This week, Nicky Henderson got his hands on the most expensive horse to ever be sent jumping, assuming he sends him jumping, of course, buying German Derby winner Palladium.
He says the current plan is to go hurdling eventually, but of course, these things can change at any point, especially with a horse costing this much money.
Bought on Saturday in France at the Arc sale, Palladium will head to the Nicky Henderson yard, with the news instantly leading to quotes for the Triumph Hurdle.
🚨 Nicky Henderson has added German Derby winner Palladium to his team for £1.2m – making him the most expensive horse to go over jumps
Palladium is priced at 25-1 for the Triumph Hurdle 😮
Could Henderson have another superstar in the making? ⭐️ https://t.co/HwBJLnCBug
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) October 9, 2024
However, while Henderson has said that he does have a future over hurdles, he also said that a Group 1 flat campaign next season is on the agenda, which probably makes the price tag more understandable.
Will Palladium be Sent Hurdling by Nicky Henderson?
There’s no guarantee that Palladium will go jumping, but if he does, he smashes the record purchase price for a jumper.
That is currently held by the Paul Nicholls-trained Regent’s Stroll, bought in July for £660,000. The day Palladium makes his hurdling debut, he would double that.
Henderson has made the current plan clear. This horse has been bought to have a future over hurdles but also stated that the flat next season is part of the plan.
Great @jkeene124 tale in today’s pullout
German Derby winner Palladium will join Hendo to go hurdling – most expensive jumps horse bought at auction pic.twitter.com/IVDLuD16s6
— Callum Jamieson (@MrCallumJ) October 9, 2024
Being a colt, further Group 1 wins next season would enhance his possibilities in the breeding barn, and that could be something that adds weight to the argument of not going hurdling.
Let’s not forget that Nicky Henderson is known for being a little over-cautious at times. Let’s say next summer he wins another Group 1 and isn’t electric over hurdles. Would Henderson risk a multiple Group 1 winner losing over hurdles in a modest race to harm prospects in the breeding barn?
I want to see Palladium over hurdles, but the circumstances around him certainly mean that despite being bought for hurdles, he could never go over them.
Given the number of critics Nicky Henderson has, I’ll happily place a bet now that whatever he does will be met with criticism from some circles.
Colt Set for Group 1 Campaign to Diversify Henderson Yard
Whatever the plan is for Palladium, he certainly can’t be described as a bargain buy horse. The price tag is expensive whether he goes hurdling or sticks to flat racing.
But if he does go well on the flat, then the price tag is much easier to understand, and Nicky Henderson is seemingly intent on running him on the flat next summer.
Henderson has spoken about a flat campaign, which has been at the forefront of discussions. On top of that, it would allow him to have a top-quality horse for the flat. He’s been more and more interested in running horses on the flat recently. This helps him continue to diversify his yard.
Top Group 1 races have been looked at, and specifically, Henderson has mentioned going to Royal Ascot with the horse. He’s also mentioned the Melbourne Cup, which would be great to see, given he’s already won a Group 1, so he would no doubt have plenty of weight on his back.
There’s been a lot of talk about the future of national hunt racing, with prize money under scrutiny and the newly announced Cheltenham Festival changes, which have been done to try and make some races more appealing.
It should come as no surprise that Nicky Henderson has a potential flat star for next season, given all of this is happening.
The racing game is all about money, and if he believes the horse can make more money on the flat with less risk due to no jumping, then that is likely to be the route Henderson takes.
We’ve seen him send many good horses to the flat before. Palladium could well be the best of them if things work out next season.