The cockerels of jump racing had better look out: the Hen is back. At 76, Henrietta Knight, whose feat of training Best Mate to win three consecutive Cheltenham Gold Cups will probably never be equalled, is to renew the licence she relinquished 11 years ago to care for her late husband, Terry Biddlecombe. Racing fans will be delighted; perhaps a few of the 27 trainers interviewed in depth by a ‘retired’ Henrietta for her revealing book The Jumping Game: How National Hunt Trainers Work and What Makes Them Tick slightly less so. Henrietta, who has continued pre-training and advising owners looking for future stars, is known as the best judge of a horse around – and some are wondering if the comeback has been inspired by a new potential Best Mate already lurking in an East Hendred paddock.
There is a dearth of top quality hurdlers because candidates are more often sold abroad to race on the Flat
At this time of year I have to make judgments of my own, picking out a dozen horses to give readers some fun and maybe profit through the winter months.
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