Henderson Still Looking for Grand National Win – Will it happen in 2025?

He is one of the UK’s most successful horse trainers, having won the Trainer Championship a staggering six times, but one thing is still missing from Nicky Henderson’s list of triumphs and that is a Grand National win.

With a career spanning more than four decades that has brought him over 3000 winners, surprisingly, the Grand National is the one trophy missing from Henderson’s ever-expanding collection.

Despite 73 Cheltenham Festival wins and notching up in excess of £11.3m in earnings over the last five seasons, it would seem that the job will never be fully complete until Henderson bags that elusive Grand National win.

Who Is He Up Against?

Now that Cheltenham is over for another year, the betting markets are buzzing with anticipation for the Grand National.

The hottest property is Inothewayurthinkin, the emerging clear favourite at 3/1 following his impressive Cheltenham Gold Cup victory.

But before you run out and back him without a second thought, rumours are that connections are debating whether to run him at Sandown instead.

It might be better to hold off until a final decision has been made.

In Betway’s Grand National betting markets, Intense Raffles at 7/1, is hot on his heels while Iroko and Stumptown share 10/1 odds, the latter having showcased his prowess with a commanding win in the Cross Country Chase at Cheltenham.

Defending champion I Am Maximus rounds out the top five at 11/1, though trainer Willie Mullins acknowledges the challenge of a repeat victory with an additional 6lb to carry.

And, as any fan of the race will tell you, the eventual winner can literally come from anywhere on the day.

With a mix of proven champions and rising stars, this year’s Grand National is shaping up to be a thrilling contest that could see established favourites upset by determined underdogs over the grueling 4-mile, 2½-furlong course.

Nicky Henderson National Runners

The Seven Barrows trainer had his first runner in the Aintree showpiece in 1979. He saddled Zongalero, who finished second. 46 years later, that remains his best-ever finish in the race, though his 1987 runner, The Tsarevich, also finished second.

By the time the 2017 race rolled around, Cocktails At Dawn, ridden by Nico De Boinville, was his only runner. Unfortunately, it was also the first to bow out of the race when falling at the first fence.

2018 was a non-starter as Henderson didn’t have any runners, so it was everything to play for again in 2019. Valtor was his only runner, going off at odds of 66/1, again with De Boinville on board. He did make it around, but in 18th place.

We all know that 2020 was a dismal year for the sport, with most events canceled, including the Grand National. So, with the 2021 Grand National came high expectations.

Not one to lament his lack of success in the race, Henderson approached the 2021 race with his usual optimism.

At the time, he said: “I’ve gone for the scattergun approach this year!

“The two that are most likely to go for the race are Beware The Bear and OK Corral, though Pym is another possible.

“I’m not saying I would retire on the spot if I won it, as I wouldn’t, but it would be awfully nice to win the race.”

In fact, he ended up with six entries. They included Santini, second place in the 2020 Gold Cup, and OK Corral, who won the Sky Bet Chase at Doncaster just over a year ago.

Beware The Bear, Gold Present, Pym, and Valtor rounded off his six entries. However, by race day, only OK Corral was left to fly the Henderson flag in the National.

Going off on odds of 80/1 with Derek O’Connor on board, it was not to be for connections as OK Corral pulled up at fence 21.

The following year, it was quite a surprise that Nicky Henderson only had ONE entry for the 2022 Grand National.

That was Caribean Boy (50/1) for owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede. Henderson believed that the horse was capable and thought Caribean Boy was in with a shout.

The problem was that Caribean Boy was withdrawn before the race, so Henderson ended up with no runners.

His 2023 Chances

Despite going to every Cheltenham Festival with more potential winners than most trainers can dream about, when it comes to the Grand National, Henderson always seems to hold back.

It was the same story in 2023 when he entered just one potential runner into the race – Mister Coffey.

Speaking to The Telegraph at the time, Henderson said, “We ran him in the Topham last year, and he enjoyed jumping around there then.

He’s in good form and ran a very good race at Cheltenham in the National Hunt Chase.”

But even Henderson himself has admitted that time is running out to find that elusive winner.

“This race is unique. It’s a completely different game. It would be a pity not to find one someday – but the clock is ticking.”

And it continues to do so, as Mister Coffey gave a good account of himself but could only manage 8th place in 2023.

Reduced Field in 2024

With The Jockey Club implementing new safety measures in 2024, the field for the Grand National was cut from the usual 40 runners to just 34.

On the day of the race, two more were withdrawn, leaving just 32 runners making their way to the starting tape.

Among them were eight from Willie Mullins and seven from Gordon Elliott. However, Henderson didn’t saddle a single runner after his three hopefuls – Dusart, Mister Coffey, and Fantastic Lady all fell by the wayside in the weeks leading up to the race.

Is 2025 His Year?

Which, of course, brings us to the 2025 Grand National. With 90 entries in total and more than half coming from Ireland, Nicky Henderson has a solid four potential runners.

But, before we all get dizzy with excitement that his hoodoo might finally be on the brink of ending, only one – Chantry House – has a guaranteed spot at this stage of the proceedings.

His other three hopefuls are Hyland, Fantastic Lady, and Mister Coffey. Of those, only Hyland looks relatively certain to get a spot – going off last year’s cut-off point.

The last horse to get a place in 2024 was Kitty’s Light, with an Official Rating of 146, and both Fantastic Lady and Mister Coffey have fallen short of that in 2025.

That doesn’t mean they can be ruled out completely. However, it would take a considerable amount of other runners to get withdrawn to secure their places.

That leaves us with Chantry House and Hyland, neither of whom would even remotely be considered race favourites, and their odds reflect this.

Conclusion

Despite what the betting markets say, plenty of outsiders have run the race of their lives in the Grand National, and anything can happen on the day. Favourites have fallen at the first fence, and 100/1 shots have triumphed.

Henderson’s continued pursuit of Grand National success after more than 40 failed attempts demonstrates both his determination and the special place this race holds in the heart of British racing.

His persistence in returning year after year, despite the disappointments, speaks volumes about how much he really wants to win it.

If he were to finally break his Grand National duck, it would be a hugely popular victory within the racing community. A win would be celebrated not just as a personal triumph for Henderson but as a fitting reward for his contributions to the sport.

For now, Henderson continues his quest, hoping that horses like Chantry House or perhaps Mister Coffey can deliver the victory that has eluded him for so long.

After 45 attempts and counting, the racing world watches with anticipation to see if one of the greatest trainers in the history of National Hunt racing can finally add the Grand National to his long list of achievements.