Richard Johnson: Nicky Henderson Right To Take Cautious Approach With Jonbon

Speaking exclusively to BoyleSports, Richard Johnson has backed Nicky Henderson’s approach to Constitution Hill’s preparations for the Champion Hurdle.

Johnson, a 2-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winning jockey, also touched on some of the hottest topics in jumps racing right now including a look ahead to the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown and the benefits to horse racing of having sports stars like Brooks Koepka and Graeme McDowell involved in ownership.

Nicky Henderson’s Approach To Constitution Hill’s Cheltenham Preparations

I don’t think you can knock Nicky for not running him. In the olden days often horses used to run against each other quite a lot. It wasn’t guaranteed which one was going to win. At the moment Constitution Hill is head and shoulders above any two mile hurdler in England.

If he had scoped badly and Nicky isn’t happy with him then if I was the owner I wouldn’t want to run. Running them when they are not right is ridiculous. It is the same for an athlete – if you are not at your best you should not be performing.

If he had run and had a hard race and he wasn’t right and if it knocked him for six to eight weeks time, you would be gutted.

Some horses thrive on racing and with others you just have to take your time with them. Constitution Hill is one of those horses we will see for a long time to come.  You are being a little bit cautious with the future in mind. With jump horses you’re hoping their careers could be six to eight years long.

*Constitution Hill is 3/10 to win the Cheltenham Champion Hurdle according to the latest horse racing odds at BoyleSports.

How The Public Connect With Star Horses

The best horses do get real followings. It’s not like the Flat where a star might only run until they’re three and then go to stud.

That is a real advantage Jumps racing has. A lot of the very best do get followed.  Some have had big days on the last day of their careers and gone out on a high like Tiger Roll. He got beaten at Cheltenham but he was retired to great acclaim at the place he had done so well.

Think of other superstars like Kauto Star, Denman, Native River. They won’t be stallions and be able to produce future stars but they have got a real place in history and a lot of people remember that.

You can go to Cheltenham and have a conversation in the bar with someone about a race or horse 15 years ago.

Dublin Racing Festival Look Ahead

There is State Man but I think Constitution Hill is a gear above him.

The bumper at the Dublin Racing Festival is always very interesting. They really use that now for their best bumper horses. So, we will get a very good idea on that route. The Irish have always been very strong in that division.

There’s the Irish Gold Cup too. Galopin Des Champs goes and he was a very good Gold Cup winner at Cheltenham last year. But I think it will be a much stronger race this year. 

The Novice Chase is good too. Willie Mullins doesn’t really get going until Christmas time and he’ll produce something no doubt. The Dublin Racing Festival is where we will get a clearer picture of who their first and second Arkle contenders will be.

Once you get Leopardstown out of the way you can see where the leading contenders are and who you’re looking forward to.

*You can bet on all the Dublin Racing Festival action at BoyleSports with our horse racing betting odds.

‘Hopeful’ On Britain’s Cheltenham Festival Chances

I am definitely always hopeful. Looking at ours, until you actually meet face to face with the Irish it is hard to gauge where you are. But I have seen some smart novice hurdlers around this side of the sea and owners and trainers are all pushing to find those good horses.

At the moment, we are on the back foot but we have plenty to look forward to in March. Things have a way of peaking and start to change. We have still got to keep believing!

Dublin Racing Festival Has Edge Over Cheltenham Trials Day

In Dublin you’re going to see some of the best horses around who will be leading contenders if not favourites for a lot of races.

At the moment as a spectacle Dublin has the edge of where you’d go. But Trials Day this year is a really high class meeting. We have some great racing on Saturday to look forward to. But probably as a spectator if you had to pick one, it would be Dublin but ideally I’d do both.

Graeme McDowell & Brooks Koepka’s Givemefive

They can afford a racehorse and it’s great they have got involved. It would be good to see other sports like football and rugby wanting to get involved. For those two to have a horse who will be at Cheltenham in a few weeks time is a great thrill for them and a great PR for racing.

As a sport we need to make more of this sort of thing. I don’t think we push our own product enough in terms of publicising it. It is a sport for everybody and it would be good to show how it can appeal and how they can get involved.

Givemefive Trainer Harry Derham ‘Proving Himself’

He’s really proving himself. He is a very nice young man and he has done incredibly well.

He had an idea how he wanted to start and he hit the ground running and he has expanded quite a bit since in the past 12 months. It was a big thing to take over from Oliver Sherwood.  He is very good with the horses and you need to have young trainers coming through.

No Shortage Of Young Trainers In Horse Racing

It almost surprises me how many young people want to be trainers. If you went to a bank manager and said I want to be a trainer, would you back me, they’d laugh at you!

It’s a passion thing and you can make a good living but to get to that point is hard work. Harry Derham is a young trainer who is just going to get better and better.

*Prices subject to fluctuation

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