Champion Trainer - Champion Syndicate!
SURREY RACING AND THE GREAT NICKY HENDERSON
Surrey Horse Racing Syndicate is currently associated with two National Hunt horses and five flat horses with different trainers. They have created an opportunity to experience a great day out, with the chance of a big race winner. In addition, you can be part of a unique occasion rather than just being an observer and they have no more than 12 people per Syndicate. This opportunity with the National Hunt horses is enhanced, as the two horses are trained by Nicky Henderson, who on the one hand is probably the most loved, trusted, and successful of all trainer’s in Britain, but even more importantly his record shows that he has trained over 3,000 winners at Seven Barrows since starting as a trainer in 1978; he is 6 times champion trainer; and the most successful British trainer at the Cheltenham Festival with 68 winners. This means you are starting with the best and what more can you ask for when you want to buy a race horse with a potential syndicate!
NICKY HENDERSON CHAMPION TRAINER
Nicky Henderson started off with the legendary Fred Winter in 1978, where he became Assistant Trainer and his amateur jockey. One of the first pieces of advice he received was “Whatever you do, don’t start doing anything different just for the sake of it”. When he started training, he used the best of jockeys, most recently the likes of Mick Fitzgerald, Barry Geraghty, and now Nico de Boinville, who have saved many punters a fortune. We live in an era of great trainers like Henderson & Paul Nichols in Britain, in addition to Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott in Ireland. In spite of the opposition, he stands out as the only trainer to win the five major races at the Cheltenham Festival – Gold Cup (2 wins), Champion Hurdle (8 wins), Queen Mother Chase (6 wins), Stayers Hurdle (2 wins), and Supreme Novice Hurdle (4 wins), which none of the other trainers can match.
Horses like Arkle, Red Rum, Best Mate etc were not just great champions, but became part of racing people’s life over a number of years (letters with “Arkle, Ireland” on them reached the Dreaper stable in the 1960’s because the horse was so well-known). Nicky Henderson trained a number of champions, who became part of racing people’s life on the track and on TV. They included See You Then the three times Champion Hurdler (1985-87); Sprinter Sacre the dual Champion Chase winner (2013 and 2016); Bobs Worth who won three years in a row at Cheltenham in the Spa Hurdle (2011), RSA Chase (2012), and Gold Cup (2013); Long Run winner of the Gold Cup 2011 and King George VI Chase in 2010 and 2012; and Altior the Champion Chase winner in 2018 and 2019. He even had a winner at Royal Ascot and Glorious Goodwood. I could list more winners but the important point is the level and quality of his winners. His brilliant treatment of See You Then, who had badly conformed legs and made infrequent appearances, was extraordinary. Before one Champion Hurdle, he personally harrowed the all -weather strip during the night, because of freezing weather, so the horse could get a work out. As the measure of the man, he said that with the older horses you knew them so well that they could tell you if anything was wrong, as they could nearly talk! This year he, deservedly, received an OBE in the 2020 New Year Honours for service to horse racing.
The two National Hunt horses trained by Nicky Henderson for the Surrey Racing Syndicate have quality in breeding and in the case of Gran Luna on the track. Gran Luna is by Spanish Moon, who has a fantastic record with National Hunt horses, with a 65% win-rate. In two races Gran Luna has shown natural ability, with a ½ length success in a bumper at Newbury in February 2020, when 7/2, ridden by Nico de Boinville and went on to win over hurdles at Newbury in November, with a clever ¾ length win, when 4/1F. This unbeaten filly could be aimed for the Mares Novice Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March and is liked by Nicky Henderson. Surrey Quest has not yet raced but is beautifully bred by St Leger winner Milan, who was also second in the Breeder’s Cup Turf to Fantastic Light. He is a favourite sire of Nicky Henderson, who has Santini the runner up in the Gold Cup last year by the same sire and Gold Cup 4th Monalee is also by Milan. It’s quite possible that Milan will sire this year’s Gold Cup winner. Surrey Quest will be one to watch, when he gets on the track. As Nicky Henderson says “all horses have a target from the best ones to the other horses who have lesser targets, from newcomers over hurdles to those going chasing“.
Contact 0203 870 7300 / office@surreyracing.co.uk