Henderson wary of facing Mullins armada

Seven Barrows handler ready for some tough tests at Cheltenham Festival.

Nicky Henderson is under no illusions about the formidable test awaiting him at the Cheltenham Festival next month after witnessing the domination of Willie Mullins first hand at Leopardstown on Sunday.

Not for the first time, the master of Closutton carried all before him at the Dublin Racing Festival, enjoying a remarkable clean sweep in the eight Grade Ones and winning nine of the 15 races overall.

Henderson did not saddle a runner at the Foxrock track over the course of the weekend, but did make the journey across the Irish Sea as an interested observer for day two.

He said: “I was just there doing a bit of spying! It was a great day’s racing, Willie is amazing and I’m not sure I’m in a desperate hurry to go and join that party.”

The highlight of the five-timer on the second day for Mullins was State Man’s successful defence of the Irish Champion Hurdle.

The seven-year-old’s only defeat when completing over obstacles since joining Mullins came at the hands of Henderson’s Seven Barrows superstar Constitution Hill in the Champion Hurdle itself last season, and the pair look set for a mouthwatering rematch at Prestbury Park in mid-March.

“I thought we saw a lot of impressive performances yesterday – State Man was, El Fabiolo was and so was Ballyburn in the novice hurdle,” Henderson added.

“We’re going to have to take all of them on in five weeks’ time, we’re involved in all the races they’ll be going for, so we’ll just have to give it a go and probably take our medicine.”

Constitution Hill winning the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton
Constitution Hill winning the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton (John Walton/PA)

Constitution Hill has raced only once this season, winning his second Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day with his usual dominance.

A potential second outing in the Unibet (International) Hurdle at Cheltenham, won by the Mullins-trained Lossiemouth, was scuppered by an unsatisfactory scope and Henderson will now have to ensure he gets his charge back to concert pitch on the Lambourn gallops.

“He’s just starting his build up. We haven’t scoped him again recently, he’ll do that after he’s done a bit of faster work probably,” said the trainer.

“He’s fine, we’ve got five weeks to go and we know where we are.”

Henderson also provided an upbeat bulletin on Jonbon following his shock defeat in the rescheduled Clarence House Chase on Festival Trials day at Cheltenham.

He will almost certainly be second-favourite to defeat his old rival El Fabiolo in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase following the latter’s Dublin Chase romp.

“Jonbon is very well, he couldn’t be better,” Henderson added.

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