Can he keep Mullins at bay this year?
We profile the man with an incredible 53 Festival winners (but hasn't won the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle since 1992)
Nicky Henderson:
Cheltenham Festival winners: 53
The most successful trainer in the fetival’s history Cheltenham Festival but Mullins is closing hard on him. A winner of the Leading Trainer at Cheltenham award nine times (three of them shared in 1987, 1992 and 1993), just three winners at the last two Festivals combined has to go down as disappointing following his seven-race victory haul in 2012.
No trainer has saddled more Champion Hurdle winners (5), Arkle winners (5) and Triumph Hurdle (6) winners and he finally laid his Pertemps Network Final hoodoo to rest last season with Call The Cops having been 0-25 heading into that handicap. Although he has not trained the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner since 1992, he has saddled a remarkable 10 top-four finishers in the last nine years.
Henderson could be responsible for the second favourites in the Supreme, Arkle and Mares Hurdle on the opening day alone.