Henderson, make of it what you will

Simonsig

I half thought about the Pendil [Chase] on Saturday but in fact, the way he was, we didn't need to. And if you saw the way he worked on Saturday, you'd realise why. He just doesn't need to. He went nine furlongs with a 114-rated mile-and-a-quarter Flat horse, who got absolutely assassinated.
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Who would this flat horse be?
 
Like what he said about Binocular. I know a lot of people don't give him a chance but I think he'll run a really big race in the Champion Hurdle.
 
That whole interview is pretty tongue in cheek out of Henderson...that's what I make of it anyway. Wouldn't go on a word of it.
 
Euronymous said:
Who would this flat horse be?
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Simonsig

I half thought about the Pendil [Chase] on Saturday but in fact, the way he was, we didn't need to. And if you saw the way he worked on Saturday, you'd realise why. He just doesn't need to. He went nine furlongs with a 114-rated mile-and-a-quarter Flat horse, who got absolutely assassinated.

surely Simonsig is running under the wrong code then??
 
Arazi said:
Like what he said about Binocular. I know a lot of people don't give him a chance but I think he'll run a really big race in the Champion Hurdle.
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I was just saying the same thing yesterday but they have to go back to how they rode him when they won the race. His best chance IMO is to be handy and to his speed right after the 2nd last and kicks for home. He stays the trip very well and if he can steal a few lengths before the home turn he could spring a bit of a surprise.

Kinda weird he said very little about Grandouet but spent 10 minutes trying to convince someone (probably himself) that Binocular is spot on the for the race.

No surprise he brought up Riverside Theatre it's amazing how one bad run at the wrong trip can have people forgetting how good he is at 2m5f,

Loved his comment "That's the sensible thing to do, to run 13, because it means there's only 12 others". Never really thought of it like that. That's one way of keeping something out that might have been a handicap snip had it got in.
 
I love those gallop stories of giving weight and a hammering to some highly rated horse.....I have witnessed at close hand a yoke giving a 95 rated good work horse a stone and a two length beating...couldn't ******* win off 45 on the track though.

Simonsig does look the real deal though....I've backed Overturn EW but confidence is ebbing away the closer the festival gets..
 
On The Bridle said:
I love those gallop stories of giving weight and a hammering to some highly rated horse.....I have witnessed at close hand a yoke giving a 95 rated good work horse a stone and a two length beating...couldn't ******* win off 45 on the track though.

Simonsig does look the real deal though....I've backed Overturn EW but confidence is ebbing away the closer the festival gets..
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Weights carried in work is a fascinating subject. I'm told it's what the Oxx outsider usually wins when the money is down!

.
 
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aye..Peter Grayson has using that methodology for a few years
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At least he can argue his s/r ain't actually that bad when his multiple entries are considered.

If anyone can reveal why he only runs on the a/w, I would appreciate it. It's not as if he closes down in the summer.

Sorry for going off topic.
 
On The Bridle said:
I love those gallop stories of giving weight and a hammering to some highly rated horse.....I have witnessed at close hand a yoke giving a 95 rated good work horse a stone and a two length beating...couldn't ******* win off 45 on the track though.

Simonsig does look the real deal though....I've backed Overturn EW but confidence is ebbing away the closer the festival gets..
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Have to admit I'm in the same boat. I backed him before he jumped a fence and he jumped just as well as expected but I was tbh more impressed by the way this Simonsig moves through the gears and did it so easily.

My hope is that Overturn does a Dunkirk throws caution to the wind and goes hell for leather from the start and gets Simonsig in trouble in the jumping stakes...however trainers think to much these days and tend to come up with silly things like keeping something in reserve......stuff that pedal to the metal and don't look back is the only way he'll beat him imvho
 
doomster said:
At least he can argue his s/r ain't actually that bad when his multiple entries are considered.

If anyone can reveal why he only runs on the a/w, I would appreciate it. It's not as if he closes down in the summer.

Sorry for going off topic.
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Could be a combination of things like he couldn't train a pig to be dirty, he buys the biggest pile of shyte ever gathered in one yard in the history or racing and he hasn't got a clue what he's doing:lol:
 
Tanlic said:
Have to admit I'm in the same boat. I backed him before he jumped a fence and he jumped just as well as expected but I was tbh more impressed by the way this Simonsig moves through the gears and did it so easily.

My hope is that Overturn does a Dunkirk throws caution to the wind and goes hell for leather from the start and gets Simonsig in trouble in the jumping stakes...however trainers think to much these days and tend to come up with silly things like keeping something in reserve......stuff that pedal to the metal and don't look back is the only way he'll beat him imvho
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I'm in that boat too fist.I think we'll see Overturn go off in front,when haven't they??
 
links781 said:
I'm in that boat too fist.I think we'll see Overturn go off in front,when haven't they??
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oh he'll go off infront. and he'll probably have arvika for company. as tanlic says the best hope is that the pace they set gets simonsig making errors with his jumping. because unless something is amiss with the grey, they aren't going to get away from him.
 
more hendo stuff from here
http://www.cheltenhamfestivalinfo.com/index.php/en/cfi-blog-the-saver/entry/nicky-henderson-the-inside-track

CFI: Are you able to enjoy the festival until you’ve had a couple of winners
NH: I don’t particularly enjoy the few weeks before the festival, but I enjoy the meeting, yes. What you really need is to just get one winner on the first day and then you’ll probably enjoy the next three

CFI: During the festival, what is a typical day like for you? Are you ever able to let your hair down and have a couple of drinks? Or is it all business?
NH: Well we’re very nearly in every race; in fact there are only four races we’re not in, so you haven’t actually got much time. We have a lot of owners and I usually like to talk to them. The hardest thing at the festival is that after a race you just have to go straight on to the next one, whereas normally, you go off with your owners and debrief and either you’re mopping up the sorrows or celebrating – one of the two!

CFI: We’ve been very impressed with Chatterbox – he’s seems to be a little under the radar at the moment. What are your thoughts?
CH: Oh you can leave him out
CFI: Oh right – is he not going to race then?
NH: Doubtful

CFI: Ericht was very exciting in his early career, finishing sixth in the Champion Bumper when favourite, followed by a very good debut over hurdles behind Steps to Freedom. A little disappointing after that but his last 2 runs have been much more like it, your thoughts?
NH: Michael, you don’t need to tell me what they’ve done, I know all that thank you! [Said very jovially, and correctly reminding me not to fluff up the questions given the schedule] He will probably run in one of the handicaps. He’s in the two, the weights have just come out today and its just working out which one he’ll get in to. He’s in the Coral [Cup] and the Martin Pipe and he will run in one of the two

CFI Our Thoughts – A slightly non-committal view of the horse and one that suggests to us that he warrants closer attention

CFI: With Hadrian’s Approach…
NH: [Nicky jumps in] He’s going to go in the RSA
CFI: Ok perfect – do you see his jumping improving? He’s still making the odd bad error
NH: He’s actually going to have a session with Yogi Breisner tomorrow morning. His jumping is good; he made one mistake at Newbury, which in fairness cost him the race. The race revolves around Dynaste who is still in two races, and I’m not sure they are 100% certain which way they’re going to go yet. If Dynaste comes out of this and goes into the Jewson it leaves the RSA very open with Unioniste and Hadrian’s Approach very closely matched. There was nothing between them the other day at Newbury and if we can eliminate one error we’d have probably have won

CFI: Cash & Go ran a very good race first time out – is he likely to run at the festival?
NH: Yes he will. He will probably run in the County Hurdle although he’s in the Coral as well, but I would think he’s more likely County

CFI: Has Bobs Worth had a better prep this year in comparison to last year?
NH: Yes and no. Things have gone well and he’s looked well – but we were thinking of giving him another run following the Hennessy. He should have run at Cheltenham on New Years Day, but the ground wasn’t right. He had enough sense to say he wasn’t just quite right at the time. If he had been right I would have probably run him, but we all agreed on the day when it was heavy ground at Cheltenham not to risk him. I think the horse had enough awareness to tell me that he wasn’t right and that he didn’t want to run in heavy ground. We could have easily got to the bottom of him by doing that and I’m very glad we didn’t. That day, Imperial Commander went a right good gallop and turned it into a really gruelling race. I think if he had had a hard race there then I would have had a tough job getting him ready for the festival. At the moment I’m pleased with him, he worked very well at Kempton on Saturday and in fairness everything has gone according to plan since. He’s in very good order

CFI: Captain Conan – it looks like his ideal trip is over 2 mile. You’ve obviously got Simonsig running over that distance. Where will Captain Conan be running at the festival?
NH: We’ve said all along that he’s going 2-½ m; his last race was over 2-½ m. He wasn’t overly impressive but on the other hand he needed 2-½ m to win, it was a Grade 1 so you can’t complain. He has the pace for 2m but he will stay 2 ½m. We’ll leave him in both for the time being and make a decision nearer the time

CFI: It’s well documented that Oscar Whiskey is peerless over 2½ miles. Jessica Harrington mentioned in her interview with us last week that she feels the Thursday is a little dreary because of all the 3m races bunched together. Do you think that Cheltenham would benefit from a 2-½ m hurdle?
NH: Well Oscar Whiskey would benefit from it!
CFI: It just seems a little unfair there isn’t one until Aintree
NH: By the time they put on that race both Oscar Whiskey and I will be a long time dead. They have no intention of putting one on as I’ve been trying for two years to persuade them to do that

CFI: The last winner you trained at the festival was Belvano, in your dad’s race – The Johnny Henderson Memorial Grand Annual and you normally aim quite a few at the race. With the weights coming out today do you have one or two in mind particularly?
NH: Well, yes, we were talking about it today. In fairness I have six in there, but it wouldn’t matter whether it was dad’s race or Joe Bloggs because these are all genuine two milers that would have gone anyway. Of course we want to win, we had six last year, but they finished first, second and fourth and they were all entitled to run

CFI: Is there one that you fancy or are they all in with the same sort of chance at this stage?
NH: You could make a case for all of them and they are all going to be different cases. French Opera ran a very good race last time out in the Game Spirit and he [handicapper] actually dropped him 4lbs. At today’s weights, he said he felt a little sorry for him and as he’s getting a bit older he thought he deserved it. Tanks For That, who looked like winning it last year until the last where Belvano got up on the line, he’s gone up a lot. This leaves the last year’s fourth horse, Anquetta, a long way below him, whereas last year they were very similar. So it seems Anquetta gets in with a good chance and he’s in good order. Petit Robin has been running extremely well over hurdles and he has had top weight in all those races, he’s been running in the Ladbroke, the Betfair etc, with top weight. He’ll probably finish up with top weight here, there are three above him at the moment, but I don’t think they’ll run, in which case French Opera, Petit Robin and Tanks for That are all going to be at the top of the handicap. Tetlami, Kid Cassidy and Anquetta will be at the other end. It will be a very tight nit handicap anyway; there won’t be a great weight range

CFI: Outside your own stable – are there any other novices that have caught your eye and really impressed you?
NH: I think above all others, and even before his first run, we were being told that Willie Mullin’s horse Pont Alexandre is miles out of the ordinary. He is heading up the Neptune and I think a lot of people are now swerving him

CFI: Next year we might have the mouth-watering prospect of Simonsig and Sprinter Sacre locking horns, your thoughts?
NH: Well I think we’ll just try and get through this year first and worry about that one in a years time! There’s a hell of a lot of things that can happen between now and then, but what happens in a fortnights time will tell us a lot. They’ve both got to come through the festival intact and that’s a long way from certain even if they are both odds on chances

CFI: From a personal point of view, what would please you most; winning the Gold Cup again, or, the trainers championship?
NH: The very worst possible question! What I would really like is something to go and win on the first day. You’d love to get Sprinter Sacre through his race, as I’d like the Champion Hurdle. All those races count; the trainers thing is just something that if it happens, it happens, and if it doesn’t, it doesn’t. You can’t change it. If you have a good Cheltenham then you have a chance of doing it. If we don’t, and Paul does, then that’ll be the way. The only important thing is the horses go in there, they run to their best and they all come home safe and sound

CFI: Nicky, thank you so much for your time, it’s evident how hectic things are for you now and we really appreciate it. Finally, What’s the most valuable, or most important piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
NH: You’ve just got to keep kicking forwards and moving on. There’s no point in looking backwards to the sad bits. We’re looking forward to what’s going to happen in two weeks time. When that’s all over we’ll be off to Aintree to do it all over again; so I think a good piece of advice is that you just have to keep going
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