Nicky Henderson Eyeing Cheltenham Festival Redemption
Trainer Nicky Henderson endured a nightmare Cheltenham Festival in 2024 as illness ripped through his Seven Barrows yard, leaving him without a single winner across the entire four-day festival. Fast-forward twelve months and the Henderson team are set to return to Prestbury Park determined the right that wrong. Six weeks out from the 2025 Cheltenham Festival and there are no fewer than four Nicky Henderson-trained red-hot favourites with all major horse racing betting sites. Here we’ll take a look at the leading quartet, assessing their chances of adding to Henderson’s incredible haul of 73 Cheltenham Festival winners.
Sir Gino
My Pension Expert Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase
Race Odds: 4/6
Sir Gino has eased slightly in the betting for the Arkle following Majborough superb performance at the Dublin Racing Festival. However, the unbeaten five-year-old remains the one to beat following two excellent wins over the autumn. One of the most high-profile withdrawals from last year’s Cheltenham Festival, Sir Gino heads to Cheltenham on the back of wins in the Grade 1 Fighting Fifth Hurdle and Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase. We may well see Sir Gino contest the Grade 2 Game Spirit Chase next weekend but either way, he is a worthy Arkle favourite.
Constitution Hill
Unibet Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy
Race Odds: 4/7
The UK’s highest rated hurdler made a seamless return to the track after a year-long layoff to land the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton Park ahead of leading mare Lossiemouth before easing to victory in the Grade 2 Unibet Hurdle at Cheltenham last month. Like so many of his stablemates, Constitution Hill missed the 2024 Cheltenham Festival but he is a huge favourite to regain his Champion Hurdle crown. Constitution Hill backers will be more confident of Cheltenham success following an Irish Champion Hurdle in which Lossiemouth suffered an early fall and State Man did not set the world alight.
Constitution Hill heads to Cheltenham on the back of ten straight wins, including eight Grade 1 victories. He boasts a perfect 3/3 record at Prestbury Park which includes wins in both the 2022 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and 2023 Champion Hurdle.
Jonbon
BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase
Race Odds: 5/6
Jonbon still divides opinion amongst race fans despite a superb record of 17 wins and three second place finishes in 20 races. The nine-year-old has won all three races this season including back-to-back Grade 1 wins in the Tingle Creek Chase and Clarence House Chase. Jonbon’s only three defeats have all come at Cheltenham which does raise some question marks but he has an excellent chance of ending his Cheltenham Festival hoodoo in this year’s Queen Mother Champion Chase.
Il Est Francais is too inconsistent to back with any real conviction and he may end up running in the Ryanair Chase instead. Gaelic Warrior looked to be a major player having won the Arkle twelve months ago but he was well below his best when third in the Dublin Chase earlier this month. Solness has landed back-to-back Grade 1 races at Leopardstown, most recently when landing the Dublin Chase that Gaelic Warrior had gone off as red-hot favourite for. However, this is the same Solness that was 25 lengths back in fourth as Jonbon landed the Tingle Creek.
Lulamba
JCB Triumph Hurdle
Race Odds: 6/4
The fourth and final Grade 1 entry attracting plenty of market support for top horse racing trainer Nicky Henderson is potential Triumph Hurdle entrant, Lulamba. The four-year-old made an exciting stable debut at Ascot last month, landing a tough looking juvenile hurdle in commanding fashion. Nicky Henderson has won a record seven Triumph Hurdle renewals but recent Irish domination means he is without a win in the race since 2019.
East India Dock has plenty more miles on the clock having forged an excellent flat racing record before a switch to obstacles this season. Now trained by James Owen, East India Dock is 3/3 over hurdles and looks the biggest challenger to Lulamba.