Nicky Henderson vows to have Constitution Hill at 100 per cent for Fighting Fifth defence as entries revealed

Nicky Henderson is taking nothing for granted and has promised to have Constitution Hill fully primed to deliver in his battles before the Cheltenham Festival, starting with next month’s BetMGM Fighting Fifth Hurdle.

The unbeaten hurdler is rated at least 22lb higher than his 12 possible Newcastle rivals, prompting bookmakers to install him as the 1-6 favourite for the Grade 1 on December 2, but the six-time champion trainer rebuffed the suggestion his superstar hurdler need not be at 100 per cent because he is head and shoulders above the opposition.

 Given his superiority at Newcastle, and potentially in his other pre-festival targets such as the Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle at Kempton and the Unibet International Hurdle at Cheltenham in January, the temptation could exist to give Constitution Hill easy preparations for his races to keep him fresh for a showdown with the likes of State Man and Impaire Et Passe in the Unibet Champion Hurdle in March.

However, Henderson dismissed the idea that the six-year-old could – or should – be anything other than 100 per cent for the races, and said: “You can’t do that. I don’t think a horse that’s geared up for a race, especially a Grade 1 race where you can never have a presumption about what is going to happen, can not be 100 per cent.

“He will be fit and he will be ready to go and that’s the right way to be. If I sent him to the races and he was beaten ten lengths and everybody asked why and I said he was only 90 per cent fit then you can imagine the reaction.

Nico de Boinville and groom Jaydon Lee celebrate Constitution Hill's Champion Hurdle triumphCredit: Edward Whitaker

“Everything’s going to plan. Touch wood, his preparation is going very nicely and the ground on our gallops is absolutely beautiful at the moment so he’s getting in a lot of nice work on them.

“We’ll step him up again at the weekend and we’ll send him for a spin around a racecourse between now and Newcastle I would have thought. All being well we can take in this race and that’ll lead us nicely into Boxing Day after which we can make our next move.”

Constitution Hill turned in the first of four bombastic performances over hurdles last season in the Fighting Fifth, with the race the chosen destination for him to begin his journey to try to win a second Champion Hurdle after the decision was made in the summer to remain over hurdles.

Constitution Hill thrashed his stablemate, and 2020 Champion Hurdle winner, Epatante by 12 lengths at Newcastle last year, under regular rider Nico de Boinville.

Yet despite the ease with which Constitution Hill has won his races and the gulf in class he has over his rivals, Henderson does not believe he is likely to start turning in displays any less impressive this season, or become more idle in his races.

“He’s got such a good temperament, so I don’t think anything will worry him and I would like to think nothing will change from last season,” Henderson said. “He’s got an incredible brain on him and it’s a trait of his sire, Blue Bresil. He’s such an ABC horse it's stupid really – he’s so straightforward and has got such a good approach to everything.

“He did extremely well in the summer and he looks fantastic – I’m very happy with where he is three weeks out from the race.”

Constitution Hill could be reopposed by last year’s third Not So Sleepy and fourth, Voix Du Reve, in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle. His closest challenger on ratings is Love Envoi, who had been under consideration for last season’s Champion Hurdle before lining up in the Mares’ Hurdle, in which she finished second to Honeysuckle.

However, Love Envoi is officially rated 22lb inferior to Constitution Hill, albeit she would receive a 7lb allowance if lining up, putting into sharp focus the mountain any opponent to Constitution Hill faces this season.

BetMGM Fighting Fifth Hurdle entries

Benson Sandy Thomson
Black Poppy Kerry Lee
Constitution Hill Nicky Henderson
Jason The Militant Phil Kirby
Lookaway Neil King
Love Envoi Harry Fry
Nemean Lion Kerry Lee
Not So Sleepy Hughie Morrison
Salsada Brian Ellison
Sceau Royal Alan King
Too Friendly James Owen
Voix Du Reve Iain Jardine
You Wear It Well Jamie Snowden

Paddy Power: 1-7 Constitution Hill, 8 Love Envoi, 10 Nemean Lion, 14 You Wear It Well, 20 Not So Sleepy, 25 bar

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