Constitution Hill ‘up for it’ ahead of Festival prep

Some may have doubted Nicky Henderson in the Kempton winner’s enclosure on Boxing Day when he suggested Constitution Hill might well be seen again before the Cheltenham Festival.

Last season’s problems for the superstar hurdler have been documented many times over, so it was with understandable anticipation – and no doubt a little trepidation on behalf of his connections – that he was reappearing in the Christmas Hurdle, having not been seen in racing action since the same race 12 months previously.

No one should have worried, however, as he produced a performance that very much indicated his engines are fully intact, beating a lacklustre Lossiemouth by an easy two and a half lengths.

And with everything firmly back on track for him to reclaim his Champion Hurdle crown in March, so well has he been since Kempton that he now undertakes a prep run in the Unibet Hurdle on Festival Trials day.

Lossiemouth might have been in opposition for a rematch, but was not declared, and in her absence Constitution Hill is long odds-on against four inferior rivals, on paper at least.

Henderson said: “He’s in great form and came out of Kempton much better than I expected.

“I never thought we would be doing this, but he’s up for it, we’re up for it.

“Every day is full of excitement at the moment and you just have to get through all these weekends.

“In a few weeks’ time we will be walking into the gates of Cheltenham, hopefully with the horses in the form they are in now.

“Our big job is to hold that form, they are running well and looking well and we will be doing everything we possibly can.

“Every day seems to be a busy one now and you get one nervous one out of the way and walk straight into another. But if you weren’t getting the jazz and the buzz out of it, then it would only tell you that you don’t have any good horses.”

One horse poised for the challenge of Constitution Hill is Brentford Hope, but despite having a collection of England international cricketers among his ownership, Harry Derham is not expecting his stable flag bearer to hit the Seven Barrows superstar for six.

“I don’t think we’ll be slaying Goliath but we will be trying our best and if we could finish second I would be thrilled to pieces,” said Derham.

“I think it will be a weird little race as everyone other than Constitution Hill is going to be trying to finish second.

“Brentford was fresh and well on Monday and came out of Windsor well and when there wasn’t any entries, I just thought we would have a go. Obviously we’re under no illusions but if he could finish second, we would be delighted.

“He’s been a fabulous horse for the yard, he’s 146 now and life’s tough. But if he can pick up some prize-money then brilliant.”

Given the year-round cricketing calendar, none of Brentford Hope’s sporting owners will be at Prestbury Park to cheer their charge on, with Derham adding: “They’re all playing cricket.

“Jamie (Overton) and Liam (Livingstone) are in India, Craig (Overton) is in South Africa and Joe Clarke is in Australia, so they’re all working. Some of Brentford’s owners are going but the cricketers are all playing somewhere.”

Fils d’Oudairies (Gordon Elliott), Joyeux Machin (Dan Skelton) and Spirits Bay (Nigel Twiston-Davies) are the others with the unenviable task of taking on Constitution Hill.