'That doesn't make him a banker in my book' - Nicky Henderson's Cheltenham views

Top trainer Nicky Henderson joined the Racing Post's What A Shout preview show on Friday before next week's Cheltenham Festival to discuss his powerful squad heading to Prestbury Park.

The likes of Shishkin, Jonbon, Constitution Hill and Champ are among the Seven Barrows trainer's leading contenders at the festival and he gives his take on their chances – plus others – for the big meeting.

Jonbon

The first race helps us – we are usually wary of plunging him in through the preliminaries. I mean, I expect everybody will say Jonbon will be sweaty and warm, he might get warm but that's him. I'd be surprised if he doesn't.

He wants a good end-to-end gallop. He'll stay – he could go to two and a half. Both owners have been on the two-mile line but both of them [Constitution Hill and Jonbon] could go if they wanted to. They are both chasers in the making and when that day comes you imagine one or both could move up half a mile.

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Constitution Hill

He's great. We were never going to run him again because there was little to be gained. I could have run him in something like the Betfair Hurdle but I didn't because he hadn't had three runs.

The only point would have been to get him experience of running in a big field because he has only had small fields and just bossed them.

All I could have found him was a two- or three-horse race, which is very nice if that is what you want but it won't achieve anything from his point of view. He went to Kempton the other day, was in great form and has done everything right. Fingers crossed, he's in great shape.

Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle: betting and entries

Shishkin

He's great, Nico [de Boinville] rode him this morning and he felt great.

Remember, this is round two [with Energumene]. There was only a length between them at Ascot, that doesn't make him a banker in my book but we will have a hell of a race. Throw Chacun Pour Soi in as well and we have a mighty test on our hands.

He's not the banker that Sprinter Sacre was and Altior was when they were bossing it. He really has got to prove himself come Wednesday.

He's well capable of it and is in great form. I think going left-handed will help him a little bit, otherwise we have to mind our own business, Willie [Mullins] will mind his and we'll see what happens.

He's tough, he's hard, he's a battler and he's very honest.

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Mister Coffey

He's got so much scope. We ran him at Kempton, he should have won that day but what we were not expecting was for him to jump, not violently left, but that far left. He threw the race away and it cost him more than he was beaten.

Then I wasn't sure where to go, so I ran him in the Scilly Isles, which was probably silly Henderson going right-handed again, and he jumped out to his left quite a bit.

We're going over three miles [at Cheltenham], which is what he wants and we are going the right way round. Sam Waley-Cohen will ride him.

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Champ

He's always been very good the first time out. When we went to Cheltenham for the Cleeve Hurdle, he sort of ran flat and I was worried a long way out.

He didn't look the same horse as he was at Ascot a long way from home, then got into the battle with Paisley Park and he did well to finish where he did.

We just tweaked a few things and, more than anything, want to freshen him and make him think it's his first run of the year.

We have only done one piece of work with him and he worked really well and we all came off the grounds thinking, 'Hello, we might just have got him back'.

If he's the Long Walk Hurdle horse he's got a great chance. If he's the Cleeve Hurdle horse, he's got no chance.

Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle: betting and entries

Listen to What A Shout for more top insight from Nicky Henderson

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