‘I want pressure? It means we still have some good horses’

THREE kingmakers of the training profession – Nicky Henderson, Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott – will again be attempting to weave their magic and make dreams a reality at this week’s Cheltenham Festival.

Henderson rules as the most successful trainer at the meeting with 58 winners; Mullins, hot on his heels with 54, ran riot at the meeting in 2015 with a unprecedented eight successes.

Elliott, very much the new kid on the block, gave the pair a spanking at last season’s Festival when ending the week as the top trainer.

Henderson, 67, often labelled the privileged Old Etonian, gave an indication that he was destined for the top by celebrating his first success at the Festival in 1985 when See You Then won the first of his three Champion Hurdles.

Historic

Since then Henderson has made it a record six victories in the hurdling championship.

The former stockbroker, who turned his back on the City for the turf to become champion trainer four times, is on the brink of another historic achievement.

He is responsible for the favourites in the Champion Hurdle, (Buveur D’Air), Champion Chase (Altior) and Gold Cup (Might Bite). If they go in Henderson will become the first trainer to win the three headline races in the same season.

This is not lost on Henderson whose father Johnny was responsible for saving Cheltenham from the developers in 1963.

“I can remember when I was Fred Winter’s assistant and he had the favourites for the big three in the same year,” he recalled.

“They were all beaten. Someone, helpfully, reminded me of that recently!” Henderson first took out a

A Cheltenham Gold Cup winner has followed when Don Cossack took the prize two years ago.

“Last year is hard act to follow,” said Elliott. “But I’m sending plenty over, probably 40.”

Elliott certainly has not basked in last year’s glory.

“Being top trainer did not change my life. You know Cheltenham is one place in the world where everybody wants to have a winner.

“Of course, there’s pressure to get those results but it drives you. You put pressure on yourself.

“I’m easy-going until you get the wrong side of me.”

Elliott admits that it took him a long time to finish licking his wounds after Mullins had chinned him to win last season’s Irish trainers’ title bout. But there is clearly no bad feeling. “Willie is probably the greatest trainer there’s ever been,” said Elliott. “He’s a gentleman, he sets the standard. A great man and to be spoken in the same breath as him is unbelievable.

Winners

“I think Ireland are in a great position at the moment with the horses we have. Nicky Henderson looks to have a good grab at championship races.

“Of course, I expect to have winners.”

Mullins, 61, is regarded as Irish royalty and is universally liked by his colleagues on both sides of the Irish Sea, despite beating them with regularity.

“Gordon probably has the better bankers,” said Mullins. “We have our chances, so we have.

“I delighted with the team, but we don’t have the short-priced horses that we’ve sent over in the past – Vautour, Annie Power and Douvan when he was at his best. They were extraordinary horses we might not get them again. Having them all at the same time was unbelievable.”

“Nicky, as usual, he’s got a good team going there.”