NICKY HENDERSON will train the most expensive horse ever bought to go over the jumps.
This year’s German Derby hero Palladium was snapped up for €1.4million (£1.2m) at the sales in France on Saturday and the colt will join Henderson for a campaign over hurdles.
Seven Barrows boss Henderson is awesome with hurdlers, as has been proved with the likes of the unbeaten Constitution Hill[/caption]
Lady Bamford, here with billionaire JCB boss Lord Bamford, has paid £1.2m for Palladium, who looks the sort of horse who could go for the Triumph Hurdle[/caption]
It is nearly TWICE the fee paid for the previous record-holder, Regent’s Stroll, who was bought by a syndicate including Sir Alex Ferguson for £660,000 in July and sent to 14-time champion trainer Paul Nicholls.
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Sir Alex smashed his own world record with that purchase, having previously snapped up Caldwell Potter for a then-record £633,000 in February.
Palladium is the most talented Flat horse to have been bought to go over the sticks in years.
The three-year-old was trained by Henk Grewe in Cologne and was a surprise winner of the German Derby at Hamburg back in July, winning by a neck.
He was last of six on his most recent run in the Group 1 Preis von Europa last month before being flogged at the sales.
Hendo, 73, did not want to comment but said the horse, now owned by long-time ally Lady Bamford, wife of billionaire JCB boss Lord Bamford, had not yet arrived at Seven Barrows.
Is Palladium a Cheltenham winner in waiting?
By Sam Morgan
Working out where a horse may or may not run in seven months’ time is anyone’s guess.
And with regards Nicky Henderson and Palladium, it’s highly likely the master trainer himself doesn’t know too much at the moment.
Of all the Cheltenham ante-post markets, the Triumph has the most guesswork of any.
Little-known four-year-olds in their first season hurdling… good luck with that!
But you can only use the measures at hand and Palladium’s whopping price tag and form suggests he is certainly worthy of consideration.
He is by Gleneagles, who has sired previous Group 1 winners Mill Stream, Highland Chief and Loving Dream, as well as brilliant King Edward VII Stakes winner Calandagan.
As does his owner, who won the Oaks with Soul Sister in 2023 and whose Mister Coffey ran a brave race in the Grand National the same year.
It looks like he currently could be the sort of horse to contest the Triumph Hurdle at March’s Cheltenham Festival if he takes to jumping.
Henderson, the six-time champion trainer, ended last season in great form, winning Grade 1s at Aintree and Sandown after a miserable run of form in February and March.
A bug affected a number of horses in his yard, most notably Constitution Hill, forcing him to withdraw most of his runners at last season’s Cheltenham Festival.
The unbeaten superstar is back in rude health this year, according to Henderson, and is all set to start his season in next month’s Fighting Fifth hurdle at Newcastle.
The Champion Hurdle will be his ultimate goal, where he looks like he could meet Willie Mullins’ pair Lossiemouth and State Man.
Henderson’s other superstar hurdler Sir Gino, who is unbeaten in four, was one of many who missed the Festival.
He returned for Aintree’s Grand National meeting in April where he won their Grade 1 Juvenile Hurdle and could also be kept over hurdles.
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