Nicky Henderson is the Cheltenham Festival’s most successful trainer with 51 winners to date. The landmark 50th win came up in the 2013 Cheltenham Gold Cup with Barry Geraghty riding Bobs Worth to victory.
We have been tracking the Henderson Stable on the forum.
Henderson’s haul has seen him link up with many different jockeys over the years. Steve Smith Eccles (6 wins) and John White (2) were the men on top in the early years. Richard Dunwoody (3) and Jamie Osborne (3) took over in the nineties before Henderson forged an allianace with Mick Fitzgerald which yielded the partnership ten Cheltenham Festival wins.
Barry Geraghty took over the first jockey role following Fitzgerald’s retirement in 2007. Fitzgearald rode 10 festival winners for Nicky but the Henderson-Geraghty alliance has been most prolific with the pair having now teamed up for 13 Festival wins. Sam Waley-Cohen has also ridden 3 festival winners for Nicky and was the man on top when Long Run gave Henderson his first Gold Cup success in 2011.
Nicky Henderson Cheltenham Festival Wins by Year
| Race | Year | Horse | Age | Jockey |
| Mildmay of Flete | 1985 | The Tsarevich | 9 | John White |
| Triumph | 1985 | First Bout | 4 | Steve Smith Eccles |
| Champion Hurdle | 1985 | See You Then | 5 | Steve Smith Eccles |
| Mildmay of Flete | 1986 | The Tsarevich | 10 | John White |
| Supreme Novices | 1986 | River Ceiriog | 5 | Steve Smith Eccles |
| Champion Hurdle | 1986 | See You Then | 6 | Steve Smith Eccles |
| Triumph | 1987 | Alone Success | 4 | Steve Smith Eccles |
| Champion Hurdle | 1987 | See You Then | 7 | Steve Smith Eccles |
| World Hurdle | 1989 | Rustle | 7 | Michael Bowlby |
| Kim Muir | 1990 | Master Bob | 10 | John Berry |
| Cathcart | 1990 | Brown Windsor | 8 | John White |
| Arkle | 1991 | Remittance Man | 7 | Richard Dunwoody |
| Supreme Novices | 1992 | Flown | 5 | Jamie Osborne |
| Champion Chase | 1992 | Remittance Man | 8 | Jamie Osborne |
| Arkle | 1993 | Travado | 7 | Jamie Osborne |
| County | 1993 | Thumbs Up | 7 | Richard Dunwoody |
| Cathcart | 1994 | Raymylette | 7 | Mick Fitzgerald |
| County | 1997 | Barna Boy | 9 | Richard Dunwoody |
| Triumph | 1999 | Katarino | 4 | Mick Fitzgerald |
| Cathcart | 1999 | Stormyfairweather | 7 | Mick Fitzgerald |
| World Hurdle | 2000 | Bacchanal | 6 | Mick Fitzgerald |
| Festival Trophy | 2000 | Marlborough | 8 | Mick Fitzgerald |
| Cathcart | 2000 | Stormyfairweather | 8 | Mick Fitzgerald |
| Arkle | 2000 | Tiutchev | 7 | Mick Fitzgerald |
| Kim Muir | 2002 | The Bushkeeper | 8 | David Crosse |
| RSA Chase | 2005 | Trabolgan | 7 | Mick Fitzgerald |
| Mildmay of Flete | 2005 | Liberthine | 6 | Mr Sam Waley-Cohen |
| Kim Muir | 2005 | Juveigneur | 8 | Richard Burton |
| Grand Annual | 2006 | Greenhope | 8 | Andrew Tinkler |
| Ryanair | 2006 | Fondmort | 10 | Mick Fitzgerald |
| Mildmay of Flete | 2006 | Non So | 8 | Mick Fitzgerald |
| Champion Hurdle | 2009 | Punjabi | 6 | Barry Geraghty |
| Triumph | 2009 | Zaynar | 4 | Barry Geraghty |
| Martin Pipe | 2009 | Andytown | 6 | Felix de Giles |
| Triumph | 2010 | Soldatino | 4 | Barry Geraghty |
| Coral Cup | 2010 | Spirit River | 5 | Barry Geraghty |
| Champion Hurdle | 2010 | Binocular | 6 | Tony McCoy |
| Albert Bartlett | 2011 | Bobs Worth | 6 | Barry Geraghty |
| Gold Cup | 2011 | Long Run | 6 | Mr Sam Waley-Cohen |
| Arkle | 2012 | Sprinter Sacre | 6 | Barry Geraghty |
| Neptune IM | 2012 | Simonsig | 6 | Barry Geraghty |
| RSA Chase | 2012 | Bobs Worth | 7 | Barry Geraghty |
| Champion Chase | 2012 | Finian’s Rainbow | 9 | Barry Geraghty |
| Ryanair | 2012 | Riverside Theatre | 8 | Barry Geraghty |
| Fred Winter | 2012 | Une Artiste | 4 | Jeremiah McGrath |
| Grand Annual | 2012 | Bellvano | 8 | Paul Carberry |
| Arkle | 2013 | Simonsig | 7 | Barry Geraghty |
| Centenary | 2013 | Rajdhani Express | 6 | Sam Waley-Cohen |
| Champion Chase | 2013 | Sprinter Sacre | 7 | Barry Geraghty |
| Gold Cup | 2013 | Bobs Worth | 8 | Barry Geraghty |
| Coral Cup | 2014 | Whisper | 7 | Nico De Bonville |
In accumulating these wins Henderson has won the Thomas Pink Leading Trainer Award at The Festival on nine occasions – 2012, 2010, 2000, 1993, 1992, 1990, 1987, 1986 and 1985.
He has has also won all eleven Grade 1s run at meeting at some stage in his career:
Tuesday Grade 1 Races
William Hill Supreme Novices’ Hurdle: 2 wins 1986 River Ceiriog, 1992 Flown
Racing Post Arkle Trophy Chase: 5 wins 1991 Remittance Man, 1993 Travado, 2000 Tiutchev, 2012 Sprinter Sacre
2013 Simonsig
Stan James Champion Hurdle: 5 wins 1985, 1986 & 1987 See You Then, 2009 Punjabi, 2010 Binocular
Wednesday Grade 1 Races
Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle: 1 win 2012 Simonsig
RSA Chase: 2 wins 2005 Trabolgan, 2012 Bobs Worth
Sportingbet Queen Mother Champion Chase: 3 wins 1992 Remittance Man, 2012 Finian’s Rainbow, 2013 Sprinter Sacre
Thursday Grade 1 Races
Ladbrokes World Hurdle: 2 wins 1989 Rustle, 2000 Bacchanal
Ryanair Chase: 2 wins 2006 Fondmort, 2012 Riverside Theatre
Friday Grade 1 Races
JCB Triumph Hurdle: 5 wins 1985 First Bout, 1987 Alone Success, 1999 Katarino, 2009 Zaynar, 2010 Soldatino
2013 Contenders: Rolling Star and Vasco du Ronceray
Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle: 1 win 2011 Bobs Worth
2013 Contender: Utopie des Bordes
Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup: 1 win 2011 Long Run
2013 Contenders : Bobs Worth and Long Run,
