Nicky Henderson looked at the photograph and the memories of 40 years came flooding back to him.
It was the day that a dashing young amateur rode Acquaint to win the Imperial Cup at Sandown Park.
The analysis in the Sporting Life stated that Acquaint had been “held up” in the early part of the race. But that is not quite how Henderson recalled flying down the back straight as Hardy Turk, ridden by Ian Watkinson, set the pace.
“Oh, I was riding a proper waiting race,” he said with a laugh that pointed out this was not entirely tactical genius. “It was a ferocious gallop – even the commentator down the back straight said: ‘they’re going flat out’.”
On the run to the final flight Acquaint was still only fourth, but picking off the leaders up the punishing final climb to hit the line in a photo-finish with Hardy Turk.
“I wasn’t sure I’d won and I was listening for the judge to call the winner,” Henderson said. “It was great to win for Fred [Winter] and Acquaint was bred and part-owned by my father. They were happy days and Fred was very good to put up with an amateur like me.”
Winter, a champion as both a jockey and a trainer, was a formidable man who did not hand out plaudits easily. “Well, he couldn’t give me a bollocking – although I got my share of them,” Henderson said as he recalled his victory on Happy Warrior in the Fox Hunters' Chase at Aintree a few weeks later and Winter’s post-race comment. “He said: ‘Why did you let that horse get up your inside going to the second-last?’
Well, the saddle had slipped round so I was in a bit of trouble.”
Henderson will be checking the saddle before Fixe Le Kap runs in this year’s Matchbook Imperial Cup and for a host of runners at next week’s Cheltenham Festival, led by Altior in the Racing Post Arkle Trophy, the horse who is already being compared to Henderson’s stable star Sprinter Sacre.
“If this goes well he’s completed the first half of his chasing career,” Henderson said. “The one thing I would say is that Sprinter wouldn’t have won a Champion Hurdle. This horse could.”
Altior was not given the chance to win the Stan James Champion Hurdle but Henderson will run three - Buveur D'Air, Brain Power and twice runner-up My Tent Or Yours - in a renewal which has been shorn of the two previous winners.
“The door is wide-open for somebody to step in,” Henderson said.
“Whether it’s the older brigade – there’s The New One and My Tent whose been second in it twice and he’s in great form – or one of the younger ones. Buveur D'Air, we were chasing and we switched him back to hurdles.
He was behind Altior [when third] in the Supreme but he beat Petit Mouchoir at Aintree and that was on reasonably good ground.
“It’s difficult to equate Brain Power because he’s gone through the handicap ranks without stopping along the way to take in a conditions race.
“I think the whole thing hinges very much on the going. If it was good ground Brain Power would love it, if it’s softer Buveur D'Air would have the advantage and My Tent sits in the middle.”
But which one would that dashing young amateur prefer to ride? “Well, Brain Power’s built to me these days,” he said with a laugh. “But I’d pick Buveur D’air because he’s an easier ride.”
Henderson would settle for any of them winning, even in a photo-finish.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here