‘Hate to be in his position' – Nicky Henderson waves goodbye to £650,000 of horses as top owner scales down operation

The Sun

23-05-2025

NICKY HENDERSON waved goodbye to £650,000 worth of horses at the sales - as a top owner scaled down his operation significantly.
A total of six Olly Harris-owned horses went under the hammer under the banner of Henderson's Seven Barrows yard at the Goffs Doncaster auction.
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Chief among them was three-time winner and hugely promising sort Kingston Pride.
Bought for around £160,000 in April 2023, Henderson fought tooth and nail to keep the six-year-old at his yard.
But in an almighty sales ring tussle with rival trainer Olly Murphy, he had to give up the fight when the figure hit £285,000.
Kingston Pride - who will now be owned by Grahame and Diana Whateley of Thomas Darby fame - was one of two Harris horses that went for six figures.
The other was Haddex Des Obeaux, who never actually ran under Henderson but was still listed as being in his care after eight runs for Gary Moore.
The eight-year-old gelding, who was last seen finishing third to Jonbon in the Tingle Creek, was bought for £105,000 by prominent Scottish owner Jimmy Fyffe and will now be trained by Donald McCain.
But Kingston Pride - who Hendo called a 'really proper type' after his latest win at Kempton in March - was the one the legendary boss really wanted.
He had to bid farewell, though, when Murphy struck the crucial blow.
The bet365 Gold Cup-winning trainer said: "It's unfortunate for Nicky, I'd hate to be in the position he's in when you train a horse like that and don't get to keep him.
"But he's the horse we wanted for the last three days.
"He was a lot of money but hopefully he's the sort of horse who can run in graded chases at the middle distance and staying chases down the line."
The setback came after Henderson was also outbid in the battle for £300,000 Poetisa by Willie Mullins.
And he also had to say goodbye to Timetoshine - a serial-winning mare who is off to the US - for £145,000.
Among the other Harris horses consigned by Henderson was Willmount, whose value plummeted by £320,000 since he was last sold.
Having won a Newbury novice hurdle by 13 lengths on his first run for Henderson, Willmount was sent off 9-4 for the Grade 1 2023 Challow.
But he was pulled up and then fell on chase debut almost a year later before flopping when 6-4 fav for a Kempton handicap hurdle on his most recent run in December last year.
Purchased for £340,000 in February 2022 he was sold to Irish Grand National and National Hunt Chase-winning trainer Rebecca Curtis for just £22,000.
Chris Gordon bought two-time winner Bo Zenith for £55,000, while Inneston and Diyaken were sold for £15,000 and £20,000 respectively.
Harris - who won huge at the 2024 Grand National - sold some of his other horses including the likes of £240,000 purchase Peaky Boy and £70,000 Break My Soul earlier this year.
While he also gave up ownership of In The Air, Kansas Du Berlais, Montys Soldier and Perseus Way this year too.
Minella Premier, a £400,000 purchase by Henderson at the same sale last year, has never run for the Seven Barrows boss and was originally listed for sale before being withdrawn.
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