Nicholls and Henderson: Two of Horse Racing’s Top Trainers

Nicky Henderson

Nicky Henderson along with Paul Nicholls are right up there among the elite of horse racing trainers. (Photo credit: Betway).

In the pantheon of great racehorse trainers, Paul Nicholls and Nicky Henderson are right up there with the elite. The pair have enjoyed huge success in horse racing over a long period of time, and both were recently made OBEs after the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list was released – a just reward for the two men’s dedication to their sport.

Few have enjoyed as much success in racing as Nicholls and Henderson, and both boast a remarkable record of winners in National Hunt races over the years. Between them, they have had six winners in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, and consistently provide the favourites in horse racing betting with Betfair.

Let’s take a closer look at the career of both Nicholls and Henderson, from their early days in the sport to the revered status they enjoy now.

Nicholls: Winning it All

Having grown up in Gloucestershire, Nicholls started out as a jockey, enjoying success in the 1980s with trainer David Barons. This included back-to-back wins in the Newbury Gold Cup, with Broadheath in 1986 and Playschool the year after. A broken leg put paid to Nicholls’ time as a jockey in 1989 after he was kicked by a horse.

Nicholl’s training career began in earnest in 1991 after serving as an assistant to Barons. From the outset he enjoyed success, with his first grade one victory coming in 1993 with See More Indians in the Feltham Novices’ Chase at Kempton.

1999 proved to be a defining year in Nicholls’ career. At the Cheltenham Festival, he won the Queen Mother Champion Chase, the Arkle Challenge Trophy and the coveted Gold Cup with a remarkable trio of winners. Cheltenham would prove to be a happy hunting ground for Nicholls’ horses – he boasted three Gold Cup winners in three successive years from 2007 to 2009.

But it’s the King George VI Chase at Kempton that will forever be associated with Nicholls. In total, he has had 11 winners in the race, including five wins in six years with Kauto Star between 2006 and 2011. In 2012, Nicholls added the elusive Grand National title to his list of achievements after Neptune Collonges won the famous race, ridden by Daryl Jacob.

It’s been a highly decorated career, and one that shows no signs of slowing down with Nicholls’ Clan des Obeaux winning the King George VI Chase in each of the last two years.

Henderson: Cheltenham Legend

Of course, Henderson is right up there with Nicholls in terms of his achievements. After competing as an amateur jockey in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Henderson began his training career in 1978, and has enjoyed great success in many famous races.

He won the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham for three years running between 1985 and 1987 with See You Then. He’s had winners in the Cheltenham Gold Cup on two occasions, with Long Run in 2011 and Bobs Worth in 2013. Only Willie Mullins has had more winners at Cheltenham than Henderson among the sport’s active trainers.

Henderson’s success in the 1980s earned him the Champion Trainer title on two occasions, in the 1985-86 and 1986-87 seasons. The Grand National continues to prove elusive for Henderson, and he’ll undoubtedly be looking to add victory at the famous Aintree event to his list of achievements before his career comes to an end.

Respect and Rivalry

As two of horse racing’s most successful and talented trainers, Nicholls and Henderson have an enjoyed a great rivalry. Most recently, this has taken the form of Nicholl’s Cyrname battling it out with Altior, trained by Henderson. Altior had enjoyed a fine winning run over many months up until autumn 2019, but that was put to an end by Cyrname at Ascot in November.

Despite this competitive element, there is a great respect between the two, as you would expect given their achievements in the sport. Horse racing is a sport defined by winners and losers, and Nicholls and Henderson have showed over multiple decades that they have what it takes to train those winners on a consistent basis.

 

NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll

No. Horse Points
1 Flightline 351
2 Life Is Good 306
3 Olympiad 292
4 Jackie's Warrior 282
5 Clairiere 142
5 Country Grammer 142
7 Epicenter 121
8 Regal Glory 89
9 Nest 87
10 Hot Rod Charlie 48
As of August 1, 2022


DRF Past Performances



Check out the most powerful
interactive Past Performances
used by Michael Dempsey. Use the code TENOFF19 which gives
you a 10% discount on any DRF Formulator plan that is one month or longer.


drf


Free Horse Racing Picks

Get free horse racing picks each day from expert race handicapper Michael Dempsey Click Here


Belmont Stakes News & Reports
Breeders' Cup
Turf ‘n’ Sport handicapper Michael Dempsey has the Belmont Stakes covered with his selections, analysis and fair odds for every race on the card!
Wager on the Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes News

Belmont Stakes Reports

Horse Racing Betting Tips

Horse Racing Betting Tips
Turf 'n' Sport handicappers give out basic horse racing handicapping information..