Can you imagine having a stellar racing record since 2021? Well, Constitution Hill has been in incredible form since his debut in Sandown Park’s Great Friend ‘National Hunt’ Novices’ Hurdle. The colt did a remarkable job tracking leaders on the inside and led the thrilling race in the final stretch. Since then, he has made 7 more appearances on the track. However, one of the 7-year-old’s appearances on the track left everyone excited. 

On 14th March last year, the colt’s unbeaten record deemed him the favorite for the Cheltenham Festival. Ridden by Nicolai de Boinville, he etched his name in the record books as he galloped to victory. Despite only being his sixth race, he became the shortest-priced winner of the Champion Hurdle. On the other hand, the horse hadn’t stepped on the tracks since, and the equestrian community was reeling. The Bet MGM Fighting Fifth Hurdle would’ve been his first time back until a workout at Newbury on Tuesday. What really went down? 

Constitution Hill’s comeback might be up in the air

The unbeaten champion was set to make his much-awaited comeback. Bear in mind he hadn’t raced since Christmas, and fans were looking forward to seeing him back on the track. Many weren’t impressed as he galloped around with stablemate Sir Gino at Newbury. Shortly after, it was reported that he was lame. The 7-year-old went through an extensively long day of tests, including X-rays, ultrasounds, and MRIs. While they couldn’t initially find anything, they finally saw it. “The MRI scan has revealed there’s a bit of bruising in the pastern,” Nicky Henderson told Sporting Life. 

According to his trainer, Constitution Hill has a tiny mark in there. According to the reports, it seemed to be touching the nerve. However, there’s a silver lining. No part of the mechanism was injured. There doesn’t seem to be any damage, nor are his tendons or ligaments affected. Even though it doesn’t seem extreme, the colt is still lame. While Henderson doesn’t know much about the bruises, the vet did mention he had never seen this in 40 years.

While Constitution Hill will heal, the one thing that many want to know is how long it takes. They have been given a timeframe of three days or weeks. “If it’s three days we’ll get to Kempton, if it’s three weeks we wouldn’t get to Kempton,” he admitted. This can be a dicey situation.

If the healing process takes days, they would be okay with that. With just 10 days, they would have enough time to train him. However, if it takes longer, his much-awaited comeback would be nearly impossible. But this isn’t the first time he had to visit the vet. What really happened? 

7YO needed surgery to prepare for the comeback

After an unbeaten streak leading up to the Bet MGM Fighting Fifth Hurdle, Constitution Hill was preparing to repeat a victory-worthy finish. However, Nicky Henderson, who trains him, let the world know that the colt had undergone wind surgery. While the 7-year-old was in good form, he still was on the burly side due to the summer holidays.

Given the colt had only raced once since April 2023, he was preparing to take over the Fighting Fifth before it got called off due to snow on the track. As a result, he missed out on defending his Champion Hurdle crown at Cheltenham in March because of a respiratory problem. In fact, he had to visit the hospital with colic, adding more to the concern.

This came as a surprise to most, since he racked up eight consecutive victories without coming under serious pressure. While there wasn’t any evidence of wind issues, Henderson believed this would help the colt. Why’s that, you ask? Well, these operations often help the horse breathe efficiently when at full gallop.

While Constitution Hill underwent surgery, his trainer wasn’t worried about the outcome. His record with horses that race for the first time higher has been impressive.

For context, he has trained 10 winners out of 44 racers after an operation since 2023 and showcased a healthy level-stakes profit of 24.5 points. If the 7-year-old can pull off the speedy victory, we might witness him gallop to victory on November 30. Will you be watching?