Racing

Constitution Hill survives scare at the last in another dominant display at Cheltenham

Nicky Henderson’s stable star paddled through the final obstacle during Festival Trials day

Constitution Hill ridden by jockey Nico de Boinville clips the final hurdle on the way to winning the Unibet Hurdle during Festival Trials Day at Cheltenham. Photograph: Bradley Collyer/PA Wire
Constitution Hill ridden by jockey Nico de Boinville clips the final hurdle on the way to winning the Unibet Hurdle during Festival Trials Day at Cheltenham. Photograph: Bradley Collyer/PA Wire
Sat Jan 25 2025 - 15:32

All roads leads back to the Champion Hurdle for Constitution Hill after he survived a hair-raising mistake at the final flight to seal victory in the Unibet Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Nicky Henderson’s stable star was nothing short of sensational when claiming Champion Hurdle glory in 2023, but was unable to defend his crown last term following well-documented health problems.

However, having proved his ability remains very much intact with a successful defence of the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton Park on his St Stephen’s Day comeback, Henderson decided to turn the eight-year-old out a month later for Festival Trials day and he was a prohibitive 1-12 chance to dispatch of five inferior rivals.

After initially taking a lead off Brentford Hope, Nico de Boinville felt the pace was too sedate for Constitution Hill heading down the back straight and allowed him to stride on jumping the fourth obstacle.

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He did not see another horse from there home and while the packed grandstands gasped when he paddled through the final obstacle, it did little to stop his momentum as he cruised up the hill under his motionless rider to score by three lengths.

Brentford Hope boxed on to finish a clear second, with Spirits Bay back in third.

De Boinville admitted to ITV Racing: “My heart was in my mouth, he was doing everything so easily, but he found a leg and is hardly blowing. I’m delighted with him, just angry at myself more than anything.

“He was just half-asleep. I’d say if I’d woken him up after the second-last you’d be going forward, but he was doing it so easy. I just said to the boss we’re going to have to work him next week because he’s had an easy time of it there.

“He is special, as I’ve always said he’s a horse of a lifetime and everything went to plan bar the last. He felt as good as ever. I don’t know if he can be better, but he was good.”

Henderson said: “I’m pleased he ran today because Nico said he was so fresh and with no disrespect to the others, he said he hasn’t done anything there and I need to work him tomorrow – so I think he’s coming in to ride him!

“He came out of Kempton so much better and quicker than I thought he would and my first reaction was ‘we don’t have to go through all that again until March’. But a week later he was just full of it. I did wait until last week before I dared stick my head up and say we would run because I didn’t want to tempt fate, but he’s just been brilliant all the way through. It’s nearly been too straightforward.

“He deserves this bit of luck, Michael [Buckley, owner] deserves this bit of luck and we all deserve the luck, but we’re here now and we’ve got four or five weeks to play with and apparently I need to keep working him.”

He went on: “Michael thinks he has probably toughened up a bit in a funny way and he’s enjoyed it. I haven’t watched the last hurdle yet, but I probably don’t want to!

“It was quite a good idea to get a mistake out the way before March and it won’t teach him anything obviously. It’s the first time we’ve seen him do anything like that, but if you remember he was very long in the Champion Hurdle a few years ago and now he’s decided to do it the other way. He just wasn’t doing much and it was maybe a little bit of boredom. I wouldn’t say he was cocky as such, but he was very much like ‘Okay, what are we doing’.

“He’s just had a nice spin and it’s saved us a lot of galloping at home. We know where we are now and we can take it easy. As much as Nico says work him tomorrow, he will have a quiet week and then we will start the engines up again and prepare for the invasion.

“It will be interesting to watch Leopardstown next weekend. Gordon [Elliott] has told me he’s not going to run the mare [Brighterdaysahead] again before March so we won’t get any clues about her, but Willie [Mullins] will have a few up his sleeve.

“Gordon’s mare looked very good and we know there is Lossiemouth and State Man, so we can’t just drop our guard. Our job now is just to get there and if we can get there in the form he is in today we will go with big hopes.”