Nicky Henderson is celebrating his 75th birthday - here are his top ten horses of all time by Racing Post Ratings

Nicky Henderson is one of the greatest trainers of all time and has trained a number of superstars throughout his long career. Some even predate the introduction of Racing Post Ratings in 1988, such as his legendary three-time Champion Hurdle hero See You Then, but here, to commemorate his 75th birthday, we take a look at his top ten according to the numbers since Racing Post Ratings were launched. 

1. Sprinter Sacre - 190

Sprinter Sacre: Nicky Henderson's highest-rated horseCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Only the mighty Kauto Star (191) eclipses Sprinter Sacre's RPR of 190, but while Kauto Star broke the 190 barrier just the once (2009 King George), Sprinter Sacre did so twice.

It could be argued there's not a single 2m chaser in history who would have beaten Sprinter Sacre in 2013. He delivered a 19-length demolition of Sizing Europe in the Queen Mother Champion Chase followed by a four-and-a-half-length win over Cue Card, who had stormed to a wide-margin Ryanair win just weeks earlier, in the Melling Chase at Aintree, earning a 190 rating for both successes. He completed a spring festival treble with a less-impressive win at Punchestown where he recorded a rating of 179.

Sprinter Sacre never reached the same level again following an irregular heartbeat suffered in the 2013 Desert Orchid. That didn't prevent him from bouncing back to the top, finishing his career with an unbeaten season and victory in the Champion Chase, where he recorded an RPR of 176 in beating Un De Sceaux by three-and-a-half lengths in one of the greatest training feats of all time.

2. Altior - 183

Altior: recorded an RPR of 183 in the 2018 Champion ChaseCredit: Matt Cardy

Altior is perhaps remembered more for his remarkable consistency than his ability to record huge ratings, but his seven-length victory over Min in the 2018 Champion Chase earned him superstar status by breaking the 180 barrier with an RPR of 183.

The ten-time Grade 1 winner, who amassed a winning sequence of 19, recorded a rating of 180 three starts later when beating Diego Du Charmil by 19 lengths in the 2018 Desert Orchid.

Altior recorded an RPR of 160 on his first chase start and then never recorded an RPR lower than 167 in his next 17 starts, highlighting his amazing consistency.

3. Long Run - 181

Long Run (left) jumps alongside Denman (centre) and Kauto Star (right) in the 2011 Gold CupCredit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

The young pretender on the scene in a vintage staying chase division that included Kauto Star and Denman, Long Run made a huge statement of intent when running away with the rescheduled King George in January 2011, winning by 12 lengths from stablemate Riverside Theatre with 4-7 favourite Kauto Star 19 lengths back in third.

That earned him an RPR of 181 and he would go on to match that two months later when beating Denman by seven lengths in the Cheltenham Gold Cup with Kauto Star 11 lengths back in third.

Despite being an 11-year-old going on 12, Kauto Star would gain revenge the following season recording an eight-length win over Long Run in the 2011 Betfair Chase before winning the King George by a length and a half a month later. Despite defeat, Long Run matched his career-best RPR of 181 at Kempton as they had the 164-rated Arkle winner Captain Chris a massive 17 lengths back in third.

His RPR of 180 on his next start in the Game Spirit at Newbury would be the highest for the rest of Long Run's career, with his 174 for winning the 2012 King George his next best. 

=4. Shishkin - 179

Shishkin soars over Newbury's water jump on his way to winning the Denman ChaseCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Shishkin v Energumene in the 2022 Clarence House Chase was a match-up boxing promoters would dream of. Two unbeaten two-mile chasers at the peak of their powers, trained by arguably the two greatest trainers of all time, locking horns in a race for the ages.

Something had to give, and for much of the contest Shiskin, sent off the 5-6 favourite, looked to be in trouble as Energumene travelled and jumped the best of the pair. Shiskin was ridden vigorously after the penultimate fence and as they approached the last Energumene had a two-length advantage. 

However, Shiskin's turbo mode was about to be unleashed by Nico de Boinville and he picked up after the last and sauntered past his rival to record a career-best RPR of 179.

He pulled up in the Champion Chase on his next start, but recorded an RPR of 178 in the Ascot Chase on his next start. Twice more Shiskin would record RPRs in the 170s but ultimately he was never quite the same after his epic Ascot clash with Energumene.

=4. Bobs Worth - 179

Bobs Worth: en route to his Cheltenham Gold Cup triumphCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Few horses would have beaten the relentless Bobs Worth for stamina. A winner of the 2011 Albert Bartlett, Bobs Worth won the following year's RSA (now the Brown Advisory) before recording an RPR of 174 when winning the Hennessy Gold Cup (now Coral Gold Cup) at Newbury off an official rating of 160.

His biggest day in the sun would come three months later when beating Sir Des Champs by seven lengths in the Cheltenham Gold Cup to complete a hat-trick of festival successes and record an RPR of 179.

Bobs Worth struggled to regain that level of form again, despite recording 165 with a win in the following season's Lexus Chase (now Savills Chase) and fifth in the Gold Cup.

6. Constitution Hill - 177

Constitution Hill destroys the opposition in the 2023 Champion HurdleCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

The third best hurdler of all time on RPRs, behind only Istabraq (181) and Big Buck's (178), Constitution Hill's demolition of State Man in the 2023 Champion Hurdle was sublime.

The performance was the last of a four-race sequence of RPRs in the 170s, having recorded the best ever novice hurdle RPR of 174 in the previous season's Supreme.

Setbacks and jumping frailties have hindered Constitution Hill's career since and, while it remains to be seen whether we will see him over jumps again, few hurdlers have captured the imagination of racing fans in the history of the sport. 

7. Finian's Rainbow - 175

Finian's Rainbow and Barry Geraghty on their way to victory in the Champion ChaseCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Just twice did Finian's Rainbow record RPRs in the 170s and they came in back-to-back races in 2012, in the Champion Chase at Cheltenham and the Melling Chase at Aintree.

Sent off the 4-1 second favourite behind the red-hot Irish banker Sizing Europe in the Champion Chase, Finian's Rainbow found more under pressure to run out a length-and-a-quarter winner when the pair made contact after bypassing the second-last fence to record an RPR of 175.

He would back that up at Aintree a month later, winning the Melling Chase by seven lengths to record an RPR of 172. Amazingly, that would be the last time Finian's Rainbow would be in the winner's enclosure.

= 8. Might Bite - 173

Might Bite was enigmatic, but brilliant on his dayCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Might Bite couldn't have been more appropriately named. You just had no idea what to expect.

It's fair to say that Nicky Henderson will have earned his training fees with the enigmatic son of Scorpion, and Nico de Boinville earned his riding fee in the 2017 RSA (now Brown Advisory).

Sent off the 7-2 favourite, the free-going Might Bite was in the process of demolishing the field and was 12 lengths clear approaching the final fence. He made a mistake and started to idle badly, veering to the right almost off the course.

Remarkably, De Boinville got him going again, but Whisper had come through to take it up. Even more remarkably, Might Bite got up on the line to win by a nose in one of the most incredible finishes to a race in Cheltenham Festival history.

That earned him an RPR of 173, a rating he would record on two more occasions when beaten by Native River in a titanic 2018 Gold Cup battle, and in his 2018 Bowl win at Aintree. He earned an RPR of 169 for winning the King George earlier that season.

=8. Jonbon

Jonbon and Nico de Boinville jump the last fence to win the Melling ChaseCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

While Might Bite was unpredictable, Jonbon is very much dependable. Never outside the top two in 25 starts to date, Jonbon is a mark of consistency.

He's twice recorded an RPR of 173, in his six-and-a-half-length win over Energumene in the 2025 Clarence House Chase, and in the Melling Chase three months later.

He recorded an RPR of 170 when beaten by Il Etait Temps on his most recent start, so it is not unreasonable to think he will eclipse 173 as a nine-year-old. But that is surely likely to come if stepped up in trip.

=10. Remittance Man - 172

=10. Binocular - 172

=10. Punchestowns - 172

=10. Riverside Theatre - 172

Read more like this: 

'We're not going to beat Il Etait Temps over two miles at the moment' - Nicky Henderson pondering step up in trip for Jonbon 

The best thing Nicky Henderson can do for Constitution Hill right now? Stop talking about him 

How Nicky Henderson tricked the press and kept the 'savage' See You Then sweet to triumph in three Champion Hurdles 

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