Nicky Henderson unleashed a brilliant team on Prestbury Park in 2012, setting a new record for wins at a single Cheltenham Festival when saddling seven winners, including five Grade 1 victories.
Having scared away most of the opposition heading into the race, it was the great Sprinter Sacre who got the ball rolling for Henderson. With five rivals to account for, he landed the Arkle by seven lengths from another horse who would go on to become a real favourite amongst the racing community, the Colin Tizzard-trained Cue Card. Between the pair, they'd go on to claim 18 victories at Grade 1 level!
WATCH: Sprinter Sacre wins the 2012 Arkle from Cue Card
On to day two now, and what a day this would turn out to be for the Seven Barrows handler, who struck four times on the card to take a real grip of the leading trainers' title. Up first, Simonsig, a future winner of the Arkle himself, landed the first Grade 1 of his career, having been sent off the 2/1 favourite. The team at Timeform we're certainly taken by his performance that day, with their race report reading "he really couldn't have been more impressive here, achieving a level of form above the average Neptune winner".
WATCH: Simonsig wins the Neptune Novices' Hurdle
🐴 Simonsig 🐴
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) January 23, 2021
The 2/1 favourite gave Nicky Henderson a then record 41st Festival success when landing the Neptune (now Ballymore) in 2012. A year later the brilliant grey won the Arkle.#CheltenhamFestival #52DaysToGo #GreatFestivalMoments @BarryJGeraghty @sevenbarrows pic.twitter.com/9PLk3JWuvl
35 minutes later, and Nicky Henderson had another star well on his way to Cheltenham glory. This time it was Bobs Worth's turn. Having won the Albert Bartlett at the previous year's Festival, he went on to land the RSA by a distance of 2 1/2 lengths from First Lieutenant making it three on the week for Barry Geraghty also. He'd return to Prestbury Park 12 months later to strike Gold in the big one.
WATCH: Bobs Worth wins the RSA Chase
A fourth Grade 1 of the week quickly followed, coming in the very next race as Finian's Rainbow posted a lovely round of jumping to account for 2011 Champion Chase winner Sizing Europe. Continuing Henderson's dominance, he landed the 2012 Champion Chase by just over a length, seeing the race out well to add another coveted trophy to an already gleaming haul.
WATCH: Finian's Rainbow wins the 2012 Champion Chase
Farewell, old friend.
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) March 25, 2021
Champion Chase winner Finian's Rainbow has passed from colic at the age of 18. He was based in Kentucky with @ctmurphy28, who rode out 'Fin' every day at @sevenbarrows ❤️ pic.twitter.com/yIZQPZxQg1
Win number four on that remarkable Wednesday came when Une Artiste beat the boys to take the Fred Winter, doing the business at 40/1. Certainly a nice result for those who got stuck into the Henderson multiples that day, though I suspect many may have overlooked her chances given her price!
Another day at the Festival, and another big race landed by that year's dream team; Henderson and Geraghty. Sent off the 7/2 favourite, Riverside Theatre bagged his third victory at the highest level when taking the Ryanair Chase, edging out Albertas Run to bring up a sixth success at the Festival for his handler.
WATCH: Riverside Theatre wins the Ryanair Chase
On to the final day of the Festival, and to the final race of the week, in fact. A seventh - and at the time, historic - success would come when Bellvano, one of six runners in the race for Henderson, won the Grand Annual. In the famous JP McManus silks, which had been carried to success in the Gold Cup just under a couple of hours earlier by Synchronised, Paul Carberry steered Bellvano to Cheltenham glory on his handicap chase debut, as the pair took the prize at 20/1 from stablemate Tanks For That, to make Cheltenham Festival history.
WATCH: Bellvano wins the Grand Annual
Bellvano - Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase 2012 👌🏽 pic.twitter.com/ikhQRMoOMG
— Racing Tales (@Racing_Tales) March 22, 2020
More Festival Flashbacks
- Watch Tiger Roll's five Cheltenham Festival victories
- Watch Desert Orchid win the 1989 Cheltenham Gold Cup
- Watch Sir Tony McCoy's Cheltenham Festival Gold Cup victories
- Watch Quevega's super six Cheltenham Festival victories
- Watch Ruby Walsh's 500/1 Cheltenham Festival 7-timer
- Watch Dawn Run's historic Cheltenham double
- Watch Sprinter Sacre regain his crown
- Watch Rachael Blackmore's stunning six in 2021
- Watch Nicky Henderson's Magnificent Seven
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