Horse Racing: Nicky Henderson closing in on 2,000 milestone

Nicky Henderson moved tantalisingly closer to his 2,000th career winner when claiming a short-priced double in the Market Rasen sunshine yesterday.

The Seven Barrows handler is now perched on the 1,998-winner mark after Higgy's Ragazzo and Quantitativeeasing obliged at the Lincolnshire circuit. And, on an afternoon in which Henderson surpassed 100 victories for the season, it will surely be a matter of days, rather than weeks, before that landmark success is achieved.

Higgy's Ragazzo, with Tony McCoy on board, brought up the ton in the opening Caffrey's Irish Ale Juvenile Hurdle, while Quantitativeeasing, the 2-11 favourite and also steered by McCoy, later continued his progress over fences in the Molson Coors One Stop Shop Novices' Chase.

Henderson and McCoy were foiled 30 minutes later in the card, though, when 5-2 favourite Thanks For Coming was put to the sword by Risaala in the EBF "National Hunt" Novices' Hurdle.