How many times has Nicky Henderson won the Grand National?

Nicky Henderson was assistant trainer to Fred Winter – who is the only person to win the Grand National twice as both jockey and trainer – for four years before taking out a training licence in his own right in 1978. Nowadays based at Seven Barrows in Lambourn, Berkshire, Henderson has been

British Champion National Hunt Trainer six times, most recently in 2019/20.

Henderson has an excellent record at the Cheltenham Festival, where he was won the Leading Trainer Award nine times, including shared titles in 1987, 1992 and 1993. Indeed, his career total of 70 winners makes him the second most successful trainer in the history of the March showpiece, behind only Willie Mullins.

However, for all his success elsewhere, Henderson has yet to win the Grand National. His first ever runner, Zongalero, ridden by Bob Davies, finished second, beaten 1½ lengths, behind Rubstic in 1979, but in the intervening years Henderson has saddled a further 42 runners, none of whom has fared any better. The Tsarevitch, ridden by John White, was a 5-length runner-up to Maori Venture in 1987 but, otherwise, two minor placings – for Classified in 1986 and Brown Windsor in 1990 – is all Henderson has to show for his efforts. Interestingly, the Master of Seven Barrows is also yet to win the Irish, Scottish or Welsh Grand National.