Awwwwww, bless. I love the way that he has provided a link to the story! Clearly believing that the membership on here are too dense to either know about or remember the farce surrounding the Moonlit Path incident. As I’ve stated many, many, many, and I do mean many, many, many, times Mr Henderson was one of a large number of trainers using tranexamic in the way detailed in the article, at the time of the Moonlit Path incident yet was seemingly castigated for this by so many whilst all the rest emerged unscathed. The fact that he was the ‘scapegoat’ for the whole industry was Wrong with a capital ‘W’. Up to this point Mr Henderson’s reputation was beyond compare and it is testament to the man that since 2009 he has once again emerged as the most popular figure on our racecourses with the most honest of reputations to boot. Instead of putting the boot in over an incident in which Mr Henderson was little more than a minor player (and ‘took one for the team’ people should instead concentrate on all his wonderful achievements rather than one unfortunate incident. But it is a sad reflection on modern times that some people opt to highlight the adverse rather than the brilliant.
Barney - are you Mr Hendersons best pal or something? Whilst undoubtedly a top quality trainer I only have to say the word ' Binocular' which sums up the way a lot of people feel. Who can forget that complete farce? Definitely not one to be trusted unlike Mr Nicholls who is much more open with his views re performance of his horses..
Captain, Binocular falls into exactly the same category as the above. People looking to critise Mr Henderson when instead they should be extolling his virtues from the rooftops for pulling off one of the greatest training performances of our age. Towards the end of Feb 2010 the great horse was a shadow of his former self and had lapsed into a poor state with many wishing to bring a premature end to his season. However, as a result of Mr Henderson’s ‘magic hands’ and the fierce determination of his trainer he nursed the old boy back to full health and we subsequently witnessed, at Chletenham, one of the very best hurdling performances of the current millennium. This was nothing short of brilliant from Mr Henderson. I do agree about Mr Nicholls. A great trainer and very open and generous with his opinions.
No need to be so condescending Barney. I only added the link because I am in the middle of dissertation season and therefore I am trained up to provide sources/evidence for every point I state.
I can see why people cite Paul Nicholls as something of a bad loser and feel that perhaps he can be a little pig headed for his own good. I think he's probably wears his heart on his sleeve a bit much and there are a few instances he hasn't helped himself. I actually think he's just a pretty decent bloke but at times he is ungracious and the whole Kauto Star leaving the stable in the manner he did was something I'm sure he isn't proud of. Another thing I noticed, and you'd have to be pretty eagle eyed to have noticed it, but when Kauto Star beat Long Run in that epic 2011 Betfair Chase when Kauto Star returned to the winners enclosure you'll notice that a certain Mr Henderson comes over to offer his congratulations and Paul Nicholls basically shunned his congratulations and brushed him off! Don't know if this was publicised or that but he definitely ignored him and it did come across as a bit petulant from Nicholls really. Also remember his 'that's blown Nicky Henderson out of the water' remark in the aftermath of last years Grand National?! No love lost there I suspect certainly from Nicholls...As for Nicholls being the punters pal I don't know about that one: Sam Winner best handicapped horse at Cheltenham, every charity bet he gives on the morning line seems to be beaten etc etc Nicky Henderson is a trainer I actually have time for, I'd like to share a pint with him as he's fairly jovial and not as highly strung as Nicholls comes across. Willie Mullins is a lovely grounded fella, but I'm not sure he's a punters pal in a similar vein to Mr Nicholls! Sir Henry Cecil and John Gosden on the flat are both gentlemen who come across with grace and dignity. I don't believe a word comes out of Mr Coolmore himself Aidan O'Brien I'm afraid. The whole operation is something I'm not a fan of and runs on obsessive greed. A business is a business to make money yes, but I suspect they'd be happy to monopolise Flat racing to the detriment of the small man, but I don't care much for Flat racing anyway and they are another example why! Protecting stud values and all that nonsense rather than competing for sport, no thanks!
beef i remember thinking the same thing after the national thinking nicholls was rather arrogant when hendo went to congratulate him and he blanked him.i read recently that they are both friends but i think they secretly despuse each other!i actually backed sam winner after nicholls kept saying it was the handicapp good thing of the week.mr henderson for me all day
Another example of Nicholls making a fool out of himself, was when Henderson sent out 7 horses 1 Monday afternoon and all 7 won, a remarkable training performance. A reporter asked Nicholls what he thought of the feat, and Nicholls replied with something along the lines of 'it doesn't matter what you do on a Monday, what you do on Saturday is what's important'. I found that remark very childish, and unsportsmanlike. This was at a time when Nicholls pretty much had the trainers title in the bag every season, with Henderson struggling to keep up, so it's quite fitting that Henderson is going to be the one to knock him off his high horse
Regulars on this forum know i'm no fan of Nicky henderson but i'll leave it at that. I also donlt like prescott - proper handicapping cheat - and have no real time for mick Easterby euither. Favourites would be Mark Johnstone, John Oxx and Henry de Bromhead.
I’ve always thought that there is huge mutual respect between Mr Nicholls and Mr Henderson. The one that the former really, really, really doesn’t like is, of course, Daddy Martin. The animosity between them is so great that Daddy Martin even tried to upstage Mr Nicholls on the day that he was first crowned ‘Champion Trainer’ by using the occasion to announce his retirement!
Certainly agree on John Oxx, Dan. Fine trainer and as straight as they come. His training of Sea The Stars was, for my money, one of the all-time training feats in the history of thoroughbred horseracing. What pleased me most about Sea The Stars (and I am being mean, must admit) was how the horse sunk this forum's self-proclaimed 'expert', one SupremeArkle, without trace. He had to emigrate to The Sun, where, I understand, to his credit. he is doing quite well in this strange Rupertland.
All about opinions Barney and despite your frequent words of wisdom on here, Im afraid I will have to disagree with you on this one.. Binocular was a non runner and advertised as having muscle problems.. Within the space of a month Mr Henderson brought him back to win the Champion Hurdle at an inflated price and to me it still goes down as one of the Scandals of the century in horse racing! Lets not forget he traded on betfair at 999-1 for which some got on and sorry I smell a rat springs to mind !It was truly shocking stuff and nothing will change my view on that one. So cant trust Henderson when it comes to his views...
