“I was disappointed for Michael [Buckley, owner], Nicky and Nico and the connections of Constitution Hill – and for racing,” said Mullins, whose charge had been beaten by Henderson’s star at Kempton in December.
“We came here knowing our mare was in good shape and we thought the trip would suit us this time.
“When Paul made his move it has eventually paid off, but I was wondering had he done it too soon.
“Nico has a great habit of looking like he is under pressure and then finding another bit in the last furlong. A couple of times, we’ve thought we had Nico beat and he’s actually got a little bit up his sleeve, so I did wonder if Paul had played his cards too early. But it was gifted to him so what could he do?”
Henderson was left trying to make sense of what he had seen.
“It is heartbreaking and to do it twice, you couldn’t believe it really,” he said.
“He is genuinely the best jumper you’ll ever see. But in that vocabulary there is just what you would have called a one per cent chance of doing what he’s done, but he’s done it twice, which does worry you, of course it does. But how can you iron it out?
“As Nico said, he’d been fantastic the whole way. At a couple of hurdles he went in short and that’s what we’ve been trying to get him to do, but when you’re going to three out and racing like that you can’t afford to do that, you’ve got to go, and Nico said he just came up too soon.
“Nico said he was full of running and his words to me were that he actually had Lossiemouth where he wanted her. He was happy with her in front rather than behind.”
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