Nicholls not envying Henderson call, as he readies Tutti Quanti for Cheltenham

Paul Nicholls does not envy the Champion Hurdle dilemma facing Nicky Henderson, as he prepares to launch his own tilt at the two-mile championship with the rapidly improving Tutti Quanti.

The Seven Barrows handler saw his 2023 champion Constitution Hill shoot to the top of the betting for the Cheltenham Festival’s opening-day feature with a sensational display on his Flat debut at Southwell on Friday night.

It was a performance that wowed 14-time champion trainer Nicholls, who while admitting he would be tempted to stick to the level if Michael Buckley’s nine-year-old was in his hands, feels racing has to “respect” whichever way connections ultimately decide to lean.

Nicholls said: “Nicky knows more about training Champion Hurdle winners than any of us, but I think Friday probably muddied the waters more than anything and (they) might have a bigger headache now because he was so impressive the other day.

“Everyone in racing has to respect Nicky whatever decision he makes.

“If it was me I think I would be so excited about the way he won the other day I would be looking forward to running him on the Flat. He’s won a Champion Hurdle and then three disasters and you wouldn’t want another, but it’s a difficult one for them.

“Everyone has opinions and Nicky is having everyone giving them to him, but he looked so good the other night, what a fun horse you would have for the Flat.

“He’s a public horse as much as anything and it’s a no-win situation. If he wins, brilliant, but if he falls or something like that then it’s a disaster, so I don’t envy them.”

While Constitution Hill’s Champion Hurdle participation could be decided following further schooling this week, Tutti Quanti’s own involvement will not be confirmed until the six-day stage when his team will need to pay the £18,000 supplementary fee.

However, after bolting up under top-weight in the prestigious William Hill Hurdle last time out, Nicholls sees “nothing to lose” in taking a shot in an open event with his six-year-old, who was not disgraced when sixth in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle last year.

On a Champion Hurdle bid, Nicholls said: “I need to speak with Colm Donlon (owner) and we’ve the luxury of being able to wait until six days beforehand and see what’s happening, but on the first day the ground is never going to be anything quicker than good to soft and if it’s like that then I would say there is nothing to lose.

“He’s improving rapidly and is now rated 151 which puts him in the picture and if it is an open race then why not have a go.

“It’ll be his last run before going chasing and I’m not convinced about carrying 12st again in a handicap like the County Hurdle – he looks a massive improver. It’s not set in stone, but I suspect he will.

“He improved from when he won the Gerry Feilden to the next day and he’s improved again since then. He would never work like he does now last year, he was backward but is just the finished article now.

“Sometimes when you get a young improver like that you don’t know where their ceiling could be and it wouldn’t surprise me if he went really well (in a Champion Hurdle).”