- This topic has 12 replies, 11 voices, and was last updated 2 weeks, 3 days ago by
.
-
Posts
-
I feel very sad for everyone involved after Shishkin’s demise. It doesn’t matter where it occurred, it was a huge blow for the sport and I feel pretty empty today. Nicky was right there when I started following NH Racing on a daily basis back in 1992. He produced decent horses year in, year out, he always was one of the top three trainers in the game. This sport is almost unthinkable without him and besides Constitution Hill and Jonbon, Shishkin was THE FACE of British NH Racing and an absolute stable star.
I was just wondering what the future will bring for Nicky and his stable. He is basically one or two serious injuries away from retiring, imo. If, for instance CH, shouldn’t make it back to the track next season (for whatever reasons), he’ll only have Jonbon and Sir Gino to play with. Luccia and Iberico Lord are decent hurdlers and won some nice prize-money for the stable, but I don’t think it is all about the money for him at this stage and I don’t see any other horse going for a Gold Cup in the next 12 years.
How old is he? 73 or so? How many blows can you take that late in your career/life? This was a nightmare season for him and his team. The cancellation of the Fighting Fifth meeting, Shishkin a RR at Ascot, Shishkin throwing away the King George, the virus before Cheltenham, Constitution Hill’s bad scope, now Shishkin’s loss….. How bad can a season get and how can you get over it?
Wish him all the best for his future, no matter how many years he’ll stay in his profession.
One of his friends Jessica Harrington is 77 and she is still training, so he’ll keep going until he’s physically unable to do so I would think. He still gets support from some of the big owners, no-one is taking the horses away at this point. The last couple of months for him and the yard has been challenging for sure but I don’t see him retiring because of it.
I don’t think it is a question of his age. It is more a question of if the stress of training is getting to him. He does not look like he is enjoying it.
I hope he does not quit but it would not be the greatest surprise in the world if he does, especially if Constitution Hill does not return in the same form.
Losing Shishkin is a huge blow. I felt terrible about it last night so I shudder to think how the Henderson stable feels. I hope they are all OK.
I really feel for him Ruby it’s been an absolute nightmare season for Nicky Henderson and now the loss of one of his best horses adored by all who love the sport, we are all in mourning today.💔
I think this could be a turning point for him he adored that horse and you can almost feel his fear when he’s watching his horses jump, the tears not far away when they come home safely.
I feel for everyone at the yard today, so much to look forward too now in shatters.
Really struggling today with the news like yourself feel a bit numb, that must have been a hard statement to send out last night but whatever he decides we will all be with him, he has trained the best of the best. An awful day for the sport and a beautiful horse we will never forget.
JacThings turn out best for those who make the best of how things turn out...Relevant to any decision I guess, would be what happens to the stable itself. Henderson recently said in interview that he had to keep a full complement of horses to make it financially viable and that alone would be a huge issue for anybody that took over the yard.
And there’s no obvious heir apparent – no son ready to take over as happens at so many stables. I can’t think of any up and coming trainer that would want or be able to buy the site – unless it appealed to somebody as a base for flat horses.
An absolutely dreadful 24 hours for him and his ‘team’.
A few hours before Shiskin sustained the fatal injury Henderson was quoted in the Racing Post as saying Shishkin was “ready for the dust-up” with GDC.Today, NH must be absolutely (mentally) shattered.
Yes CAS, the stress of training is what is getting to him. Money won’t be an issue for him, but my question was if he would stay a trainer until the day he dies.
Looking through the stable’s owners, I think JP is down-sizing a bit at Seven Barrows. He still sends him decent horses, but probably not as many as he used to. It’s probably easier to have them trained in IRE and he likes having them spread out all over the country.
My thoughts are that maybe another Shishkin or Altior could get him going again. Does anyone think CH will be campaigned more aggressively now or rather packed in even more cotton wool?
Nicky wont give up anytime soon, unless his eyes get worse and he goes blind.
What else would he do?, racing is his life. Its what he gets out of bed in the mornings for.Can’t see this being an issue going forward – he has had a pretty harrowing 2nd half of the season (mainly February through Cheltenham) due to whatever issue the stable picked up and the tragic loss of Shishkin this weekend compounded pretty much a season to close the page on pretty quickly.
But bear in mind this has been an incredible exception to the normal service Seven Barrows has been delivering year in year out when they had that sweet spot of top class horses following on from top class horses (pretty much like Nicholls had with Kauto Star/Denman/Big Bucks/Masterminded). Yes there might be a dip with continuing to have that many good ones but he does still have some promising horses in the likes of the 4yr old Sir Geno, 5 yr old Jeriko Du Reponet, 6yr old Shanagh Bob along with the tested good ones like Iberico Lord, Luccia, Jonbon and of course Constitution Hill.
I just don’t see him going anywhere anytime soon.
There was a time when Henderson owners had a similar pedigree to his horses.
I notice that he trains for anyone nowadays. EG Olly Harris, Countrywide Park Homes etc
I think training Constitution Hill is the one and only thing keeping him going. Losing Shishkin would be a body blow to any trainer but Seven Barrows has felt like a stable on a downward trajectory for some time now and this will cut deep. It will cut deeper still if CH doesn’t return the same horse. Combined with his age and a worsening eye condition, who would blame him for calling time? Not me. He’s still one of the best in the business but other than JP and the Donnelly’s, he hasn’t got many other big hitter owners at his disposal which is his, and most other trainers, biggest issue
How many decades has it taken Willie Mullins to get to the position he’s in now. Nicky Henderson has been at the top of his game for most of his training career. The way he understands horses, gets the best out of fragile horses, brings them back from problems time after time. He’s forgotten more about horses than some trainers will ever know. Combine that with a stable jockey who is as much a horseman as he is a jockey and you’ve got quite a combination. And he really loves his horses. I hope he has a bloomin’ good season next year because The God of Racing owes him one.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.