PAUL Henderson celebrated the biggest victory of his training career when Un Beau Roman won the £45,000 BetVictor Chase at Cheltenham on Friday (November 11).

In a thrilling finish, the 25-1 outsider from his Whitsbury stable came with a determined late surge under Nick Scholfield to snatch victory yards from the line in the 2m handicap at the home of jump racing.

Henderson, who saddled his first winner as a permit-holder in 1991, said: “We schooled Un Beau Roman at home yesterday and the lad could hardly hold him, so we knew he was very well. I've got a couple of horses who are better rated this year than him and he just murders them on the gallops. A lot of mine just need a run but although he hadn't run since July he's so forward-going that he does everything on his own.

“He was originally with Willie Mullins in Ireland and it took me a long time to learn about the horse. I thought he was a summer type but I ran him a couple of times through the summer and he wouldn't let himself down on the ground. But summer racing in Ireland isn't proper good to firm going like we get here - it's more like the good surface here today.”

It was Un Beau Roman's second victory since joining Henderson a year ago, the first coming at Kempton Park in January when he was a 20-1 chance.