World-record £1.2million horse removed from Nicky Henderson and sent to totally different trainer
WORLD-RECORD £1.2million horse Palladium has been removed from Nicky Henderson’s yard – and sent to a totally different trainer.
Legendary jumps handler Henderson was hoping for a big run in Cheltenham Festival’s Triumph Hurdle from his German Derby winner.
But he was dramatically pulled from National Hunt’s biggest meeting with injury and the decision was made to save him for a return to the Flat instead.
That’s why he’s been sent to the superstar father-son pairing of John & Thady Gosden in Newmarket.
Palladium won his sole outing under Henderson at Huntingdon in January – although punters said there was ‘nothing pretty about it’.
Not everyone was entirely convinced he was worth the eye-popping price paid by Lady Bamford, with Hendo insisting his jumping was ‘slick’.
He won’t get the chance to prove it now though with his billionaire owner eyeing a return on her investment at Royal Ascot instead.
The hugely exciting runner, still just a four-year-old colt, is set to line up in the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes, according to the Racing Post.
Although William Hill make him 25-1 for the Gold Cup.
Henderson said he always thought the horse might be sent to a Flat trainer once the decision was made to end Palladium’s career over jumps.
He mooted the idea of the Melbourne Cup as a target not long ago – a race big rival Willie Mullins has tried but failed to plunder in recent years.
And now it looks like if that is the route connections take it will be Frankie Dettori’s old boss Gosden who gets him there.
Sun Racing broke the story of Palladium’s record-breaking purchase – which smashed the previous record of £660,000 set by Sir Alex Ferguson.
The legendary footie boss was part of a group who forked out the colossal sum for Regent’s Stroll, who was most recently seen finishing second in a Grade 1 at Aintree’s Grand National meeting earlier this month.
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