It's Henderson time again

H

harry

At the Start
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Apr 16, 2005
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It's festival time again and the usual thing is happening...Henderson is going to blow everyone away, or is he?

Simonsig, Darlan, Sprinter Sacre, Binocular, Grandouet in the first 3 alone

I've done a lot of money over the last couple of years on him and been bust, mainly at short prices because of the name

Does anyone look for others against Henderson horses or do you follow all his runners whatever?
 
Was about to post that, whilst certainly not a big fan of Henderson, he's hardly in the O'Neill class for putting you away, when I realised that there was a certain common denominator....
 
Henderson is the new Ireland on this forum. Everything he sends to Cheltenham is rated 5lb higher than it should be.

It's a good thing Sprinter Sacre is 10lbs better than the other Arkle runners.
 
Bobbyjo said:
Henderson is the new Ireland on this forum. Everything he sends to Cheltenham is rated 5lb higher than it should be.

It's a good thing Sprinter Sacre is 10lbs better than the other Arkle runners.
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Last two years now isn't it?

There might be longer priced Nicholls runners now because of it?

mind you, he's another one
 
Bobbyjo said:
Henderson is the new Ireland on this forum. Everything he sends to Cheltenham is rated 5lb higher than it should be.

It's a good thing Sprinter Sacre is 10lbs better than the other Arkle runners.
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Totally. I like Simonsig as well but wouldn't be involved at less than 10s even on the day. Some of his others, notably Grandoet, Bob's Worth and Finian's Rainbow are criminally short based on what they've achieved.
 
Euronymous said:
Totally. I like Simonsig as well but wouldn't be involved at less than 10s even on the day. Some of his others, notably Grandoet, Bob's Worth and Finian's Rainbow are criminally short based on what they've achieved.
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I agree with the last 3 named totally. I don't fancy any of them and they're all poor prices in my opinion.

However, I am very keen on Simonsig. I'd be all over him for whichever race he runs in at Cheltenham. The current price in both races is outstanding but we just have little idea where he is headed. If I was certain then I'd be steaming in again.
 
sunybay said:
Henderson is a top class trainer, in fact , I only rated better than him W. Mullins
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Totally agree, just wonder with 28 races, how many will Willie, Henderson and Nicholls win? If you backed one of them(like many do) would you win or would you need a second string claiming win in a handicap.....like Andytown?
 
I don't disagree that he is an excellent trainer Suny. He clearly is.

But because of his reputation, I think when he produces a novice hurdler or chaser with some ability, people expect more to the point that the horses in question are overrated or overbacked. As I said, it's not much different to an Irish hotpot that lines up in the Supreme with a 111 next to it. There's a lot of love for Henderson's horses around here at the moment. Maybe he'll go on to have a wonderful Festival to justify it, but on my reading of the form, I can't see it with some of the cases mentioned.
 
Bobbyjo said:
I don't disagree that he is an excellent trainer Suny. He clearly is.

But because of his reputation, I think when he produces a novice hurdler or chaser with some ability, people expect more to the point that the horses in question are overrated or overbacked. As I said, it's not much different to an Irish hotpot that lines up in the Supreme with a 111 next to it. There's a lot of love for Henderson's horses around here at the moment. Maybe he'll go on to have a wonderful Festival to justify it, but on my reading of the form, I can't see it with some of the cases mentioned.
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That's what I tried to convey with my OP
Ta Bobbyjo
 
I can't have Simonsig at all I think he's a few pounds short of top class novice company and looks certain to go for the Neptune for that reason

Darlan wouldn't win the Suprme if he set of now but Captain Conan could run very well as long as it's not fast ground . The owners certainly won't want to run him in the same race as NH's so called best chance of a winner Simonsig so depite Betfair punters thinking he's more likely to go for the Neptune they are wrong if thats' where Somonsig is destined to run.

Sprinter Sacre: Unless my eyes decieve me is the best Novice I have ever seen. I think he'd win the QMCC let alone the Arkle. Defeat is out of the question.

I'd look a right fool if I said Grandouet would beat Hurrcane Fly but I do think it will be extremely close and he could.
 
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Just a reminder that Nicky won 2 races last year "with Long Run one of them" and Nicholls won 3
Haven't looked at Mullins but that left an awful lot of other horses who won from different yards.

Bookies must love those 3 ?
 
Nicky has Sprinter Sacre, Riverside Theatre, Darlan and Long Run all favs all with chances but I can't see him winning any more than 2 races if that's the case the bookies will no doubt hold their own with NH

PN has Big Bucks, Kauto and Zarkandar if he has any more than 1 I'll be surprised unless it's an unfancied one. Punters very unlikely to come out on top backing his main hopes

Willie Mullins has Hurricane Fly Scotsirish and Quevega he could easily win all 3 and leave the bookies in tears.
 
Mullins has two other joint favourites, Champagne Fever and Boston Bob, plus one or two well fancied horses like Sir Des Champs and Sous Les Cieux. Up The Beat is another one to keep an eye on.
 
Some of Nicky's thoughts on his horses this coming season:

Bobs Worth
"Will probably start off in the Hennessy. I think that's the right race for him and he probably prefers going left-handed rather than right-handed,"

Finian's Rainbow, Long Run, & Riverside Theatre
"The idea would be to step Finian's Rainbow up in trip and really have a look at him. He'd be heading King George way, but then so will Long Run and Riverside Theatre.

"There has to be a clash in the King George I fear, so that's a headache, but it's nice. It's pressure but it's pressure we like dealing with."

Simonsig
"I would have no hesitation coming back to two miles. Barry (Geraghty) just felt that two and a half would help him over hurdles, but I think if he went to fences you'd probably see him coming back to two. I would like to think he's an Arkle horse," said Henderson.

"He definitely stays, he stayed two and a half miles well at Cheltenham, but he's a frightening horse in that his gears are all there. He has a very high cruising speed.

"Every now and then you have to do bits of work with these horses and I would let him play around Sprinter Sacre and things like that.

"It's a bit frightening doing that, but as long as you've got very sensible boys on board, you can do it.

"If you didn't, you could get yourself into a lot of trouble."
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