How Nicky Henderson tricked the press and kept the 'savage' See You Then sweet to triumph in three Champion Hurdles

Nicky Henderson is no stranger to handling supremely talented but troubled jumps stars, and as we approach the 40th anniversary of his first Cheltenham Festival winner, he has recalled the eventful career of multiple Champion Hurdler See You Then and some of the tricks he used to employ to avoid press scrutiny.

Henderson was talking to the Racing Post for a major interview in Sunday's newspaper in which he discusses a fabulous Christmas period, the challenges of 2024, Constitution Hill, the art of returning a horse to its best, and much more.

The master trainer also reflected on the "great days" training the brilliant but fragile See You Then, who provided Henderson with his breakthrough at jump racing's biggest event in 1985 with the first of three consecutive Champion Hurdle victories.

Nicknamed ‘See You When’ because of the tendon injuries that drastically limited his racecourse appearances, See You Then ran only twice in each of his subsequent Champion Hurdle campaigns in 1986 and 1987, an experience that has no doubt benefited Henderson when it comes to managing the career of modern-day superstar Constitution Hill. 

“They were great days," Henderson recalled. "He had a swimming pool that he basically lived in and somehow we kept getting him there every year, using all sorts of trickery. 

See You Then: three-time Champion Hurdle winner for Nicky HendersonCredit: Gerry Cranham

“There was one time we were taking See You Then down to the beach somewhere near Weston-super-Mare. There was a great big beach but there was only a five-minute window every morning and evening where the tide was right and you could use it to gallop.

"I really didn’t want a horde of press following us so we would have two horseboxes go out, one would drive out and go left, and while they were tracking that the real lorry and real horse went down to the beach!

"He was savage – he used to eat us alive. We loved him to bits but God he was a funny character. They’ve all got one thing in common, the See You Thens, Buveur D’Airs, Binoculars and now Constitution Hill: you never see horses cross hurdles quicker than they do.

“His legs were so fragile, but we had terrific fun with him. They called him 'See You When' but there was none of this mass hysteria about not running horses and people telling us to do this and that."

Read more from Nicky Henderson in The Big Read, available in Sunday's newspaper or online for Members' Club Ultimate subscribers from 6pm on Saturday. Click here

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