Nicky Henderson has been entirely vindicated - now he is key to transforming Britain's Cheltenham Festival fortunes
The great trainer's critics were proved wrong - but let's not confuse questioning a horse or trainer with nastiness
Has anyone ever mentioned to you that it's hard to know what day of the week it is at this time of year? In the Christmas confusion, all the normal certainties go flying out the window. Perhaps, just perhaps, the same might be said of this jumps season.
The era of Irish hegemony is definitely not over, but it's possible that when we get to Cheltenham in March the power imbalance may not be quite so overwhelming. Encouragingly, that is not a radical thing to say. There has been a degree of talk in recent months that the green shoots of Britain's recovery might be appearing. The festive racing hamper has done nothing to weaken that view.
In Constitution Hill and Sir Gino, Britain now has odds-on favourites for the Champion Hurdle and the Arkle. On the festival's second day Jonbon heads the market for the Champion Chase and, following his dazzling display at Newbury on Saturday, The New Lion has surged to favouritism for what this season will be the Turners Novices' Hurdle having last season been the Gallagher Novices' Hurdle and, 12 months before that, the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle.
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Published on inLee Mottershead
Last updated
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