3.30 Aintree: New trip not a worry for Constitution Hill team

Constitution Hill tops the bill on day one of the Grand National meeting as the sport’s pre-eminent star bids to put the seal on a magnificent campaign with victory in the William Hill Aintree Hurdle, live on Racing TV at 3.30pm.

There is very little to say about Nicky Henderson’s six-year-old that has not already been said, with six racecourse outings to date yielding six sensational victories.

His 22-length romp in last season’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle suggested Constitution Hill was something out of the ordinary and he has only enhanced his reputation this term by winning the Fighting Fifth, Christmas Hurdle and Champion Hurdle, all with remarkable ease.

He faces an extra half-mile on Merseyside, but his big-race rider Nico de Boinville is unconcerned.

“He’s in really good order, he worked nicely on Saturday and schooled as well, so we’re looking forward to running him again,” he told Sky Sports Racing.

“We had the Lambourn Open Day on Friday, lots of people came to see him and he didn’t turn a hair, which was amazing. He’s got a very good disposition and seems to take it all in his stride.

“I don’t think that (two and a half miles) will be a problem.”

Henderson has already raised the possibility of Thursday being the last time we will see Constitution Hill run over hurdles, with a pre-summer schooling session over fences set to take place before connections make a decision on which path he will take next term.

De Boinville added: “We’ll see what comes on Thursday and we’ll go from there, but I think it’s in the back of our minds to at least give it a go.”

Epatante won last year’s Aintree Hurdle for Henderson and while she was blown away by Constitution Hill at Newcastle and Kempton earlier in the season, she takes him on again in defence of her crown.

Speaking in his Unibet blog, Henderson said: “Everything has gone very well since Constitution Hill’s effortless victory in the Champion Hurdle. I’ve got no worries whatsoever about the step up to two and a half miles and let’s hope he can add to his already impressive CV.

“Epatante is unfortunately bumping into Constitution Hill again which obviously makes it a very tough ask, but she’s recovered well from Cheltenham and has been in good form at home.

“We gave her a nice easy time after the Mares’ Hurdle, so she comes here fresh and happy and won this race last year in fine style.”

Gordon Elliott’s Zanahiyr and the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained I Like To Move It also renew rivalry with the red-hot favourite after finishing third and sixth in the Champion Hurdle four weeks ago.

The field is completed by Willie Mullins’ Sharjah and Alan King’s veteran Sceau Royal, who is fitted with cheek pieces for the first time.

“There’s the one standout horse in the race and the rest are pretty much evenly rated,” said King.

“He’s in good form the old boy and I hope he can pick up a bit of prize-money.”

Aintree’s three-day Grand National meeting is set to start on predominantly good to soft ground on Thursday.

Following a wet day on Monday when over 10 millimetres of rain fell, Tuesday was much drier but it was rainy and windy on Wednesday.

The ground is reported to be good to soft on the hurdle and chase tracks, while conditions are described as good to soft, soft in places on the National course itself, with further rain anticipated.

Clerk of the course Sulekha Varma said: “Officially we’ve had about three millimetres of rain according to the rain gauge, though due to the high winds I think realistically that may have been distorted and we’ve probably had more – it’s certainly walking that way.

“I’m expecting further rain tonight, possibly another 4-6mm, but we’ll see. We’re expecting sunny spells and scattered showers on Thursday and 1-2mm and similar again on Friday, except for heavier showers and up to 5mm.”

Constitution Hill is the star turn in Thursday’s William Hill Aintree Hurdle, while the Alder Hey Aintree Bowl Chase has drawn a strong field of six, including Bravemansgame, Ahoy Senor, A Plus Tard and Shishkin.

Varma added: “We’re absolutely delighted with the quality of the races on Thursday, they are out of this world really, fantastic. And Friday looks pretty good as well, we’re very pleased.

“To attract horses like Constitution Hill and a race like the Bowl, it is what this festival is about really. It’s what everyone has been pushing towards all these years, so it is great to be rewarded.

“That extra week between Cheltenham and now has helped. Very early on the trainers cottoned on and were planning for it. Because they had that extra week, it just takes the pressure off them a little bit I think.”