Festival Watch: Henderson admits to nerves as Altior seeks to deliver on Cheltenham banker status

  With 55 winners and counting - more than any other trainer - he understands the elation of the winners' enclosure and the desolation when a fancied horse flatters to deceive - or worse.

In recent weeks a succession of rivals have seen their best laid plans go wrong, indeed the list of horses missing from Prestbury Park this week is already so long they're dubbing it the 'Cheltenham curse'.

But former Champion Trainer Henderson's nerve is holding, which is just as well because he's lining up his best team since 2012, when he saddled six winners.

Henderson loves and lives for Cheltenham, which is hardly surprising given that he was virtually raised there.

His late father Jonny played a major part in safeguarding what is now one of the most fabled vistas in British sport, when predatory property developers were lurking in the early 1960s. He raised £240,000 to safeguard the venue and the final race of the meeting, the Grand Annual, is now named in his honour.

Both father and son certainly know about this place's soaring highs and plummeting lows.

At November's Open meeting Henderson was dabbing tears of pride as Sprinter Sacre - last year's brilliant Champion Chase winner - was given a hero's parade following his retirement. Within minutes they turned to tears of grief and despair when stable mate Simonsig fatally fell, breaking his hind leg.

In recent years it's been Irish trainer Willie Mullins - coming up on Henderson's inside with 48 career Festival winners - who has dominated the first day.

But the Seven Barrows trainer boasts a powerful hand in the opening act of the 28 race meeting, an attritional battle that tests the constitution of even the most die-hard fan.

Buveur D'Air and Brain Power are strongly tipped for the Champion Hurdle while in novice chaser Altior, the sparkling favourite for the Arkle Trophy, Henderson has arguably the most exciting horse in training.

Despite a season of setbacks Mullins is still odds-on to end the four days as the meeting's top trainer for the sixth time in seven years but Henderson is just behind him in the betting and - whisper it quietly - feeling rather bullish.

"It's a nervy time of year, you just hope they came back in one piece every day and get to their race, you can understand why everyone is so flustered," said Henderson.

"It's an extraordinary game, isn't it? I hear people talking about my chances but the best way to take the pressure off is to put it on someone else.

"Willie Mullins is bringing over lorryloads of ammunition and then you've got Gordon Elliott, Paul Nicholls and others. They will all be very hard to beat."

Henderson has already had his share of wonder horses from See You Then to Sprinter Sacre but in Altior he could just have the best one yet.

Last year the horse delivered on his promise to win the Supreme Novices' and he's the shortest priced favourite in the meeting to win this year's Arkle Trophy.

Altior may have been sired by a Derby and Breeders' Cup winner but he has the makings of a superb chaser - underlined by four wins from four starts in his first season over fences.

And a win this week should lay the groundwork for a fascinating winner-takes-all showdown with Douvan in next year's Champion Chase, should he manage to deliver in that race too.

"I said last year that Altior was the biggest banker I'd ever had at Cheltenham and he was 4-1 that day and not even favourite," added Henderson.

"Now he has to go out there and do it again and anything but another brilliant performance won't keep everybody happy but we can't forget, it's still a novice chase around Cheltenham.

"He's not a Sprinter Sacre yet but he's certainly on that road. If he wins the Arkle then there's bound to be comparisons but let's win the Arkle first and not get ahead of ourselves.

"If they think he is capable of taking on Douvan then we must be doing something right. A lot of horses couldn't because they are not fast enough or jump quickly enough, he doesn't have that problem."

While Henderson's team will be fronted by Altior, he has other big claims. Brain Power looks his Champion Hurdle pick on the likely ground while Might Bite looks a strong contender for the RSA Chase.

He was winning at a canter at Kempton when he took a big fall, the beneficiary horse - Royal Vacation - franking the form when he then won well at the Cheltenham trials meeting.

"It was going to be a staggering performance, it was stunning. If it wasn't for that fall you would be very, very confident about him," he adds.

And then there's the diminutive Top Notch - a small horse with a massive jump - who could upset the form book in the JLT Novices' Chase, alongside stable mate Whisper.

"We're going in with lots of chances and it's going to be fun. Of course racing has its moments but we're in the entertainment game, so you have to try and enjoy it," adds Henderson.

Time will tell just how much he enjoys it but expect to see Henderson lifting his trademark Trilby more than once this week - and you can guarantee it will happen some time around 2.20pm on Tuesday when the all-conquering Altior enters the winners' enclosure.

Sportsbeat 2017