NICKY HENDERSON has welcomed two massively promising recruits worth a combined £630,000 to Seven Barrows – after poaching them both from the same trainer.
The two horses are unbeaten and have profiles to suggest they will be aimed at the biggest meetings this winter and early next year.
Henderson has been busy assembling his squad for the National Hunt season
One of the new arrivals is £340,000 Willmount, who has left Neil Mulholland’s Conkwell Lodge Stables in Bath.
A winner of his point to point in Ireland in February 2022, Willmount ran out a 13-length winner of a bumper at Doncaster in January this year.
He was then bought for the eye-watering sum at the Tatts Cheltenham sale just before the Festival by Mulholland.
The five-year-old’s final run was another bumper win at Doncaster in March – where he gave 22lb to the runner-up.
He was sent off 2-5 fav under Sam Twiston-Davies, who never had to get to work seriously in the closing stages.
Willmount is a son of Blue Bresil, the same sire of Constitution Hill, and is owned by Olly Harris.
The other horse owners have decided to send to Henderson’s yard is £290,000 Break My Soul.
Bought by Mulholland at the Cheltenham Festival sale in March, Break My Soul has run just once.
The four-year-old filly won a 3m point to point at Tinahaley in Ireland last February.
Break My Soul is by Doyen, who counts Grade 1-winning chaser Banbridge among his most successful progeny.
The duo add to the massive fleet at Seven Barrows – but really this season will all revolve around one runner in particular.
Constitution Hill, the unbeaten superstar of jumps racing, is back from his summer holidays and looking massive.
Connections have a big decision to make on his future.
The Supreme winner has dominated the hurdling division with ease and a move over fences could be on the cards.
It will all come down to whether or not he handles the bigger obstacles in a crucial schooling session in the coming weeks.
Constitution Hill is currently 11-4 fav for the Arkle, evens money fav to defend his Champion Hurdle crown, 14-1 for the Brown Advisory, 7-1 for the Turners’ Novices’ Chase, 20-1 for the Ryanair… and 33-1 for the Gold Cup.
Henderson, 72, was most recently top trainer at Cheltenham Festival in 2012 – the last time someone without the surname Mullins or Elliott won it.
Mulholland has seen two hugely promising youngsters leave his yard for Henderson
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