'It's seriously good news' - Nicky Henderson thrilled as jump racing set to return to Windsor

Nicky Henderson has hailed the return of jump racing to Windsor in 2024-25 as "seriously good news" and is already excited at the prospect of sending runners to the Berkshire course.

The track stopped jump racing regularly in 1998 – it briefly took on Ascot's cards while that track was refurbished in 2004-05 – but will resume with a "small number of fixtures" on December 15, 2024, owners Arena Racing Company (Arc) revealed on Monday.

Henderson praised the move and is keen to support the development, with the course's ability to provide good ground during the winter months a particular draw. 

"It's seriously good news for National Hunt racing," said the six-time champion trainer. "You’re talking to someone who is rather antiquated and can remember when jumping used to take place there. There probably aren’t many of us left!

Nicky Henderson: "I am most certainly thinking I would run horses there"Credit: Edward Whitaker

"The best thing about it was, and this will surprise people because it’s next to the Thames, is that there was rarely soft ground. You went to Windsor to get good ground even in January and February. It was extraordinary – it drained incredibly well. 

"I am most certainly thinking I would run horses there. I can remember when I was at Fred Winter’s and we ran some seriously good horses there."

Henderson was also buoyed by the possibility of Lingfield's Winter Million meeting being relocated to the track. Lingfield, also owned by Arc, has been the scheduled venue for the new meeting, which was called off due to frozen ground in January and took place on heavy going in 2022.

"I’m thinking the Winter Million weekend could end up there [at Windsor], and that would be a plus," he said. "It was a lovely track and we used to stand in the middle so you had a good view. We’re in Lambourn and it’s very close by for us."

Previously a figure-of-eight jumps course, as is the Flat track, the new jumps circuit will be configured as a left-handed oval, with numerous areas, including the back straight, widened to create extra space for runners.

Mark Spincer, managing director of Arc's racing division, said: "We have long held a desire to bring jump racing back to Windsor, and we are really pleased to confirm this plan well ahead of the planned first fixture in December 2024.

The field clears the water at a Windsor jump fixture in November 1998Credit: Julian Herbert

"While the racecourse hasn’t hosted regularly scheduled jumps fixtures since 1998, we believe the plans we have put together with the BHA will mean that the small number of fixtures we would like to host will sit well alongside the long established, popular summer Flat programme.

"A significant amount of work has gone into considering the optimal layout for jump racing at Windsor, which will see the course configured differently to how it was previously, but we believe it is an excellent proposal to offer jump racing fans the chance to come back to Windsor, while not impacting on the Flat programme, which is an important consideration."

The 1995 Grand National winner Royal Athlete was one of many high-profile horses to race at the track. He won a 2m6½f handicap hurdle at the course in 1993 before finishing second in the Fairlawne Chase two years later. He struck in Aintree's famous contest two months on, beating Party Politics by seven lengths.

Popular grey Monet's Garden won the Grade 2 Ascot Hurdle and dual Stayers' Hurdle victor Baracouda won the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle when both races were relocated to Windsor from Ascot in 2004.

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