Was Nicky Henderson assistant trainer to Fred Winter?

The short answer is yes, he was. In fact, way back in 2012, on the day Nicky Henderson became the most successful trainer in the history of the Cheltenham Festival, beating the long-standing record set by Fulke Walwyn, Henderson paid homage to Winter. He said, “Dad and Fred Winter were the two most important people in my life. He [Winter] was my mentor, boss, tutor and everything.”

“Dad”, of course, was John Ronald ‘Johnny’ Henderson, Chairman of the Racecourse Holdings Trust between 1964 and 1991 and hailed by ‘The Independent’ as the ‘Saviour of Cheltenham Racecourse’ at the time of his death in December 2003. Winter, on the other hand, trained at Uplands Stables, in Upper Lambourn, near Newbury, Berkshire between 1964 and 1988 and won the National Hunt Trainers’ Championship eight times between 1970/71 and 1984/85.

Born in Lambeth, South London on December 10, 1950, Henderson was educated at Eton College before joining Winter as amateur jockey, pupil assistant and assistant trainer between 1972 and 1978. As a jockey, he rode 75 winners, notably including Acquiant in the Imperial Cup at Sandown and Happy Warrior in the Foxhunters’ Open Hunters’ Chase at Aintree, both in 1977. The following year, Henderson took out a training licence in his own right and, since 1992, has been based at Seven Barrows in Upper Lambourn. He has won the British jump trainers’ championship six times, most recently in 2019/20, and has 73 winners at the Cheltenham Festival to his name, placing him second in the all-time list behind Willie Mullins.