Nicky Henderson Stable Tour 2025/26 - Key quotes from popular trainer

No obvious injuries have been as a result of his falls last season, and I am delighted to say he returns 100% sound. Once again, the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle would be the first objective, and he is not carrying as much condition as usual for this time of the year. The Christmas Hurdle would again be an objective, and we would like to hope he is performing to his best as he tried to win the Champion Hurdle back.

We were extremely proud of achievements as he probably only ran in the Arkle as Sir Gino was unavailable and from being nearly tailed off coming down the hill he came with a whirlwind finish to land the spoils. He ran another cracker when a close third in the Manifesto Novices’ Chase, but he pulled up lame and suffered an injury which necessitated having a screw inserted. Two and a half miles will almost certainly be his minimum trip, and he could well stay three in the near future. He has, already, been seriously exciting and we have the dream of more to come.

He ran a fantastic race when finishing a close second to our own Doddiethegreat in the Pertemps Final and then went onto Punchestown where he turned the tables on his old rival. He is still only six and we will have to think of going chasing again. He was brilliant jumping a fence, but he became flustered before the start in his attempt over fence at Sandown and his jumping just fell to pieces. Whichever route we go this season, he is potentially top-class.

He has confirmed his place as one of National Hunt racing’s great performers and he is still only nine. He will follow down the same route as the past two years and will probably go for the Shloer Chase before the Tingle Creek and then the other usual targets. Hopefully, we have another exciting season ahead of us.

We got poleaxed on the line by one of Willie’s in the Triumph, but it was a cracking effort and he came back so fresh and well from Cheltenham that we took him to Punchestown where he beat Poniros this time very impressively. He looks every inch a chaser, but we have to have to decide whether to keep him hurdling or go down the Sir Gino route and use his four-year-old allowance in novice chases. He has all the attributes to go to the top, whatever is decided.

He made a fantastic start last season when winning the Fighting Fifth and then was brilliant at Kempton over fences in the Wayward Lad, but he then suffered a setback that put paid to the rest of his season. The issue was caused by an infection in his near hind, and we don’t know how he got it, but he spent the best part of six weeks with the vets at Donnington Grove. We have had to tread very carefully with him, and we will adopt a softly, softly approach. One thing we know is that he can cope with the rigors of training, he has the world at his feet.

He has joined this season and looks a very promising individual. He won his bumper at Taunton in March when with Paul (Nicholls) and he looks a nice sort for novices’ hurdles this season.

He is a horse bought at the Arkle Sale two years ago and he has just taken an age to mature. He is from a family we know very well and that gives me confidence that he will come good in time. David Howden has shown great patience with him, and I hope that can be rewarded when we go over hurdles with him.

He made a very encouraging debut in a bumper at Newbury won by the highly regarded El Cairos of Gary and Josh Moore’s and that was never at the race at Huntingdon next time. The Newbury winner when onto finish fifth in the Cheltenham Champion Bumper but our fellow came back very sick after disappointing at Huntingdon in March.

She is a half-sister to Doddiethegreat and made the perfect start when winning her bumper at Southwell. That was a strongly contested event, and we will have to decide whether to go for a Listed bumper or go novice hurdling. She is a very exciting filly for the season.

She was another good find from Jerry McGrath, and we had hoped to run her last season, but the ground dried out. We like everything we saw from her, and she should have a bright future.

She was an impressive winner of her point-to-point and is by Crystal Ocean who has had a host of winner in Irish points. She has settled in very well and looks a high-class prospect for mares’ novices’ hurdles.

He is a fantastic jumper and is blessed with bags of pace. He definitely looks capable of winning his bumper, but it is a question of whether we elect to go straight over hurdles as he could be very exciting.

She doesn’t look a typical point-to-pointer as she has loads of pace and we could well start her in a bumper. She could easily prove high-class in mares’ novices’ hurdles.

He did more than we could have ever asked of him when winning the Pertemps Final at Cheltenham as all the prize money was donated to the Doddie Wear Foundation. Brian Hughes was instrumental in his progress as he suggested tongue-tie after his run in the Pertemps Qualifier at Haydock and, after his Festival triumph, he went onto run another cracking race at Punchestown. If he can make the step up to Graded company over three miles it would be fantastic for all concerned, but he owes us nothing.

He gave us a season to remember when winning at Ascot, Kempton and Cheltenham and also ran with great credit in the Martin Pipe at the Festival. He isn’t the biggest, but Nico felt he might jump a fence, and we will probably school him and see where we stand. He has summered well and obviously has tremendous enthusiasm for the job.

We schooled him over fences, but he was running so well in decent handicap hurdles that we decided to keep to that for the time being. He gives you every impression that he should go chasing and he could be top-class if he makes the transition.

She suffered a small injury when making an impressive debut at Haydock in December and that was it for the season. She could be in for a very exciting season in Mares’ events.

She will make a chaser, but I imagine we will let her gain some more experience over hurdles first. She could make a high-class staying chasing mare in time.

He looks the sort of horse to give his owners Old Gold Racing a lot of fun. He won his maiden hurdle at Ffos Las but was bought to jump fences and could do well when he is sent novice chasing.

He was very consistent over hurdles last and won at Kempton before finishing an honourable second to The New Lion at the Coral Gold Cup meeting and then won the Sidney Banks at Huntingdon. He sustained a nasty injury when looking the likely winner of the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree but, thankfully, has been able to enjoy his summer out at grass and has come back looking in great shape. He is almost certain to go novice chasing and he could well be high-class in that division.

She made a bright start in first two run but didn’t come up to scratch in a Grade 2 at Sandown and wasn’t quite right when pulled up at Aintree. She has grown into the most imposing mare, and she will almost certainly go over fences. She could be a very exciting prospect in mares’ novice chases.

She put up a fantastic performance to win the Betfair Hurdle and then finished sixth to Lossiemouth in the Grade 1 Mares’ Hurdle at Cheltenham. That was her first run over two and a half miles, and we are still querying whether she got the trip. We could look to run her in novices’ chases this season.

We were contemplating going over fences with him, but he put in such a sparkling performance in the Ascot Hurdle that we decided to stay over hurdles. He went onto to win the Relkeel Hurdle, but he is schooled and ready to go novice chasing this season. He could go to the top in that sphere.

He must have good ground which is why we campaigned him through the summer and he finished a really good third in the Summer Plate. He stayed on really well at Market Rasen and we could step him up to three miles. He has been a very solid performer and, hopefully, can soon find his way in front again.

He has joined us this season and is a lovely gelding. Obviously last season wasn’t quite up to his normal standards, but we would be looking to getting him back to that higher level. Two and a half miles looks his best trip and, if all goes well, he could be an exciting prospect for us.

He was an impressive winner of three novice chases, and we stepped him up in class in the Kauto Star at Kempton on Boxing Day and he ran a brilliant race to finish second to The Jukebox Man. He will start his second season chasing in either the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury or the Badger Beers at Wincanton. He is a lovely horse and there should be more to come from him.

He won the Betfair Hurdle the season before last but after making a winning start over fences at Kempton his season fell apart after a fall over fences at Ascot. He looks all over a chaser and we will see if we can get his chasing career back on track. If he does take to it this time around, he could be high-class.

He has always looked a proper chaser, and I hope he can build on the promise showed over fences last season.

He was a very good winner of his first two novice chases when we sent him jumping last season and put in a great performance when winning a Grade 2 at Winter Million at Windsor. Unfortunately, he got it all wrong in the Reynoldstown at Ascot and appeared to damage his back. He has had minor surgery, and we are looking forward to him resuming his chasing career. He done really well physically and, hopefully, has an enormous future ahead of him.