Weeks After Scratching Constitution Hill, Trainer Opens up on Champion Equine’s ‘Build Up’ to Cheltenham

During March, there is the Cheltenham Festival, which is one of the most anticipated events out there. With so many G1 events planned, the festival always meets the fans’ demand to watch horse racing at its finest. But the horses are the real showstoppers, and the audience has already picked their favorites for the 2024 season. Among these horses, the undefeated Constitution Hill has an enormous fan base because of its outstanding career.

Trainer Nicky Henderson made an official statement to the public in January when the fan-favorite horse was scratched from its 2024 season opener. This was a serious setback since the horse needed those races to prepare for the big race in March. Henderson has, however, recently made a statement about Constitution Hill that the world of horse racing may be looking forward to.

A new hope for Constitution Hill

In January 2024, the undefeated Constitution Hill was set to begin its season in the Unibet Hurdle. But Nicky Henderson said that he opted to scratch the horse because it wasn’t race-ready. The trainer was worried that his champion horse would race ill-prepared and suffer an injury that would limit its future potential. Even though they had originally intended to run Constitution Hill at the Cheltenham Festival in March, after the scratch, the horse’s future was unclear.

The well-known trainer recently revealed their new strategy. According to Road To Cheltenham’s X post, Nicky Henderson said that the horse is “starting his build up.” All eyes will be on the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, a race that the horse has won for the last two years in a row. Already in preparation for the G1 race, the trainer has made the horse his first focus. With a few weeks remaining and a clear sense of direction, Henderson also sent a positive message, saying, “He’s fine, we’ve got five weeks to go and we know where we are.” Because the trainer is familiar with Constitution Hill’s performance at the Cheltenham Festival, it was always going to be one of his race goals.

A race of thousand emotions

An early favorite among the spectators at the 2023 G1 Unibet Champion Hurdle was Constitution Hill. In the 2022 season, the horse triumphed in the same event and went on to win every subsequent race. As he and six other horses lined up at the Cheltenham Racecourse, it was a momentous day for everyone associated with the champion horse.

ALSO READ – Unfortunate News Hits Horse Racing World as Constitution Hill Bows Out From Unibet Hurdle

In the process of overcoming each hurdle, Constitution Hill was leaving its imprint on the course. As his horse sprinted dominantly down the track, Henderson never took his eyes off the binoculars. Constitution Hill had already grabbed the lead in the last stretch, and no other horse was even close. Henderson, visibly moved, remained in the grandstand as his horse swiftly passed the finish line. Everyone at the track was enthralled by the performance of the horse, which would go down in the annals of horse racing.

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