The Nicky Henderson stable have recorded 64 Cheltenham Festival winners over the years and the Seven Barrows handler, made an OBE in the New Year’s Honours List, has ended up as leading trainer on nine occasions since 1980.
Cheltenham Festival Betting at Coral
Henderson confident his big guns will fire at The Festival
There will be a big team heading from Lambourn to Prestbury Park in the days ahead and the yard will be looking to collect some sizeable prize money in a bid to recapture the UK trainers’ title from Paul Nicholls but they will be aware that they face stiff opposition from the crack Irish yards of Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott.
Mullins and Elliott will be going head-to-head again
Mullins and Elliott finished 1-2 in the trainers’ championship in Ireland last season after an epic duel. Initial entries suggest both will have even more runners at Cheltenham next week than Henderson.
The former numbers multi-millionaire Rich Ricci among his owners while the latter is backed by the powerful Gigginstown operation owned by Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary.
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All of the ‘Big Three’ have strong fancies in most of the big races at the 2020 Cheltenham Festival and that means the betting for this year’s Leading Trainer is a bit closer than it has been in recent years.
Willie Mullins had four winners last year and several placed horses and that was enough to give him the top trainers’ title. He also passed Henderson as the most successful trainer of all time at The Festival. But Elliott, who trains in County Meath, has been matching the master of Muine Bheag blow-for-blow in Ireland for a while and also has multiple entries in the handicaps this year. It could be the record of the ‘Big Three’ in less valuable races that is the deciding factor again this year.
It really does look close too close to call with less Cheltenham ‘bankers’ than in normal years.
Nicky Henderson must represent the value at 5/1 with Coral with Willie Mullins only a best Evens with Betvictor. Elliott is a best 3/1 with Bet365.
Cheltenham Festival 2020 Leading Trainer Best Odds
Willie Mullins Evens
Gordon Elliott 3/1
Nicky Henderson 5/1
Henry De Bromhead 14/1
Joseph O’Brien 33/1
Philip Hobbs, Colin Tizzard and Paul Nicholls 50/1
Kim Bailey, Dan Skelton and Nigel Twiston-Davies 100/1
(Odds correct at 17.00 GMT March 6)
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