Nicky Henderson 2026 Cheltenham Festival Stable Tour

Nicky Henderson has admitted he is “a bit jittery” with just a fortnight left until The Cheltenham Festival, as he prepares to send out another strong Seven Barrows squad.

The trainer has 75 Festival winners to his name and has a string of stars ready to run at the Home of Jump Racing next month.

But the 75-year-old is experienced enough to know that not everything is guaranteed to go to plan. Speaking at a media event organised by The Jockey Club at Kempton Park today: “I think everybody will tell you that over the next few weeks everybody's a bit jittery.

“We're in one piece this morning, touch wood. They've got to all be all right tonight. Lulamba and Act Of Innocence worked together on the grass this morning. That all went well.

“They've all got one more bit of serious work to do, I would think. But things will go wrong. There's no doubt about it.”

Henderson also believes that British trainers can make inroads into the Irish dominance that racing fans have seen at The Festival in recent years.

He explained: “I think the English squad is definitely stronger than previous years, so I hope between us we can raise a bit of a fight. I think we can.

“Take the King George. There were two English and two Irish fighting it out. Any one of those four can still win the Gold Cup, or wherever they go. And yet the stupid thing is Fact To File was out in the back doing his own thing, and now he's come back to the front of it.

“So, it's going to be very open, isn't it? And I hope we can stand up and do a bit better this year. I'd be very disappointed if not. As I say, Paul's got plenty – Ben (Pauling), Dan (Skelton) and everybody. There are good English horses up and down the country that can try and stop the export.”

Henderson galloped nine of his Cheltenham Festival contenders today – Jango Baie, Old Park Star, Jingko Blue, Hyland, Doddiethegreat, Impose Toi, Joyeuse, Iberico Lord and Bold Endeavour – and said afterwards: “We can walk away this morning with nine horses that still have got their hopes alive. There were no surprises and I was pleased.

“Sometimes you've got three-milers working with two-milers. But some of them are quick three-milers and some of them are slow two-milers in their work. So, they worked together pretty good I thought.

“There was no point in having Jonbon, Lulamba and Act Of Innocence here, because they only ran two or three weeks ago. They don't need to do this. This is for the ones that haven't run for a bit of time, so they benefit more from a day out because they haven't seen outside our front garden for a bit.”

Running the rule over his main Cheltenham Festival contenders, Henderson said….

“I think he's entitled to be given a realistic chance. It was a great run here (at Kempton Park, in the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase).

“Everything's gone well. We thought we were going to run in the Denman for a bit, but in that ground, and I suppose having watched Dublin the week before and those horses getting hard races in very bad ground, sort of slightly put me off and I thought, well, wouldn't we be better coming in fresh rather than getting a race like that? Lulamba went to Newbury that day for a different reason. He needed the experience.

“He needed a race, whereas Jango Baie didn't need either. So, he's consequently come down the route of coming here today.

“He was very good at Ascot the first time, and the only thing I'd say in the King George, for a horse that's won the Arkle, he just appeared to get a little bit flat-footed turning out at the back. There was a sudden injection of pace, which had slowed down a bit, sort of mid-third, and there was a kick, and just for a moment he got caught, and then he stayed on very well at the end.

“We know he comes up the hill, and he's got the pace to win over two miles so, I think it all comes in. I'd be very disappointed and surprised, I have to say, if he doesn't stay.

“But we've got that bit of speed as well. Tactical speed that will hold him through the race. I think he ticks most boxes. He would have more speed than Bobs Worth - Bobs Worth certainly wouldn't have won an Arkle.

“Long Run was a very high-class horse, but he didn't win an Arkle. He fell in by mistake at the end of the day, didn't he? But it was great at the time. I thought Jango Baie was great today. Nico was very happy. And he just let him stride on at the end.

“He finished that very strong. He could have gone round again, to be honest with you. But we don't need that.”

“Friday was one of the most extraordinary nights I think we will experience. I think we went home that night thinking, we've just been through something that was surreal.

“And it was followed up the next day via the Press and the television coverage and I think it's wonderful. It really has been unbelievable that a horse can create this - we're in this game because we love it.

“If that's what racing can do to other people, then we're very lucky, aren't we? I'm just in a privileged position, but I'm sitting on this guy that's now causing the biggest headache of my life.

“But that was one of the great days of my whole term in this office. Yeah. It was extraordinary.”

Asked when he will school Constitution Hill over hurdles and make a decision on whether to run him in a fortnight, he added: “Yeah, we're going to do something tomorrow. Michael (Buckley, owner) and I have then got to sit down - it is as simple as that.

“I appreciate the interest. I think that's why we've got to make a decision. But it's not simple. It's absolutely impossible… I promise you, it is 50-50. Every day, I change my mind, but I think we've got to say one way or the other.”

“He's good. We were all happy with Newbury. Visibly it wasn't everything early in the race that maybe everybody would have wanted to see, but that is sort of learning on the job and he did. It got him thinking a bit and he got a couple wrong.

“Nico just had to bust him up. Soon as he got that little bit of daylight, winged the second last thing, he was gone. And I just loved the way he went down to the last.

“He was proper class. So going back into novice camp, that's going to stand him in good stead, isn't it? He's still going to probably go a good lick. But again, you see, I think he's a bit, he will, I'd be surprised if he's a two-miler next season.

“I think you'll see him on the Jango Baie road. If the old two-and-a-half mile novice chase was still there, they could have just waited another couple of years before they switched it into a handicap again.

“I could see him going down the same route as Jango Baie did this year. Start at two-and-a-half in Ascot, something like that, rather than the Tingle Creek. He was really good round Sandown.”

“It depends on lots of things, really, doesn't it? Primarily, he had two quick races. Okay, they were four weeks apart, and that gives us another four weeks to Cheltenham but they were two tough races. He had big battles on his hand. He was brilliant. Testing ground, hard battles, and he bounced back for the second round.”

Asked how much of a frustration it would be if Jonbon failed to win at The Festival during his career, he replied: “Well, there you go. That would be my dearest wish - it would be awfully sad if he didn’t, after all these fantastic races. Don't forget, in all his tries at Cheltenham, he's still been second in all those big ones and that he's won two Shloers (Shloer Chase).

“There's nothing wrong with Cheltenham, but he just deserves one. It would be very sad not to have a Festival win on his epitaph. I think he's just been unlucky. I do. I really do.

“He missed the start last year (in the BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase) because the thing (starting tape) hit him in the face. He missed the race - finished before it started - and he still finished second. I just personally think he's unlucky.”

“Just tell those friends of ours across the sea that you saw him and he's flying, and they should stay at home! He's lovely. A big baby though, isn't he? This is a horse for next year and the year after, as much as this year.

“He's got a lot of filling out to do. Watching him out there, I remember a few years ago bringing Altior here and I remember when we were doing our press day at Seven Barrows that year, and Min was the talking horse in Ireland. I just remember being mad. That was as confident as I think I've ever been in my life, that I couldn't see Altior getting beat - nothing was going to get to him where he was at that stage of his life.

“I can't say I'd say the same thing about Old Park Star at this particular moment, but I think he's lovely - he's just great. What he'd done in his last two runs was, he's been extraordinary. He must travel at some pace, because he seems to get them all in trouble a long way out.

“We rode him in behind today, not because of any other reason, probably because he's quicker of the three, and I wanted him to go and get past them, but at least he's had a gallop round behind some horses, because he hasn't seen one in his last two runs.

“I think he's got the tactical speed to be in that position, I’d be pretty sure he stays well, and he has definitely got a gear, and certainly round Haydock, which is a speedy track, it was extraordinary how one minute there were some horses on his tail, and you think, they're going rather well, and the next thing, he's just gone, and they were off the bridle and capitulated, they couldn't go with him. It was extraordinary.

“He's a very clean-winded horse, he's got a very good mind on him. I just remember Altior at that stage of his life, and we knew he was something completely different, and nothing changed for three years, did it? He was unbeatable at that stage. Yeah, I hope this, I can't believe this fellow won't be jumping fences next year. It's only occasionally when we've left, like with Constitution Hill.”

“Act Of Innocence, it looks as if he does stay, and this horse looks as if he's possibly got the quicker.

“I think he’s pretty smart. He’s a lovely horse. It’s a race that England can win and it’s a race that’s been dominated by the Irish so let’s try and steal one!

“I’d be surprised if stamina is the issue. Originally we thought that Act Of Innocence was the quicker of the two (Old Park Star) but they seem to have flip-flopped. One has got more tactical speed and the other has more stamina.”