Nicky Henderson: why Constitution Hill will run on Festival Trials Day

Nicky Henderson explained to Racing TV viewers on Thursday afternoon why he has given Constitution Hill  the green light to contest the Unibet Hurdle at Cheltenham on Saturday week.

The master trainer had intimated his unbeaten star would head straight to the Champion Hurdle on March 11 in the aftermath of his comeback success in last month's Christmas Hurdle at Kempton following a year off.

However, he said on Thursday that Constitution Hill was an intended runner on Festival Trials Day, where he will be the headline act on what is always an informative card.

Talking to  Nick Lightfoot after saddling Ideal Des Bordes to win at Wincanton, he said: "After Kempton I was pretty keen to keep the dampeners on everything and say we'd probably go straight to the Festival, but we wanted to see how he was.

"We've had that chance now and he's just come through everything well. We know there's a lot of room for improvement – well we think there is – but he's taken to everything very well.

"My first reaction would've probably been no, but Michael was keen and I was, only if he was right. After a fortnight he was saying to us that he was fine. We missed so much of last season so let's get out and get on with it.

"He's bright in himself and he'll have a bit of work in the morning. His participation is obviously subject to everything going well with that, but it's better to say now that it's what we intend to do. We'll jump a hurdle next week as that'll flick his switch and it'll tell him it's coming. He seems great and everyone is very happy at home, which is very important."

The nine-time Champion Hurdle-winning handler added: “A week is quite a long time in a horse's life and there's still plenty of things that could go wrong, But if all goes well our intention is to be at Cheltenham on Saturday week. I want to get him out there."

Constitution Hill had suffered a string of minor issues before returning in a blaze of glory at Kempton, where he fended off top-class mare Lossiemouth, who had usurped him as Champion Hurdle favourite.

"A lot of water went under the bridge in those 12 months," Henderson said. "We had three different issues that went wrong and there was plenty of public opinion on what was going on. All we were doing was telling people what was going on, but whether people choose to believe us is up to them.

"Here we are and I want to get him out. A week is a long time in a horse's life – there are a lot of things that could go wrong – but it is our intention to be at Cheltenham."

A couple of days after that record-breaking third Christmas Hurdle victory, the Gordon Elliott-trained Brighterdaysahead was a spectacular 30-length winner at Leopardstown, with State Man, who won the Champion Hurdle last season in the absence of Constitution Hill, a distant third. 

Henderson was watching on and said: “That was interesting, wasn't it? On face value, she was incredibly impressive. She went a right good gallop.

"The one thing we do know is that Constitution Hill is capable of going that gallop, whereas at Kempton we seemed to take Lossiemouth out of her comfort zone. 

"Whatever Gordon’s mare is going to do, we'd like to think we could keep tabs on her. It's going to be fascinating, but we're going to have a run in between which hopefully won't spoil the party.” 

Constitution Hill has won each of his nine races under Rules by an aggregate of 101 lengths and featured among 16 entries for the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday.

He is a general 5-6 to regain his two-mile crown after missing last year's edition because of a lung infection.

It is unclear who he will face on Saturday week, with the Irish Champion Hurdle taking place a week later at the Dublin Racing Festival. It's unlikely his participation will encourage Irish raiders to travel over.

 "We have all been very happy with Constitution Hill since the  Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day and he has taken the race particularly well.

"It is a race we unfortunately had to miss last year but everything has gone very well since Christmas and he will have a gallop tomorrow which will put him spot on for a week’s time."

He added: "The decision was quite easy because he has just been very well in himself, he looks great, and I really am delighted with how he has come through Kempton, so that is our plan.

"He doesn’t need to, but he will jump five hurdles between now and then, more so to amuse himself and Nico, because it’s certainly not amusing for me, it’s frightening watching him! Matty Gill, who rides him every day, says he feels great and from what I can see as well, I think this is the right decision.

"Consequently, with that in mind, it is our intention to run him again in the Unibet Hurdle at Cheltenham on 25th January en route to, hopefully, regaining his Unibet Champion Hurdle crown in March.

"He had a spin up the grass on his own earlier in the week and looked in very good order so Prestbury Park here we come."

Henderson also had news on Palladium, the German Derby winner who was bought for €1.4million at the Arc Sale back in October.

He said: “Everything is going nicely with Palladium who schooled very, very well this morning and we are going to be launching him soon. The plan is to appear over hurdles in the very near future.”