“All Going According to Plan”: Trainer Nicky Henderson Opens Up on Constitution Hill’s Cheltenham Future

The Cheltenham Festival is a goal for many European horse owners and trainers. Included in this remarkable group of horses is Constitution Hill, which has maintained an unblemished record since the 2021 season. But when Nicky Henderson pulled the horse from the first race of his 2024 season, supporters were understandably disappointed. It occurred in January and sparked a major outcry; Henderson addressed it later.

Horse racing fans are reasonably worried, as Constitution Hill’s last race was the Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle (Grade 1), which he won with such dominance at Kempton Racecourse. There is still a little less than a month until the Cheltenham Festival, so naturally, many are concerned about the horse’s chances there. Nicky Henderson, nevertheless, has now provided an update, revealing that the horse will be competing in the Unibet Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy (Grade 1) at the prestigious event.

A calming verdict of Nicky Henderson

At this point, any news on Constitution Hill is sure to go viral. With an eight-run winning streak under his belt, this horse has been unstoppable since his maiden race defeat. Constitution Hill has won the Cheltenham Festival twice in his lifetime, in 2022 and 2023. However, when he was missing from the pre-Cheltenham races this season, everyone began to worry. While trainer Nicky Henderson has been candid about his horse over the years, he revealed some good news about the gelding in a recent post from Road To Cheltenham on X.

“He’s doing very well,” the trainer said, addressing the horse, who began his “build-up” last weekend. In addition, Henderson asserts that they are “four weeks” away from the Cheltenham Festival, and that “everything’s on schedule and it’s all going according to plan.” Constitution Hill “doesn’t feel the pressure” since the horse is prepared for a stint, but the trainer emphasizes this is an “important time” for the creature. Given how thrilling it was to see him win at Kempton in the 2023 season finale, the community is expecting nothing less from this horse this time around.

Completely showcasing his dominance

A massive audience gathered at Kempton Racecourse for the Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle (Grade 1), one of the last events of the 2023 season. The track was prepared with eight hurdles, and the G1 race was accessible to horses older than 4 years old. Although there were six horses entered, only five actually raced since Nemean Lion was the only non-runner.

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However, Constitution Hill completely destroyed his rivals. As if it were a work of art, the horse expertly leapt over every single barrier. And then, with just two hurdles to go, he seized the lead. Constitution Hill won the G1 race at Kempton Racecourse with a flourish in the last stretch, leading the field by 9½ lengths. The audience was ecstatic because the gelding put up a dominating display.

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