Nicky Henderson is leaping for pleasure as he hails the return of National Hunt racing to Windsor after 20 years

Nicky Henderson was bursting with enthusiasm and, unexpectedly, found himself going back to a time when he dreamed of success.

Outside the weighing room at Cheltenham, the six-time champion trainer was discussing with increased animation the most significant development in National Hunt racing for many years — the return of jumping at Windsor.

It has been two decades since Windsor, a picturesque venue on the banks of the Thames, last hosted the winter sport — a single season, in 2004-05, when its neighbour Ascot was being redeveloped — and you must go back to 1998 for when it held a permanent place on the roster.

But that all changes on Sunday afternoon. A seven-race card heralds a new era for Windsor and will set them up nicely for the big event in the New Year when they and Ascot stage The Winter Million, a three-day meeting that will hold a crucial place in the build-up to the Cheltenham Festival.

Henderson, whose Seven Barrows yard is just 50 miles away from the track down the M4, has vowed to have as many runners as he can at Windsor and he will send three on Sunday — Excello (12.12), La Pinsonniere (1.20) and Old Time Chaser (3.40). This place, after all, has happy memories.

‘I think this is terrific,’ he says. ‘It’s a very exciting day for National Hunt racing. It was always a good track. I go back to when I worked for Fred Winter and we would send proper horses there and when I started on my own, I did the same. You went because you’d get good ground.

‘You know, I had my first ever double there — it was in 1978. I’ll even tell you their names, because they had the same owner — J O Reid and Main Ingredient. I’m probably only one of a handful of trainers who can remember Windsor being there for us in the jumping world.’

A look back through the record books gives you an idea of Windsor’s pedigree — Royal Athlete, the Grand National winner of 1995, was victorious at the course, while Baracouda, one of the great staying hurdlers, and the popular grey Monet’s Garden were successful in 2004.

The course has been reconfigured from the figure-of- eight shape synonymous with its Flat action to give the jumpers more space to manoeuvre and Henderson has such faith in the surface that, if the right opportunity arises, his best performers will be there.

‘It’s great to see someone with a bit of enthusiasm say ‘Let’s have a go’ and putting on that big meeting in January will be terrific,’ says Henderson. ‘I took Jonbon there last year to gallop, along with some others. It’s going to be good fun.’

Charlie Moore, Arena Racing’s head of group racing, has been enthused by the feedback. ‘It’s been great hearing trainers planning for the Winter Million meeting,’ he says.

‘We are looking forward to racing on Sunday and welcoming back our colleagues from the jump racing world.’