Winter and Henderson remembered at Cheltenham

Fred Winter and Johnny Henderson, who both died within the past year and played a pivotal role in Cheltenham racecourse´s success, will be commemorated by races at the expanded four-day Festival in 2005.

Fred Winter, who died aged 77 in April, was champion jockey four times and rode the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup winner twice (1961 Saffron Tartan, 1962 Mandarin) and won the Smurfit Champion Hurdle on three occasions as a rider (1955 Clair Soleil, 1959 Fare Time, 1961 Eborneezer). He had 17 Festival successes as a jockey.

He retired from the saddle at Cheltenham´s spring meeting in 1964 and went on to be champion trainer on eight occasions. He won four Champion Hurdles as a trainer (1971 and 1972 Bula, 1974 Lanzarote, 1988 Celtic Shot) and, although the Cheltenham Gold Cup proved elusive for a long while as a trainer, he finally landed the race in 1978 with Midnight Court. He saddled a total of 28 Festival winners and holds the unique feat of having been the only man to have both ridden and trained winners of the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle.

He is remembered by the new £75,000 Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle, the concluding contest on Tuesday´s card run over two miles and half a furlong.

Winter´s former stable jockey John Francome, who joined the trainer fresh out of school and was with Winter at Uplands throughout his career as a rider, said: 'There has never been a bigger figure in the history of jump racing than Fred Winter.

'Champion jockey and champion trainer - there has probably never been anyone who has warranted more respect. Whoever prevails in the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle will be winning a race with a lot of history attached to it.'

The Festival´s penultimate event on Friday, March 18, has been renamed the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase Challenge Cup in honour of a man who saved Cheltenham racecourse in the 1960s.

Johnny Henderson was aware in 1963 that there was a danger that property developers would buy Cheltenham racecourse so together with other Jockey Club members he formed Racecourse Holdings Trust, a non-profit-making organisation, that raised £240,000 to purchase the racecourse and safeguard its future. RHT is still Cheltenham´s parent company and now owns 13 British racecourses.

Johnny Henderson, whose son Nicky is one of Britain´s most successful trainers, died in December aged 83.

Nicky Henderson said today: 'The family is really thrilled that Dad will be remembered in this way. Cheltenham was very special to him and we shall be making every effort to have a runner and take it from there.'

Edward Gillespie, Managing Director at Cheltenham Racecourse, commented: 'The 2005 Festival will remember two men who played a major role in the success and popularity of Cheltenham racecourse.

'Fred Winter´s achievements as trainer and jockey are unique and his successes have undoubtedly inspired many of today´s jump racing enthusiasts.

'Without Johnny Henderson we might not be racing at Cheltenham now. He helped create Racecourse Holdings Trust, a non-profit-making body that ensured racing has flourished at venues throughout the country over the past 40 years and, as a long-standing patron of Cheltenham, Johnny had been an integral part of our success in that time.'