Une Artiste Rocks Up in Fred Winter for Henderson

1 Une Artiste 40/1
2 Edeymi 11/1
3 Vendor 3/1 Fav
4 Kazlian 7/1
24 ran Distances: 1¾l, ½l, 1¼l
TIME 3m 53.84s (slow by 2.84s)

Nicky Henderson continued his spectacular afternoon as Une Artiste gave him his fourth winner in the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham.

The Simon Munir-owned mare took Henderson’s tally this week to five and his overall record at the meeting to 44 victories. The four-timer paid a sparkling 3,381.5/1.

Victory in this race was especially sweet for the Lambourn-based Henderson, for it commemorates the great jockey and trainer Fred Winter, to whom Henderson was an assistant before branching out on his own.

In the winner’s enclosure, Henderson revealed that he was wearing a suit owned by his late father Johnny. He had suspected today would be a good one for the yard, so wore the suit as a mark of respect for a man who he said “had been instrumental in the success of Cheltenham”. Johnny Henderson, who died in 2005, helped save Cheltenham Racecourse when a member of the Jockey Club in 1963. Together with other members of the Jockey Club, he raised £240,000 to purchase the course and established Racecourse Holdings Trust to run it. RHT, now Jockey Club Racecourses, has 14 racecourses today.

Nicky Henderson said: “It’s been one of those days - we’ll probably wake up and find it’s been a good dream. We’ve had a lot of great days, but Cheltenham comes round once a year and to everyone here it’s the best four days of the year. It doesn’t get any better and it’s lovely to win the Fred Winter, who was friend, boss, mentor and tutor.

“Dad and Fred Winter were the two most influential people in my life.”

Simon Munir had suffered disappointment when his Grandouet was ruled out of the Festival four weeks ago through injury, but this win was some consolation. He said: “Racing is a great leveller. We were in two minds about running this mare because she was quite disappointing when she ran in the Adonis Hurdle [at Kempton]. We decided to give her a chance and look what happened.

“This takes me back to Soldatino’s win in the Triumph Hurdle two years ago, but when your expectations are low the upside is massive. I didn’t have a penny on her.”

Jeremiah McGrath rode Une Artiste to victory up Cheltenham’s famous hill and added yet another win to the remarkable haul of Nicky Henderson’s Seven Barrows stable which celebrated its fifth win of the 2012 Festival and fourth of the day.

The delighted 21-year-old conditional jockey said: “That was my first Festival winner and the last day I was here at Cheltenham was back in December when I took a really bad fall on my birthday. This has definitely made up for it. It’s unbelievable.

“I’d like to thank [owner] Mr Munir and Mr Henderson. We’ve had a fantastic day. There’s an awful lot of work that goes on behind the scenes and it’s paid off for everybody back at the yard. It’s absolutely brilliant.

“Believe it or not there was less pressure on me after the three winners earlier. He’ll probably kill me for saying this but the boss is in great form so anything I could do was a bonus.”

Paying tribute to his winning mount, he added: “She’s a tough little filly. She hasn’t been in the yard for long and I rode her for the first time at Haydock when she won on heavy ground. That’s the doubt I had in my mind, whether she’d like the better ground, but she scooted up the hill and I knew I was getting there. She absolutely winged the last and she won going away. For a juvenile she jumped very well and galloped right to the line. She did it easily.”

Position	Horse Trainer	Jockey Weight	Starting Price Beaten Distance
1	Une Artiste N J Henderson	Jeremiah McGrath 10st 13lbs	40 - 1 Winner
2	Edeymi A J Martin	D N Russell 11st 7lbs	11 - 1 1 3/4 length
3	Vendor A King	R Thornton 11st 1lbs	3 - 1 1/2 length
4	Kazlian D Pipe	T Scudamore 11st 2lbs	7 - 1 1 1/4 length
5	Arnaud C Byrnes	P T Enright 11st 4lbs	50 - 1 1 1/2 length
6	Chill D T Hughes	Bryan J Cooper 10st 11lbs	25 - 1 5 lengths
7	Jackies Solitaire A J Honeyball	Rachael Green 10st 11lbs	16 - 1 1/2 length
8	Bat Masterson N Meade	Maurice Linehan 11st 4lbs	25 - 1 2 1/4 lengths
9	Argocat T J Taaffe	B Hayes 11st 8lbs	16 - 1 Short Head
10	High Samana J W Mullins	A Thornton 10st 13lbs	66 - 1 2 1/4 lengths
11	Kapga De Cerisy Miss V Williams	Aidan Coleman 11st 6lbs	25 - 1 1/2 length
12	Ulck Du Lin P F Nicholls	D A Jacob 11st 2lbs	12 - 1 2 1/4 lengths
13	Lemon Drop Red P R Webber	D Elsworth 10st 11lbs	25 - 1 1/2 length
14	Royal Bonsai J J Quinn	D C Costello 10st 12lbs	14 - 1 1 length
15	Ardlui A King	W Hutchinson 10st 13lbs	16 - 1 4 1/2 lengths
16	Dark And Dangerous B G Powell	Brendan Powell 11st 0lbs	20 - 1 3 3/4 lengths
17	One Cool Shabra P O Brady	G N Fox 11st 10lbs	66 - 1 3 lengths
18	Blue Cannon N Meade	P Carberry 11st 1lbs	100 - 1 10 lengths
19	Gorgeous Sixty W P Mullins	R Walsh 11st 0lbs	8 - 1 6 lengths
20	Sportsmaster E J O'Grady	A P McCoy 11st 8lbs	16 - 1 2 3/4 lengths
21	Colebrooke Mrs P Robeson	J E Moore 11st 4lbs	100 - 1 3/4 length
22	Kie D McCain Jnr	J M Maguire 11st 5lbs	33 - 1 13 lengths
23	Moujik Borget Miss V Williams	S Thomas 11st 4lbs	40 - 1 15 lengths

YOU CAN’T FIGHT FIRE

Tony Martin, trainer of runner-up Edeymi, said:

“He’s run a blinder, just met a better one on the day. Unfortunately, Nicky Henderson [trainer of the winner Une Artiste] is on fire. I thought he might have gone to the bar and stopped after three. I’d have bought him a case of champagne to keep him there.”

Alan King, trainer of third-place Vendor, the 3/1 favourite, said:

“He’s still a baby, still learning. I don’t think he’s ever been crowded in a pack like that and you could see him just looking a bit timid for a stride or too, although he finished the race off well. Ideally, I probably would have liked to give him another race after Newbury, just to get the experience into him, but the handicapper would have had a say.

“It’s always a bit disappointing when a favourite you really fancy gets beaten. But he’s a bloody nice horse for the future, one for the long term. And there are far worse things to worry about.”

THE FRED WINTER JUVENILE HANDICAP HURDLE
Class 1, Grade 3, £60,000 Total Prize Fund. Cheltenham, 4.40pm, Wednesday, March 14, 2012, two miles and half a furlong. For juvenile four-year olds only. Penalties: after February 26, 2012, a winner of a hurdle race 5lb. No penalty to increase a horse’s weight above 11st 10lb. Entries closed February 21 (81 entries), entries released February 23, weights revealed February 29. Six-day confirmation stage March 8 (57 remained), final declaration stage 10.00am, March 13 (24 runners). Form figures supplied by Weatherbys and are correct up and including the racing of Sunday, February 26, 2012. May not include some overseas form.

2011-WINNER-WHAT A CHARM 4-10-06 Owner-Chris Jones; Trainer-Arthur Moore IRE; Jockey-Paul Townend; SP-9/1
2ND-Kumbeshwar 4-11-10 Owner-McNeill Family & Nigel Bunter; Trainer-Alan King; Jockey-Charlie Huxley; SP-33/1
3RD-Dhaafer 4-10-10 Owner-Simon Munir; Trainer-Alan King; Jockey-Robert Thornton; SP-16/1
4TH-Plan A 4-11-08 Owner-Liam Mulryan; Trainer-Gordon Elliot IRE; Jockey-Paul Carberry; SP-4/1Fav
23 ran, Time-3m 58.50s; Dist- neck, 4½ , 1¾

2010-WINNER-SANCTUAIRE 4-11-02 Owner-Jared Sullivan; Trainer-Paul Nicholls; Jockey-Ruby Walsh; SP-4/1 Fav
2ND-Notus De La Tour 4-11-09 Owner-Racing For Change; Trainer-David Pipe; Jockey-Johnny Farrelly; SP-13/2
3RD-Orsippus 4-11-00 Owner-Sandra Smith; Trainer-Michael Smith; Jockey-Davy Condon; SP-33/1
4TH-Son Amix 4-11-02 Owner-Whitechurch Stud Syndicate; Trainer-Tom Cooper IRE; Jockey-Bryan Cooper; SP-14/1 24 ran, Time-3m 55.63s; Dist-9, 1½ , 3

2009-WINNER-SILK AFFAIR 4-10-04 Owner-Liam Mulryan & Michael Fahy; Trainer-Mick Quinlan; Jockey-Tom O’Brien; SP-11/1
2ND-Ski Sunday 4-11-01 Owner-Scarlet Pimpernel; Trainer-Tim Vaughan; Jockey-Seamus Durack; SP-20/1
3RD-Saticon 4-11-01 Owner-S M Smith & Paul Duffen; Trainer-Alan King; Jockey-Wayne Hutchinson; SP-20/1
4TH-Alexander Severus 4-10-13 Owner-Patrick Wilmot; Trainer-Edward O’Grady IRE; Jockey-Andrew McNamara; SP-5/2 Fav 22 ran, Time-4m 5.06s; Dist-3, ¾, 1¾

2008-WINNER-CRACK AWAY JACK 4-11-10 Owner-GDM Partnership; Trainer-Emma Lavelle; Jockey-Paul Carberry; SP-14/1
2ND-Ashkazar 4-11-12 Owner-David Johnson; Trainer-David Pipe; Jockey-Timmy Murphy; SP-15/8 Fav
3RD-Grand Schlem 4-11-04 Owner-Mme M Destremau; Trainer-Francois Doumen FR; Jockey-Christophe Pieux; SP-12/1
4TH-Indian Spring 4-11-07 Owner-Noel Murphy; Trainer-Edward O’Grady IRE; Jockey-Andrew McNamara; SP-66/1 22 ran, Time-4m 13.5s; Dist-2½, 5, 14

2007-WINNER-GASPARA 4-10-11 Owner-Martin Pipe; Trainer-David Pipe; Jockey-Andrew Glassonbury; SP-9/2 Joint Fav
2ND-Altilhar 4-10-08 Owner-H R Hunt; Trainer-Gary Moore; Jockey-Noel Fehily; SP-12/1
3RD-Laustra Bad 4-11-00 Owner-Sarah Ling; Trainer-David Pipe; Jockey-Tom Scudamore; SP-16/1
4TH-Zilcash 4-11-07 Owner-David Bellamy & Stephen Williams; Trainer-Alan King; Jockey-Gerard Tumelty; SP-50/1
24 ran, Time-3m 57.75s, Dist-5, nk, 3 9/2 Joint Fav Pouvoir (10th)

2006-WINNER-SHAMAYOUN 4-11-03 Owner-Ronald Brimacombe; Trainer-Charles Egerton; Jockey-Paddy Brennan; SP-40/1
2ND-Artist’s Muse 4-10-13 Owner-Seamus Ross; Trainer-Ted Walsh IRE; Jockey-Ruby Walsh; SP-12/1
3RD-Patman du Charmil 4-11-03 Owner-Raymond Mould; Trainer-Nigel Twiston-Davies; Jockey-Carl Llewellyn; SP-40/1
4TH-Gardasse 4-11-03 Owner-A S Helaissi; Trainer-Tom Tate; Jockey-Jason Maguire; SP-33/1
24 ran, Time-3m 57.20s, Dist-2.5, 2.5, 2.5 9/2 Fav Royals Darling (15th)

2005-WINNER-DABIROUN 4-11-04 Owner-Donal O’Gorman; Trainer-Paul Nolan IRE; Jockey-Miss Nina Carberry; SP-20/1
2ND-At Your Request 4-11-03 Owner-Cockbury Court Partnership; Trainer-Ian Williams; Jockey-David Dennis; SP-33/1
3RD-Nation State 4-11-04 Owner-J D Brownrigg; Trainer-Gary Moore; Jockey-Jamie Moore; SP-7/1
4TH-Miss Academy 4-11-12 Owner-David Johnson; Trainer-Martin Pipe; Jockey-Timmy Murphy; SP-16/1
14 ran, Time-3m 54.00s, Dist-8, 1.5 , 1.75 4/1 Fav Ease The Way (14th)

FRED WINTER JUVENILE NOVICES’ HANDICAP HURDLE ROLL OF HONOUR
(First running in 2005)

2011 What A Charm 4-10-06 Paul Townend Arthur Moore Chris Jones 9/1 23
2010 Sanctuaire 4-11-02 Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls Jared Sullivan 4/1F 24
2009 Silk Affair 4-10-04 Tom O’Brien Mick Quinlan Liam Mulryan & M C Fahy 11/1 22
2008 Crack Away Jack 4-11-10Paul Carberry Emma Lavelle GDM Partnership 14/1 22
2007 Gaspara 4-10-11 Andrew Glassonbury David Pipe Martin Pipe 9/2 JF 24
2006 Shamayoun 4-11-03 Paddy Brennan Charles Egerton Ronald Brimacombe 40/1 24
2005 Dabiroun 4-11-04 Miss Nina Carberry Paul Nolan IRE Donal O’Gorman 20/1 24