Nicky Henderson: 'I've never understood all the criticism - he's hardly done anything wrong and is right in the Gold Cup picture'

Nicky Henderson is ready to lead the British challenge at the Cheltenham Festival yet again, buoyed by a fantastic day at Newbury just over a week ago when Iberico Lord landed his second big handicap of the season in the Betfair Hurdle and Shishkin confirmed himself a real Gold Cup contender by landing the Denman Chase.

"That weekend was great and did everybody good, so we're coming into the nervous weeks in fine form," says Henderson. "A lot of the horses had a break in January for flu jabs and other unpleasant things, so they're on a bit of a quiet fortnight, but although things may be quiet on the racecourse it's starting to build up at home and it won't be long before we're there.

"I'm happy with the team. We have some horses people seem to think are certainties, like Sir Gino, ones they've gone off, like Jeriko Du Reponet and Shishkin, and ones they're looking for chinks in, like Constitution Hill, but all I can do is worry about getting them there in one piece and in top form, and we're going the right way at the moment."
Interview by Peter Thomas