How the Queen has convinced Nicky Henderson he has plenty of life left in him

Nicky Henderson has insisted he has plenty more Cheltenham Festival winners left in him, a belief that was bolstered by a recent conversation with the Queen.

The veteran trainer was talking to the Racing Post for a major interview in Sunday's newspaper, in which he addressed criticism of his Cheltenham Festival obsession and looked forward to those four magical days at Prestbury Park, reflecting on the result that could be an "absolute disaster" for him.

Even at the age of 71 and already the oldest champion jumps trainer in British racing history, Henderson is already planning years ahead.

"How can I talk about age when two weekends ago I was chatting to the Queen about one of the jumps mares that had just had a really nice foal?" he said.

"Her Majesty's talking about five years from now, so I've got to be talking about five years from now. She's still passionate about it and I am as well."

Nicky Henderson: 'Her Majesty's talking about five years from now, so I've got to be talking about five years from now'Credit: Edward Whitaker

He added: "I've got a few wobbly bits now and my eyesight's not great, which is a worry because it will deteriorate unless somebody finds a cure, which they won't, but they're doing everything they can to stabilise it.

"It's not a problem for doing the job on a daily basis. I can see everything on the gallops with binoculars and I can see a lame horse in the covered ride or in its box, no problem."

A five-day Cheltenham Festival? Nicky Henderson 'can't see a reason why not'

Henderson has adopted a golfing strategy to keep himself on his toes, explaining: "They say it's a thing in golf to go round in your age, so if you're 66 you want to go round in 66, and when you're 90 you should go round in 90.

"I'm 71 and I've had 70 winners at Cheltenham, so I need one winner this year to keep up with the system, but what I'd really like to do is have a few more and get some in the bank. Perhaps 80 winners at 80 is a bit optimistic, but I'm not done yet."

Read more from Nicky Henderson in The Big Read, available online for Members' Club Ultimate subscribers from 6pm on Saturday or in Sunday's Racing Post newspaper. Click here to sign up.

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