Nicky Henderson woes may herald point of peak trainer concentration

Martin Pipe, much remembered for the vast quantity of winners he produced, trained an unprecedented five winners at the 1997 Cheltenham Festival. It took 12 years for Paul Nicholls to go one better, since then Elliott and Mullins managed eight. Two years ago Mullins scored a perfect ten.

Amazingly he is likely to outdo that this time around, surely the pinnacle of this genius' career.

Year-on-year, owners are directing their investments into a narrower pool of trainers, and why would they not? Look at who are having all the big winners?

Nicky Henderson's week, however, shows the risk of putting all your horses into one basket.

A man of his talent and experience aiming to have his horses in pristine health and prime fitness for the highlight of the year, instead sees five of his six runners on Day 1 pull up. Gut-wrenching for Henderson, a beloved character, in the evening hours of a long and vaunted career.

Weeks back he must have been salivating, the anticipation of Constitution Hill retaining his Champion Hurdle status, Jonbon in the Champion Chase avenging last year's defeat to El Fabiolo and seeing if Shiskin could make his class count when extending to the Gold Cup trip. Three major fancies in the three biggest races, not to mention plenty other eye-catching entries.

His report that "It's impossible to identify any reason for all the disappointments... yesterday's runners were scoped clean post race" shows the fragility and sensitivity of this magnificent, powerful beast.

That a sub-clinical illness can reduce them to being completely uncompetitive, seeing that the mighty are not immune, we may be at a stage of peak trainer concentration.

Owners who find their entire string missing the spring may well want to diversify,