Nicky Henderson’s Champion Hurdle star Constitution Hill erased any doubts surrounding his fitness with a sparkling gallop at Kempton Park ahead of this year’s Cheltenham Festival.
The eight-year-old delighted Henderson with his powerful workout, putting last year’s setback firmly behind him as he gears up for another tilt at the Unibet Champion Hurdle tomorrow afternoon.
The unbeaten hurdler boasts a flawless record under rules, winning all 10 of his starts, with eight of those triumphs coming at Grade 1 level. However, his journey over the past year has been far from smooth.
A disappointing gallop at Kempton 12 months ago revealed a respiratory infection that forced him to miss the 2024 Champion Hurdle. Just weeks later, a suspected bout of colic ended his season early, while further setbacks – including lameness and a subdued showing in his early-season work – delayed his return to the track.
Despite those challenges, Constitution Hill reasserted his dominance with a commanding victory in the Christmas Hurdle on Boxing Day. He then produced another statement performance on Trials Day at Cheltenham, confirming he was back in top shape.
His latest gallop at Kempton only reinforced that belief, as he effortlessly pulled clear of work companions That’s Nice and Aston Martini under jockey Nico de Boinville.
“I wasn’t really intending on coming to Kempton for a gallop, but he did a bit of work at home and Nico felt it would still do him good. So he came and did that as well,” Henderson exclusively shared with the team at Unibet post-Kempton.
While the outing was never intended to be a major test, it served as the perfect mental and physical sharpening exercise. “I think it amuses him as much as anything; I knew he was going to have to do about another four gallops, probably at home, to get here. They can become fairly monotonous. I know he loves doing it, and he’s very good at telling a young whippersnapper, young horses, that they’re not very good as he just goes straight past them.”
The gallop, far from a hard workout, was more of an enjoyable exercise for Constitution Hill, whose presence alone was enough to turn heads. “I have to tell you, when he goes past you, by God, you know something’s gone past you. He was flying!” Henderson added.
With his fitness concerns firmly put to bed, Constitution Hill is now on course to reclaim his Champion Hurdle crown on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival. The Grade 1 contest, run over two miles and half a furlong, boasts a prize fund of £450,000, making it the second-richest event of the Festival.
Henderson is already the most successful trainer in Champion Hurdle history, with an unmatched nine victories to his name. Now, he has the chance to extend that record further with a horse many consider one of the best hurdlers ever to grace the sport.
Having missed last year’s renewal, Constitution Hill will now look to recapture the title he won so emphatically in 2023. Five horses in history have won the Champion Hurdle three years in a row, the most recent being Istabraq (1998-2000). And while Constitution Hill’s unplanned absence denied him a shot at that milestone, his current form suggests he remains the dominant force in the division among the likes of Lossiemouth and Brighterdaysahead.
“I think it’d be hard to say he’s better, but I do think he’s as good as we’ve had him,” Henderson admitted. “Obviously miles better than last year. But if you go back to the Supreme Novice Hurdle and Champion Hurdle – he’s back in that sort of shape, definitely.”
