'The cotton wool didn't do a bad job!' - Henrietta Knight answers your questions

Last week we invited Racing Post readers to put their questions to Henrietta Knight, a legend of the training and bloodstock worlds and a best-selling author, in a special Ask Hen Q&A.

The response we had from readers was phenomenal – a big thank you to everyone who contributed – with Henrietta answering in part one below just a selection of the best questions that were submitted.

When did you first think Best Mate could be something special? Buz Burrows

When we saw him in his first point-to-point at Lismore. Terry [Biddlecombe, late husband] picked him out. Not only by the way in which he walked around the muddy pre-parade ring, but also when he ran in the race. He pulled up after two miles but Terry just thought he had the makings of a very good horse. He was a four-year-old when we saw him. Best Mate was a natural jumper at home and was always accurate. He found jumping easy.

How or why did you employ Jim Culloty as Best Mate's jockey? Terry Olver

We needed a young stable jockey whom Terry could mould. He had watched Jim Culloty on the television when he was an amateur, and he liked his way of riding. He was Terry's choice. He didn't ride Best Mate at home – Terry was very particular about who rode the horses in their work. The girl who looked after Matey, Jackie Jenner, rode him most of the time.

Best Mate (left) powers up the hill to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup for a third time in 2004Credit: Edward Whitaker

Apart from your own horses, who do you wish you could have trained in the last 20 years? Lee Wainwright

Altior. I think he's the perfect racehorse. I like his conformation and I love the way he jumps and races. I think he's a superstar. He's a total athlete.

Who's the first sire you look for when buying a horse? John Bell

There are an assortment of stallions I like. I like buying horses by Getaway, Flemensfirth and the French stallion No Risk At All. All of them seem to be producing good racehorses for National Hunt, and on the whole their stock are good jumpers.

A lot of critics have stated Best Mate didn't beat much in his three Gold Cup wins. What would your response be to that, and did he retain all his ability after the third win? Jason Bate

He may not have beaten much in the Gold Cups but that wasn't his fault – they weren't there to beat. What he did, he did in a polished way and he never let us down. His jumping was his strongest point. It's only now that people give him the credit he was due. Until he broke a blood vessel on the gallops before the fourth Gold Cup, we thought he had retained all of his ability because he wasn't doing anything differently. But he undoubtedly contracted a virus and wasn't right. I think after, despite sparkling at home, he may have declined slightly.

What is the most important aspect when buying a horse, from the sales or privately? James Kaberry

It's conformation, action and then pedigree. To me, a horse must have a good head and a good eye, as well as a good walk and strong limbs. After that it's the price that comes into consideration!

Henrietta Knight: 'I'm still not sure whether Champ jumps like a Gold Cup horse'Credit: Edward Whitaker

I understand Champ is coming to you for some schooling. Do you think you can make him into a Gold Cup winner? Barney Mcaulay

It's been mentioned that he might do some loose jumping before he starts his 2020-21 campaign. He obviously has an amazing engine, but I'm still not sure whether he jumps like a Gold Cup horse. It was unbelievable how he suddenly got into gear after he'd finished the jumping in the RSA. He doesn't make ground at the obstacles; he's not quick through the air. Some horses just find it easy to jump and keep galloping but, watching him, I don't think he finds it that easy. He probably will come to us because Nicky [Henderson, trainer of Champ] likes my loose jumping school. Champ is related to Best Mate – his mother is Best Mate's sister – so I'd love to see him.

I know your high opinion of the Ben Pauling-trained Your Darling, who you sourced as a young horse. Did any reason come to light for his disappointing second run when he was pulled up at Warwick in March? Malachy Quinn

Yes. After Warwick he had an infection in his lungs and obviously that stopped him in his race. He's being given a long holiday with me at West Lockinge Farm but I still have a very high opinion of him. He's a magnificent horse and I totally believe in him. He'll go novice hurdling in the autumn and will be suited by longer distances. We schooled him before we turned him out to grass and he's just a phenomenal jumper. Before he came to England he had been educated around three point-to-point courses in Ireland, which is the same as Best Mate. I'm excited by this horse; to me he has everything and a wonderful temperament.

Racing Post Bloodstock podcast: Top Lot featuring Henrietta Knight

Of the horses you have bought in the last year, which one gives you the thought that they are the best? Dennis Blackmore

That's a difficult one. Your Darling is the one I've pinned my hopes upon. The two expensive sales purchases, Gallyhill [Nicky Henderson] and Keskonrisk [Joseph O'Brien], haven't been on a racecourse as yet so we'll have to wait for them, but they too are great jumpers and look classy.

Would you prefer a day's racing at Plumpton or at Royal Ascot? Simon Heald

There's no comparison – I'd rather go to Royal Ascot every day of the week. I just love seeing class horses and that's what you see when you go to Royal Ascot. I've only missed one year, when I was too busy writing one of my books. I usually go on my own and I meet plenty of people when I get there. Plumpton has never been my favourite course. We never had much luck there and it's often cold and wet. Terry used to eat pots of jellied eels, which repulsed me, but he liked the place.

Henrietta Knight, with the late, great Terry Biddlecombe, after Best Mate's third Gold CupCredit: Edward Whitaker

Do you think you will ever find another horse to equal Best Mate? Philip Clayton

I am always looking, but I suppose you could say it's unlikely. Jump racing is ultra-competitive at the moment and there are some fine horses in training. There could be another Best Mate out there, but whether I find him first, or someone else does, remains to be seen.

You came in for a lot of criticism about how many times Best Mate ran – it must have given you great satisfaction to be proved right. David Wilkinson

It certainly did because I've always said there are only a limited number of miles on the clock and you can't go to the well too often with a top horse. The athletes running in the Olympics don't race too many times before their big day, and the Gold Cup takes a huge amount out of any horse, whatever people may say. My aim every year was to get Best Mate right for that one race. Nowadays, Paul Nicholls more or less does the same, certainly Willie Mullins followed me this year with Al Boum Photo and Colin Tizzard as well. A lot of the top trainers are running their horses fewer times these days. I was told that I wrapped Best Mate up in cotton wool, but it didn't do a bad job! The criticism didn't bother me, but I was often asked whether I had run out of my rolls of cotton wool.

We know you're a big fan of Lostintranslation. What did you think of his Gold Cup run and what does the future hold for him? Will Hughes

I think it was a very good run, especially as he was coming back having had time off. His jumping is superb and if he has a clear preparation before next year's Gold Cup I think he could go very close. I know Robbie Power believes implicitly in him, and in his jumping.

What different techniques do you use to improve a horse's jumping of a fence? Neil O'Keeffe

A loose jumping school is good for any horse. Also, it's very important when improving a horse's jumping to have them ridden by good riders at home. Not only do we jump them loose – I've got a lovely schooling field – but I also use good horsemen. We don't jump them fast and we give them time to organise themselves in front of a fence. Perfecting their footwork is very important.

Henrietta Knight in the schooling paddock at her yard at West Lockinge Farm in NovemberCredit: Edward Whitaker

Apart from your late beloved Terry Biddlecombe, who was some jockey, who would you pick to ride your horses if you had a top National Hunt one and a top Flat one? Peter O'Reilly

I'd pick two Irish jockeys, Davy Russell and Rachael Blackmore, over jumps. Davy because he's reliable and he's a top horseman, and Rachael because she has a great way with horses and they run for her. I love watching her. On the Flat, Frankie Dettori and Oisin Murphy. Frankie because he's so exceptional on the big occasions and Oisin, whom I've known for many years due to him being Jim Culloty's nephew, because he's got a brilliant brain, is very competitive and, again, horses run for him.

Which horse did you just miss out on buying who you would class as 'the one that got away?' David Lofthouse

Denman. Terry and I saw him win his point-to-point at Liscarroll, and he was trained by Adrian Maguire. After the race we went to the trailer where he was being washed off and cooled down. We loved him. We wanted to buy him and had first refusal on him. But then we heard he'd been hobdayed [had a wind operation], and the owner we were buying him for wouldn't buy a hobdayed horse. Nowadays it is common that a number of horses have wind operations even before they get raced. But back then it was unusual and that's why we couldn't buy him. It was most disappointing because we always knew that he was a fantastic horse, and we were right.

Apart from Best Mate, which horse gave you the most pleasure when you were training? Phil Green

A horse called Stompin, by Alzao, whom we bought off the Flat at the horses-in-training sale at Newmarket. He ended up winning the Glenlivet Anniversary Hurdle for juveniles at Liverpool, after which the owner, who had had a good bet but hadn't gone to the races because he was too nervous, told me he was going to send me a present. I thought it was a very kind gesture and maybe it would be a case of wine, but instead three days later a brand new Volvo car arrived at the yard with a personalised number plate. Stompin won a couple of races for us, he was a good little horse and we were very fond of him. It gave me a lot of pleasure when he won that race at Aintree, and because of the owner's present. I've still got the number plate today – M11 HEN.

Henrietta Knight leads a young horse (Buzz) past the ancient Lockinge church last yearCredit: Edward Whitaker

Best National Hunt sire and broodmare sire in your opinion? Tom Kelleher

I like Presenting as a broodmare sire, and I like him as a stallion. The best National Hunt sire is probably Flemensfirth.

What do you look for when looking at horses in a field in Ireland? Liam Quinn

The general impression – if a horse walks towards me, it has got to have something about it. It's got to look a bit special and have a 'look-at-me' attitude. I like a horse with good limbs, a good walk and a nice head.

Who schools the horses when they come to you for jumping? Len Hand

My four hand-picked 'boys' – all professional National Hunt jockeys. Brendan Powell jnr, Johnny Burke, Jerry McGrath and Paul O'Brien, plus my head girl Fiona Lockhart. They understand horses and they ride in the way I like to see because they relax the horses, keep them in front of the leg and teach them to enjoy their work.

Were there any particular jockeys you admired who would always give your horses a great ride? Tom Sercombe

Richard Dunwoody, AP McCoy, Graham Lee and Adrian Maguire. Dunwoody was an outstanding rider and he was so competitive. He was a top jockey. AP, you always knew he was on your side because he always wanted to win. He would always discuss a race with the trainer. Graham Lee was a good jockey and in the paddock he would always say, 'Let's keep it simple'. I admired him, he was a worker and he was very professional and competitive. Adrian Maguire was a top jockey, it was a shame he never won the championship; he had a great ding-dong battle with Dunwoody in the 1993-94 season. He didn't ride for me very much because he rode mostly for David Nicholson, but I always admired him and thought he was a top rider.

Magic: Henrietta Knight rushes towards Terry Biddlecombe after Best Mate's 2004 heroicsCredit: Edward Whitaker

Which one of Best Mate's three Gold Cup wins gave you the most satisfaction and why? Paul Smith

The last one, without any shadow of a doubt. It was such a relief. I dreamed of winning three, and when it was over it was almost as if a cloud had been lifted and a weight had been taken from my head. Terry and I enjoyed the hype leading up to the 2004 race, but there was also a lot of pressure. It was an incredible feeling when everything went the right way. The horse nearly got boxed in coming round the last bend, but yet again his jumping was so good, especially his fantastic jump at the second-last. But nobody realises that Jim Culloty never saw Andrew Thornton [on Sir Rembrandt] coming up on his right. He very nearly got pipped at the line. I watched all three of Best Mate's Gold Cups from the press tent, probably in the same chair. I'm superstitious and the first time it was lucky, so I had to do the same the next two years.

If you could change one rule in racing what would it be? David Gable

Improve the starts. I hate standing starts, especially in the big races. You can't have 25 super-fit horses all standing still in a line, revved up and ready to go. I thought the starts at Cheltenham this year were appalling. I know they say the jockeys are to blame because they get so revved up at Cheltenham, and in particular they say the Irish jockeys don't listen, but I still think the system's wrong and something has to be done. It makes a mockery of the races. I would also limit the number of people in the paddock at those big meetings. Before too long, someone is going to get seriously hurt. They are finely tuned horses walking around a small enclosure. If they're bucking and kicking and one gets loose, somebody's going to get injured. Many racegoers are ignorant of a horse's traits and do not foresee danger.

Part two will be published on racingpost.com next Tuesday, April 28 at 6pm, also appearing in that evening's digital newspaper from 9pm

Read this next:

How Henrietta Knight spurred the Tizzards into taking the next step

Henrietta Knight stuns Cheltenham as £450,000 buy gives new trainer dream start

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