5 Nicky Henderson Horses With 2019 Cheltenham Festival Chances

Nicky Henderson is one of the biggest names in National Hunt horse racing. His Seven Barrows stable in Lambourn near Swindon is packed full of talented racehorses.

"Nicky Henderson" (CC BY 2.0) by danheap77

Many of those have big targets at the Cheltenham Festival, which will soon be upon us. Which Henderson-trained horses have major chances of winning at the four-day championship meeting held this year on March 12-15? Here, we take a look at five.

Buveur D'Air

As he's won the last two renewals of the Champion Hurdle, Buveur D'Air is obviously a leading contender to complete the hat-trick. The eight-year-old is one of several Henderson horses set to run at Cheltenham that are owned by JP McManus.

With proven course and distance form, Buveur D'Air is among the star names on show at the Cheltenham Festival 2019. Vying with him for favouritism is Ireland's top hurdler Apple's Jade and also prominent in the betting is fellow mare Laurina. They don't have wins in open company at the meeting over two miles like Buveur D'Air though, so he remains the one to beat.

Ok Corral

Later on Champion Hurdle day at Cheltenham is a very different challenge. Up-and-coming stayers over fences get their chance to prove their stamina by tackling the marathon four-mile National Hunt Chase. Only amateur jockeys are allowed to compete in this event for novice racehorses.

Ok Corral is a lightly-raced nine-year-old also owned by McManus and heads the betting for this endurance test. He is two from two over fences, winning under Irish amateur rider Derek O'Connor in Listed company at Warwick last time out. Ok Corral has major claims of making this step up to Grade 2 level on back hurdles form that includes when runner-up in the Albert Bartlett at the Festival last year.

Champ

Four-time hurdles winner Champ looks tailor-made for the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle on day two of the Cheltenham Festival. Named after great jockey Tony McCoy, the seven-year-old already has a Grade 1 victory under his belt after landing the Challow at Newbury when last in action.

Like Ok Corral, Champ is a warm favourite for his Cheltenham Festival target and one of a number of smart novices sporting the green and gold hooped McManus silks at the meeting. Irish raider Battleoverdoyen looks his main challenger in the Ballymore and their clash will certainly tell us who the top middle-distance hurdler in the British Isles is.

Altior

"Altior" (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Carine06

Henderson's best Cheltenham chance of the entire week has to be the awesome Altior. Unbeaten in all 17 of his career starts over hurdles and fences, he is already a three-time Festival winner after victories in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, Arkle Challenge Trophy and Queen Mother Champion Chase.

Altior is back to defend his Champion Chase crown this year and has been a class apart in the two-mile division. Opposition to the nine-year-old who has beaten all-comers could be sparse. He is odds-on to retain his title and on all known form the race looks entirely at his mercy.

Epatante

Five-year-old mare Epatante was a Grade 1 winner in a French National Hunt Flat race back in 2017. McManus certainly liked what he saw and purchased her, sending her to Henderson's yard. She's done nothing wrong in winning two subsequent hurdles starts at Kempton and Exeter.

You can question what Epatante has beaten, but the manner of those victories has been taking. She goes to Cheltenham for a crack at the Grade 2 Dawn Run Mares' Novices' Hurdle and, although all three previous runnings have gone to Irish trainer Willie Mullins, she's the market leader this year.