Then, nickname was See You When. The great Sir Peter once called him that in commentary.

Milan Bridge was given 10k for turning up, Coole Cody picked up 40k for winning a match, Gosham 60k for beating one decent horse and Boothill 65k for beating six. Ascot sponsors must be wondering why they bother...

I can only see 3 AK runners
2 @ october meeting which was top side of good, both horses coming back off summer breaks
then 1 on friday on ground slow side of good

"most of them have come back with a problem"
so 2 of them have...the 2 that ran in october by any chance?

the problem with many grade one tracks nowadays is they are totally over-drained which was instigated many years ago after severe wet winters
Cheltenham is a great example of this.

Nov 20, 2022 -- 4:25PM, TheAnorak wrote:

So what Chemical is saying (or not saying), is that Constitution Hill is an unsound horse, liable to break down at any time and probably shouldn't be in training at all.

correct

cant run on good ground its too firm for him

edwardstone the same

even though they won on quick ground @ cheltenham

hysterical is spot on SA...the more they are digging the more stupid they look

Hendo thinks it was good to firm yesterday

Do a Kevin Keegan moment and hope he gets stuffed in the Champion Hurdle.

No....I'm on the jolly! 2022 has been a bad year for antepost. I hope Allaho a non-runner in the King George is the last. I cannot wait for 2023 to arrive.

@LydiaHislop
There has been much irresponsible language thrown about on Planet Horseracing this weekend, including allegations (& postulations) of injury-causing ground and the conflating of welfare with campaign preference. Those of us who earn our living via this sport owe it greater care.

spot on

king ran his best horse at kemp and wincanton with no mention of soft in going description at win,which has called off meetings due to firm ground

Owe it greater care? without the punters there would be no Horse Racing.We deserve to have it run properly,todays low sun again made a few races into glorified flat races,then we have the ground excuses,where was the evidence of firm ground in the times recorded by the winners.Ok horses were withdrawn didnt they know the night before about the going,it cant dry out that drastically over night.At least if they were withdrawn overnight no one would have travelled to go and see these horses.Seems to be a lot of excuses but no one taking into account it is us that keep Horse Racing going,not trainers or TV presenters.

^Lydia's not disagreeing with you

Apologies if this question has been asked earlier on thread but.......

Any comment on the matter from the organ grinder not the monkey , Michael Buckley not normally lost for a few words regarding his high profile horses.

tantpis she is tactfully slamming hendo & co

lydia 1 of the few in the media who has spoken up about this

yes buckley interview on ATR site
just repeating hendo's nonsense
also spouting off about not enough opportunities in the calendar
elite hurdle, fighting fifth, bula, xmas hurdle, haydock trial, agfa hurdle, kingwell hurdle
plus irish programme

there's really nothing for them to run in clown

he also seems to think the sandown race has been scrapped, which it hasn't according to calendar I'm looking at
race programme is fine michael you just need to fkin run in some of them hint hint

Apologies to Lydia for earlier post,but NH racing is at the moment full of people not wanting to rock the boat,but what we need is some procedures to stop this happening again,not going on about the excuse of horses not running on the going,or the going changing overnight.This never happened years ago,all the good horses ran on most ground except for really firm ground,they all came back sound and also ran more often.The trainers keep going on about prize money but most do not seem to want it.

Lydia's hits the nail on the head about the "conflating of welfare with campaign preference." Too often we hear about what's "best for the horse" (like the horse cares if it loses) when they really mean what's best for connections. John Gosden a frequent offender.

Thanks Wondersobright 

I haven’t been on a racecourse since pre-covid, and this is a perfect example of why. Imagine paying for a ticket only to be served up the sort of card that Ascot had on Saturday. It’s a disgrace.

The ground might not have been soft enough for Henderson’s liking, but to suggest it would have ended up with the horse back in its box for a year is laughable. If he really believes that then it’s a problem with the horse, not the track.

The sport is well and truly on its a**e, and you’ll have these owners and trainers complaining about lack of opportunity, prize money, etc, only to pull this sort of nonsense. I’ve spent thousands of pounds going all over the country watching jump racing over the years, and now I can barely be bothered watching it half the time. It’s a sad state of affairs.

tantpis, how do you know that they "all came back sound". Horses were regularly fired to strengthen their tendons between 1970 and 2000 when I was an owner. but the attrition rate was still high. Many more were killed in action when courses were much less safe than they are now. I don't disagree with the disquiet about the going or the reluctance of trainers or owners to run but don't pretend that things were fine 40 years ago or whenever. The bigger issue is race conditions and handicapping that mean that too few horses are entered in races in the first place.
Today we have a 3 runner listed race for mares over 3 miles. As it happens, they are closely matched on ratings, but how many mares are there that need 3 miles and are rated 140 plus? And how many of the owners of those want to run for £14k when they can run in a handicap for £25k against weaker opposition. An owner breeder might want black type, but races should be framed to attract 20 horses and hope that 10 are declared. In this case 5 were entered and 3 (or less) will run.

Completely agree with you,Dr Gonzo.

He’s only asking for soft ground all round what’s wrong with that….send it to Newcastle if it’s soft…

The journos love this it sells…..

Sageform you are right,it just annoys me how the Horse Racing Industry has got into this state.Yesterday was looking forward to chases at Devon but due to the low sun most of the fences were taken out,any chance they can make the race void for betting purposes and run only for the prize money,I know this would cause a lot of problems but at the end of the day punters expect to bet on a jumps race not a glorified flat race.At least on here you can trade out beforehand sometimes at a small loss,but not if you have had a wager with the books.I cannot see a solution to the low sun problem,but to take 10 fences out or to have a 5 furlong run in is not a good thing.

Yesterday was looking forward to chases at Devon but due to the low sun most of the fences were taken out

sun unsually low for November? It's not like it could have been predicted

What's the betting CH gets pulled out at some point due to testing ground?

I’ve just seen the Chapman interview with Michael Buckley where he is complaining about the lack of opportunities for the horse, whilst also complaining about how difficult it is to get to Newcastle.

You honestly could not make some of this up. I suspect they would still find something to complain about even if somebody gave them a trophy and £50k for the horse going up the Lambourn gallops on Saturday afternoon.

Nov 21, 2022 -- 11:41AM, A_T wrote:

Yesterday was looking forward to chases at Devon but due to the low sun most of the fences were taken outsun unsually low for November? It's not like it could have been predicted What's the betting CH gets pulled out at some point due to testing ground?

It could have been cloudy. More to the point what's the betting it will run when the going is described as good because Nicky's stick says otherwise .

Maybe just run the beast on Champion Hurdle Day. At least then punters and supporters know where he'll run for sure. I'm tired of Chemical and connection moaning and complaining about where to run, and logistic; betting is suggesting he'd be unlikely to show at Newcastle (JP perhaps).

Could I be impertinent and ask do they deserve to own Constitution Hill? Imagine if he's still a full entity (I believe he's a gelding). A payment to run could be a reality next.

I noticed a certain formite on here referring to the name chemical….
Really surprised me

Constitution Hill set to run against Epatante in the Fighting Fifth Saturday, but will they both run?

Wait for the official decs tomorrow but the market has switched from Epatante odds on to CH odds on, so it seems likely.

Happy Days

Unibet obviously gave their approval.

Layers and backers of Constitution Hill and Epatante respectively will be cursing Hendo if both runs. Good luck both.

If you had laid both at odds on as was possible, you would be laughing, especially if both get beat.

Constitution Hill (CH) was never odds-on for the Fighting 5th until today; Epatante mostly was. I hope the layers of CH for Newcastle get a result.

impossible12323 Nov 22 15:14Joined: 07 Sep 15 | Topic/replies: 22,470 | Blogger: impossible123's blog
Constitution Hill (CH) was never odds-on for the Fighting 5th until today;



the above statement isnt true C.H had been and laid @ odds on prior to today.

There's no real rain forecast for Newcastle, and a nice drying breeze, so we might have the second act of the Ninny Henderson pantomime

I think Epatante is an unlikely runner for the  Fighting 5th. Her price is just far too big!

where did I say prior to today? You could have laid Epatante yesterday and CH today. Pied Piper must be a big doubt if he is out to 36. Walkover for CH perhaps? That would really spike Henderson's plans.

Pied Piper is not running, according to Elliot. He's been left in to guage the turnout; somewhere else at x'mas is the plan for him.

Epatane would be a good e/w at 6.8 here. But, an unlikely runner I'd think.

Might be close between Not So Sleepy and Tommys Oscar for second place money.

clerk of the course at newbury still complaining all the heavy rain still not changing the going..
perhaps try blocking the over efficient drains so the water doesnt just run away

newcarsil reporting g/s, soft pl ground & watering to maintain...living in a clown world

.
https://www.racingpost.com/news/latest/newcastle-aiming-for-good-to-soft-ground-for-constitution-hills-comeback/589606

20 years james armstrong clerked that track produced faultless ground

she's had it 1 year & is undoing that good work v quickly

watering ground on the soft side of g/s you are off your ****g tits

Soon only soft/heavy ground horses eg Trueshan can run. With global warming the going can only get firmer, with some months with no horseracing at all.

It will be an issue for jump racing unless they extend the quality meetings until May/June as they do in Ireland. Move the whole NH calendar back a month? I can only see more and better quality AW racing on the flat in dry months. Why not a Group 2 or eventually a Group 1 at Newcastle? The tight bends on the other tracks will discourage the Group 1 horses unless they can increase the length of the straights.

'I take flak and it frustrates me - but I'm not going to wreck another horse'
Senior writer Lee Mottershead talks to a strong but emotional jumps legend
Nicky Henderson: happiest at home in Lambourn but fascinating when talking across a London lunch table
Nicky Henderson: happiest at home in Lambourn but fascinating when talking across a London lunch table
Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)
1 of 1
UPDATED 7:05PM, NOV 23 2022
 
Nicky Henderson faces a decision.

It is not about whether to run Constitution Hill at Newcastle, Cheltenham or anywhere else, although talk of such important judgement calls will soon cause his temperature to rise. The jumps legend is about to be interviewed across the crisp white linen-covered table of a small London restaurant. Henderson and his wife, Sophie, will then head off to visit an owner, one of many who utilise the services of a six-time champion trainer.

First he must decide what to eat. That is not an altogether straightforward process.

"Salt and pepper squid," says Sophie, reading out potential food options for her husband. "Crab salad, prawn cocktail, lobster linguini. No, it's got garlic in it, you won't like that."

Henderson settles on the garlic-free prawns as the conversation advances to the reason why the menu was delivered for him in audio form. Over the course of nearly two hours, he talks passionately, frankly and emotionally on a number of subjects, the outcome being a fascinating self-portrait. What he says provides deep insight into a man who in recent years has been the subject of widespread admiration but also some stinging and increasingly personal criticism. Across all that time he has been a man fearful of going blind.

Sophie has accompanied him to London partly because it would be unsafe for the partner she treasures to visit the capital alone. It is now six months since Henderson underwent life-changing eye surgery that has very probably extended a training career that began in 1978 but looked destined to be cut cruelly short by macular degeneration and glaucoma. The reality is that as recently as this year's Cheltenham Festival, the 71-year-old was barely able to see.


Henderson has been boosted by successful surgery to his left eye
Henderson has been boosted by successful surgery to his left eye
Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)
"My eyes used to be so fantastic that Jim Wilson called me Popeye at school," says Henderson.

"Unfortunately they started to deteriorate ten years ago and there is no cure for the problem. I thought I would finish up in darkness. It reached the stage where it was pointless going racing because I could only see the big screen through binoculars. I remember standing on top of the Lambourn Downs with the dogs one evening, looking across to our schooling ground. I already couldn't see the view and thought I would never see it again.

"The first thing the condition takes out is people's faces, which is why Soph would always tell me who I was near. My fear was I would walk past someone without acknowledging them and they would think I was being rude. There could be nothing worse than that. It's something I would hate because I don't think I'm like that."

On the recommendation of his regular consultant, Henderson sought the advice of another expert at the London Eye Hospital. It initially led to him receiving eye injections that had to be administered with such force his head crashed against the back of the bed. Then, on the final day of Doncaster's May Sale, having spent the week informing vendors there was no point them trotting horses up for 100 yards because he could not see that far, he underwent surgery. A long-range lens was inserted into the left eye – and it worked.

"Driving home I was able to see the car in front and even the number plate, which I certainly couldn't have done before," says Henderson, whose right eye has not been so receptive to the treatment. Even so, where he is now is considerably better than where he was a few months ago. Indeed, he admits that his failing eyesight had led him to believe early retirement was inevitable.

"The time was definitely going to come," he says. "I fear it still is going to come, but we've managed to put it back.

"A lot of people say that in the circumstances I should slow down, but what would be the point of that? Why would I want to slow down when I've got such wonderful horses to train? I'm not giving them to anybody else."

Sophie brings out a gadget that magnifies the written word and is used when Henderson goes through entries in the Racing Post.

"Before the operation there was always that worry in the head about how much longer we could carry on," she says, adding: "Now he can see again, we've suddenly got all the excitement back."


Stable star Constitution Hill poses with Sean O'Briain at the controls as Nicky Henderson watches on
Stable star Constitution Hill poses with Sean O'Briain at the controls as Nicky Henderson watches on
Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)
No horse currently generates excitement more than Constitution Hill, the outrageously impressive 22-length winner of last season's Supreme Novices' Hurdle and now red-hot favourite to dethrone Honeysuckle in the Unibet Champion Hurdle.

"He really is the most ridiculously straightforward horse," says Henderson. "Unlike Sprinter Sacre, Altior and Shishkin, there is nothing flash about him. His life simply revolves around eating, sleeping and working. Any clown could train him. We can only dream what he might be. He could go chasing tomorrow if that was what we wanted. I would ride him over a fence myself."

Sophie interjects immediately.

"You're not," she says. Henderson continues with the prawn cocktail.

Wherever Michael Buckley's young star begins his season will not be where he was expected to start. Along with fellow Cheltenham-winning novices Edwardstone and L'Homme Presse, Constitution Hill was withdrawn from his intended target at Ascot on Saturday. It fired up critics who have lambasted the master of Seven Barrows prior to the last two runnings of the Tingle Creek Chase.

On the eve of the 2020 Tingle Creek, Henderson scratched Altior, citing ground he compared to a "bottomless glue pit". Last year he opted to reroute Shishkin just over a week before the Sandown showpiece, determining the previous campaign's Arkle hero was "not quite there".

Those announcements were added to the list of crimes some claim Henderson has committed against jump racing. They say he cares only about four days in March and fails to properly respect the sport's winter highlights. Asked if he is troubled by such accusations, Henderson replies very much in the affirmative and focuses his mind on the day in 2019 when Altior was defeated by Cyrname in a heavily promoted Ascot Grade 2 chase.

"Yes, it frustrates me," says Henderson. "Very much so. Really very much indeed.

"Running Altior against Cyrname first time out in a bog at Ascot was madness. I only did it because of the sport's public perception. That race completely finished Altior. It was the end of him. I would have paid millions to take him out, but I couldn't do that because of the public and Ascot. I didn't have the heart to do it.

"I know I take some flak, but I'm not going to make the same mistake twice. I'm not going to wreck another horse like that. Running Altior that day is the biggest racing regret I have, 100 per cent. That race at Ascot left a mark on me, it sure did. For that reason, I only want to say that Shishkin is entered in this year's Tingle Creek and I've got every desire to run him, but I'm only going to do that if he's happy and I'm happy."

Sophie Henderson is most definitely not happy.


Henderson talks to the press after withdrawing Constitution Hill from his intended start at Ascot on Saturday
Henderson talks to the press after withdrawing Constitution Hill from his intended start at Ascot on Saturday
Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)
"Nobody stops to think how gutted he is when he can't run them," she says, emitting a sense of exasperation that also fills her husband's face. What is certain is the big decisions are not taken lightly.

"I go to bed worrying most nights," reveals Henderson. "I've taken sleeping pills every night without fail for the last 20 years. I know it's all in my head, but if I didn't take them it would be a waste of time going to bed.

"If I wake up during the night I find it impossible to go back to sleep. They always say all your problems seem worse during the night but come the morning they are nothing like so bad as they were at two o'clock in the morning.

"We actually got some help from a lovely man in London. What he prescribed aren't drugs, I promise you, and they aren't addictive, but they're a bit like little happy pills. Since I've been taking them I can get straight back to sleep."

Of the many things that keep him awake, the 150 horses in his care top the list, yet there are many more.

"For six months since April, all I heard him saying is: 'When is it going to rain? When is it going to rain?'" laments Sophie, crossing one of the items off the list. A few others could be wrapped up in Henderson's desire not to offend, something shown by the urgency with which he returns missed calls made by those in the media.

Not surprisingly, if he worries about the feelings of journalists, he really does fret about causing distress to owners, something that in part explains why he has an aversion to saddling multiple members of the Seven Barrows equine squad in the same races.

"It's always an embarrassing situation when you have two runners because a stable jockey can only ride one horse, which means the one he doesn't ride becomes the second string," says Henderson.

"I hate any owner to think their horse is a second string. It's something that very much does keep me awake at night. Owners often think their horse is the best thing they've ever had in their lives, so I detest the idea they would feel he isn't even our stable's best hope in a race. It worries me because I don't want to upset anyone."


Nicky Henderson and his principal rider Nico de Boinville chat following another winner at Newbury
Nicky Henderson and his principal rider Nico de Boinville chat following another winner at Newbury
Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)
There are, of course, times when such meetings are inevitable, most commonly at Cheltenham, where the opening race of the 2022 festival featured a clash between Constitution Hill and Jonbon. In itself, that encounter reflected a further awkward aspect of Henderson's job.

Had the trainer's number-one rider Nico de Boinville had a choice of mounts, he would have selected Constitution Hill, yet it was a choice that was not available to him. A number of the stable's horses belong to individuals who have retained jockeys, while even those who do not such as Jonbon's owner, JP McManus, prefer to pick their own riders. That is De Boinville for some horses, but not for all.

"I'm always very sensitive to the jockey situation, but there wasn't an issue in the Supreme because Nico was riding Constitution and JP wanted Aidan Coleman for Jonbon," says Henderson.

"It's very difficult to keep everybody happy. Nico is one of the greatest horsemen you'll ever see and a wonderful jockey. He is totally committed to Seven Barrows and would school from morning to midnight if you asked him, yet there's an awful lot of horses he doesn't ride. Of course he minds, and I would like him to be able to ride more of them, but he understands.

"I'm very lucky to have him and James Bowen, who is fantastic and will be a champion jockey. They are two of the nicest, loveliest, most loyal people you'll ever come across. They are team men and I adore them both."


Nicky Henderson hails the amazing Sprinter Sacre after his comeback win in the Shloer Chase
Nicky Henderson hails the amazing Sprinter Sacre after his comeback win in the Shloer Chase
Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)
It was in the hands of De Boinville that Henderson's finest work enjoyed a glorious renaissance. In his pomp, Sprinter Sacre reached levels of brilliance that precious few jumpers have ever attained. On returning from heart problems he looked finished, but in what proved to be his farewell campaign there were four fabulous victories, including a second success in the Queen Mother Champion Chase that left Cheltenham's audience in raptures and the winning trainer in bits.

"Goodness, I'm a crier," admits Henderson. "You shouldn't come up to me as I leave a funeral or memorial service, or even after a big race. I am desperate at times like that. The emotional days are ferocious for me and I do struggle."

That becomes evident when mention is made of little Top Notch, a stable darling who died last year after rupturing his stomach.

"Don't, I can't talk about it," says Henderson, who wells up at the thought of his absent friend.

"Losing any horse is bad, but Top Notch was everybody's mate," he says. "Sarah Shreeve looked after both him and L'Ami Serge. We lost them within three months of each other. When Top Notch died, I cried for Sarah as well as for the horse. Losing them like that hurts like hell."

At this point, his wife brings up a memory of her own.

"He is very involved with the horses," she says. "They aren't just animals in boxes. I remember a time when he was terribly worried about a filly. There was one night when I couldn't find him at three in the morning. I went out to the yard and he was sat in this filly's box. He said he couldn't sleep, so he thought he might as well talk to the filly. His horses are him. They are people to him."

With lunch long since eaten, two country folk are becoming late for their next appointment. Darkness has fallen in London, yet Henderson has spent our time together helping to paint a colourful, vivid and multi-layered picture of himself. This interview has been more about him than his horses, yet, as Sophie explained, Henderson and his horses are interchangeable. As such, the final story seems extremely appropriate.


The much-missed Simonsig under groom Dave Fehily at Seven Barrows
The much-missed Simonsig under groom Dave Fehily at Seven Barrows
Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)
"Empty boxes and empty bridles are awful," says Henderson, casting his mind back to the day six years ago when he called a press conference at Cheltenham to announce the retirement of Sprinter Sacre. He repeatedly came close to tears while revealing the news. Worse was to follow just two hours later when the supremely talented but consistently luckless Simonsig suffered a fatal fall.

"It was the saddest story of a horse who never came home," says Henderson. He then recounts an episode that has been spoken of before but bears repeating, not least because the latest retelling again visibly moves him. It involves both Simonsig and Triolo D'Alene, another Seven Barrows stalwart who in his heyday won the Hennessy Gold Cup and the Topham.

"One was a grey, one was a chestnut," he says. "They spent their summer holidays together in a field with eight more of our best horses, all of them bays. On their first day in the field, Simonsig and Triolo D'Alene were ostracised by the bays. As a result, the two of them lived together as great mates but separate from the rest. Neither had good lungs, so they stayed outside a lot, but for a number of years they also lived in adjacent boxes with no tops on them, which meant they could see each other.

"When Simonsig set off for that last race at Cheltenham, Triolo watched him leave in the horsebox. After we lost Simonsig that day, I knew I wanted to be in the yard when the horsebox returned because I was certain Dave Fehily, who looked after him, would be desperately upset.

"As the horsebox arrived, I was stood by Triolo's box and the one where Simonsig used to live. When Triolo saw the horsebox, he started whinnying. That was the end of me. Triolo thought his mate had come home and he was whinnying for him. He then couldn't understand why he wasn't there.

"It was awful, just awful. That's how much they meant to each other. They were like brothers. Triolo knew something was wrong that night."

Henderson, heart on sleeve as ever, pauses, composes himself and adds: "It's lucky horses can't cry. I can."

Thanks for posting that. We are all human. Losing part of his sight is a very sad thing for someone like Henderson and he clearly takes it hard when he loses a horse as well.

Soft the horse runs…good or any firm he doesn’t…..leave the man alone ffs

The late Duke..Dick Hern….M Stoute..the late Vincent O’Brien…Peter Walwyn …Ted Walsh wouldn’t have been so nice to the media regarding this shambles and ignorance towards the guy…

Surely it is wrong to alter the going to suit one trainer?

It is not to suit one trainer it is to attract more racegoers, surely?

Safe ground

No mention of the tie up with Unibet,I would like to know how much info they get and I am sure he will not admit to any influence they have.

Selective watering at Newcastle….can you remember such a thing

trainers spamming the media with demands for their preferred ground

Henderson once again playing the animal welfare card to excuse the way he campaigns his horses

it is a BHA directive that clerks are mandated to produce good ground where possible for NH racing

by watering g/s ground eloise quayle, like a few other clerks it must be said, is acting contrary to this BHA directive
so why isn't this triggering a BHA enquiry into her role as clerk of the course & also the track's licence to race?

because it seems to me like its a free-for-all

Watering a Newcastle? What is going on? You do not need to water after the amount of rain we have had. The ground generally doesn't dry out this time of year. Let nature just be, and leave the ground alone.

They can’t they think the spotlight is on them….the games gone