Cheltenham Festival: Nicky Henderson ramps up Willie Mullins mind games by letting slip rival’s ‘banker’
NICKY HENDERSON has ramped up the mind games with Willie Mullins by saying his rival has the only Cheltenham Festival banker.
Seven Barrows supremo Henderson is in a rich vein of form and looks to have his bug guns perfectly poised to lead the British charge in two weeks' time.
But he recently said his odds-on Champion Chase favourite Shishkin was no banker, despite punters piling the star chaser into their multiples.
Henderson, 71, also accused big rival Mullins, 65, of 'playing games' in reference to the Irish trainer's comments about having no clue about how to beat Shishkin.
Mullins trains second-favourite Energumene, the horse owned by billionaire Brighton chief Tony Bloom.
The bookies think Shishkin has the beating of Energumene, but Hendo is not quite so sure.
And despite Shishkin proving more and more popular with punters, Henderson said he actually thinks Mullins has in his squad the banker of the whole Festival.
Asked for his No 1 pick, Henderson said: "I would have to say Willie's bumper horse."
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That was in reference to mightily impressive Facile Vega, son of record six-time Mares' Hurdle winner Quevega.
Facile Vega is odds-on for the Champion Bumper everywhere you look having won his first two races by a combined 18 lengths.
Second-favourite American Mike, trained by Gordon Elliott, is a general 3-1 shot.
Henderson waxed lyrical about Facile Vega in an interview with too.
Asked which one of Mullins' horses he wished he trained himself, Hendo said: "I know which one I'd have… Facile Vega!
"The bumper horse out of Quevega – I’ll have that please… sorry Willie!"
Henderson doesn't currently have an entry in the Champion Bumper.
And though everything stacks up with regards Facile Vega's potential, this could be seen as the great man piling some more pressure on Mullins for a race he is expected to win.
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