Cheltenham 2024 Stable Tour - Nicky Henderson's Festival Runners

I know people have their opinions on the Champion Hurdle and some people think State Man might finish closer to us this year, but all I'm trying to do is concentrate on my own horses and I'm very happy with Constitution Hill. Most of the games have been played by now and we're just trying to get there in one piece, which is why things get a bit squeaky at this time of year. The only blip in his season was that the Fighting Fifth didn't take place – last year he didn't run between the Christmas Hurdle and Cheltenham, and this year will be the same. Does he need more experience in the heat of battle? Well, you could subscribe to that view on the grounds that he's never really been in a battle, but that's only because he's better than the others, which is hardly his fault. All I can say is that he turned up for a Grade 1 last time and he won it, the same as last year and the year before, so I'm not too bothered. He worked last Saturday, he'll work next Saturday and he'll have an away day. Everything's going fine.

He's in great form and ready to go. We seem to have found ourselves a nice pacemaker in Edwardstone, which is all very jolly, so we go there in good spirits. Of course, the mistake that cost him the Clarence House last time wasn't ideal, and he can't afford to do it again if he's going to win this, but he looks fantastic, couldn't be better. He hasn't schooled since Cheltenham but he will before the Champion Chase, and he'll have to be at his best in what looks an excellent renewal.

He's been labelled as an enigma, untrustworthy, and I'd have to agree his refusal to race at Ascot was his fault, but it was a one-off display of petulance and he can be like that at the start of the season, which is why we sent him off to Zara Tindall for some dressage and education for the first four or five weeks of the season, to get him going. Once he's had a run, he's good as gold, but he didn't get a run until the King George, which was a pretty amazing performance when you consider it was his first proper race since Aintree last year. Whether he was going to finish first or second before he unseated – and personally I think he'd have won – it was still a hell of an effort. As I say, I don't understand the criticism of him because he's hardly done anything wrong in his life – the terrible run at Cheltenham two years ago was easily explained by a bone disease – and the win at Newbury last time put him right back in the picture. Yes, Galopin Des Champs is the one they've all got to beat, but let's have a go.

Everyone seems to think he's the best of the festival bankers and I hope they're right. Cheltenham last time was pretty impressive, I have to admit, so now we wander quietly towards the festival. Like the others, he's started his prep and we're happy with him and he's hard to fault. He was a bit untidy at Kempton first time but what was pleasing was that we did some work on his jumping, he learned from it and was foot-perfect next time. He's a sensible, sound-headed horse with a lot of talent, and I think he and I are the only two people who don't mind what price he is.

I know some people went off him after his fairly narrow win at Doncaster last time but I don't think anybody should be worried by that. It was a crawl of a race on bad ground, they crept round like mice through the first mile, barely quick enough to be able to jump, and then sprinted up the straight. The faster they went, the better he jumped and the further they went, the further he won by – and they weren't bad horses he beat at all. To be honest, he hadn't met a lot in his races before that and we're still just educating him. He's a lovely big horse with his future in front of him, but I'm very happy with him at the moment. What's more important is what's crept into the picture since then, particularly Willie's pair, Mystical Power and Ballyburn. I thought Ballyburn was impressive and I'm sure they think he's very smart, so I've got to spend a bit more time trying to persuade Ronnie to run him in the Baring Bingham instead of the Supreme Novices' Hurdle. I speak to him most days so that'll be my current homework.

He was very impressive in winning a decent handicap by six lengths at Sandown last time and this is the obvious next step for him.

She's a half-sister to Epatante who won at Taunton on her only start over hurdles and I like her a lot.

His form looks very solid. I thought he was going handicapping to start with but he never stopped improving – culminating in a narrow defeat in Grade 2 company at Cheltenham last month – and there are a couple of realistic targets for him now. Where he goes may depend on where a few of the others go as we'll try to split them up.

She's a grand mare who's looked very good apart from on desperate ground at Lingfield last time. Sadly she's got a penalty for her Listed win at Haydock, but she'll go there with a fair chance.

He had his first run for us when keeping on strongly to win a maiden hurdle at Cheltenham last month and he's earned his ticket for the Baring Bingham Novices' Hurdle.

He had a bit of a hold-up mid-season after two very pleasing wins, but we're over that now and he's very well. He's going the right way and is on course for Cheltenham.

We targeted a valuable all-weather bumper at Lingfield with him in January first time out and only just missed out, and while there's a big difference between two miles on the all-weather and two miles at Cheltenham on the turf, he deserves to take his chance.

He's had a few trips to the festival and was fourth in this race two years ago. He's still competitive, still knocking on the door, and I think we'll put cheekpieces on him to try to find a little bit extra this year.

His run in the Betfair was pretty solid, bearing in mind that going into it we were well aware he wanted another half-mile. He was flying home in fourth, could have been third, and the Coral Cup looks like an ideal test for him.

He's spent this season on an unattractive perch, where he's topweight in handicaps but not a Grade 1 horse. He'd be competitive for some nice prize-money in the Champion, although there are other options for him, such as the Coral Cup or even the Martin Pipe. You couldn't say he's well handicapped though.

has to go for the County Hurdle after his very professional win in the Betfair Hurdle and you couldn't rule him out. Impose Toi and Under Control are also in the picture.

She's a very good mare at her best, perhaps not quite good enough to win a Champion Hurdle, but the owner is very keen to have a go. She's capable of beating most of them and there will be plenty of prize-money below first and second place.

She won the race in 2022, knows the place well and has been in really good form. Her success at Doncaster last time was pleasing and she's on track for another crack at the race.

He was second in the Martin Pipe last year and it looks like his obvious target again, although like a few others he'll have a couple of options.

He's a horse I've always liked and he'll be very good one day when we can get him right, but he's had only one run over fences and this would be a tough ask. He's a very big horse, and with big horses trouble is easier to come across than with little horses, but we may try to get him out very soon with a view to the Cheltenham Festival.

She'll run at Kempton at the weekend and that will tell us whether we go to the festival or not, but if it's good ground she'll very likely be in there. She's a pretty smart mare at her best, near the top of the English pile at least.