Constitution Hill a major doubt for Champion Hurdle after dirty scope and below-par workout leaves Nicky Henderson stunned

Constitution Hill's Cheltenham Festival appearance hangs in the balance after he posted his worst ever performance on a racecourse at Kempton on Tuesday morning, trailing home well behind two stablemates in his final serious bit of work before the defence of his Champion Hurdle title. 

It was a wholly unexpected turn of events for jump racing's equine superstar that left his trainer Nicky Henderson and owner Michael Buckley looking rather stunned among a small huddle of onlookers after he galloped on the all-weather circuit.

There is now significant doubt about whether the seven-year-old, unbeaten in eight races, will be fit to race at Prestbury Park in a fortnight’s time. He was immediately scoped in the racecourse stables and Henderson emerged soon after to report signs of an infection in the horse’s airways.

“He stopped rather like a horse that had bled, but thankfully he hasn’t bled,” the Lambourn trainer said. “Significant mucus” was visible in the sample, however, and much now depends on the severity of the infection from which Constitution Hill is suffering.

Nico de Boinville debriefs Nicky Henderson after Constitution Hill's disappointing gallopCredit: Edward Whitaker

“I’ve got the sample in my pocket and that’ll go straight to the lab but you can see there is something there. It’s meant to be gin clear and it’s not. It’s a bit of a shock to us." 

Henderson posted a further update on X on Tuesday afternoon confirming Constitution Hill would begin a course of antibiotics and will be scoped again on Friday.

He said: "The sample from his tracheal wash has shown a small increase in the number of neutrophils, indicating a respiratory infection which is significant but far from drastic.

"He will start a course of antibiotics immediately and we plan to rescope him on Friday in order to monitor which way this is going. Both our own vet and the racecourse veterinary surgeon who scoped him feel we definitely have a chance of correcting this in time and we will be doing everything possible to do so."

Nico de Boinville riding Constitution Hill at Kempton on TuesdayCredit: Edward Whitaker

As Henderson noted, Constitution Hill gave two dirty scopes a week apart in mid-January that resulted in him missing a race on Festival Trials day at Cheltenham. “It seems that it might have come back to haunt us,” he said.

Haunt was the mot juste, because connections of the great horse looked as though they’d seen a ghost when Constitution Hill plodded past at the end of the gallop, about a dozen lengths behind Triumph Hurdle favourite Sir Gino and an unidentified stablemate, believed to be Kim Muir entry Quick Draw. Suddenly, a routine and predictable gallops morning was electrified by the fact something was amiss with the shortest-priced favourite for the upcoming festival.

Betting on the Champion Hurdle was soon suspended and when it reopened at lunchtime it was State Man who was odds-on, most firms putting last year’s runner-up at 1-2. Having been 1-4, Constitution Hill was pushed out to 5-4 by Champion Hurdle sponsors Unibet.

For firms offering the non-runner no bet concession, there is the complicating factor that, if Constitution Hill is able to race, it will be because he has made a quick recovery. Henderson is known for his cautious approach, which has limited the horse to one outing this season, and he will want to be assured of the horse’s wellbeing before sending him to Cheltenham.

“Of course you’re worried, you’d be crazy not to be,” he said. “Something’s gone wrong, obviously. I’m sorry I can’t tell you exactly where we are. I’m certainly not going to rule him out at this stage. 

“If he’s not clean in a week’s time, he ain’t going to get there in another week, probably.” Referencing Kempton’s vet, he added: “Jamie says you can knock this on the head within a week, if you’re lucky. There’s no point in saying that’s it, it’s all over. We’ve got to try. We don’t give up lightly.”

Nicky Henderson (right) and owner Michael Buckley (centre) with Kempton clerk of the course Barney Clifford (left) after watching Constitution Hill's gallopCredit: Edward Whitaker

Henderson has spoken many times of his pre-festival nerves that make the end of February and the start of March a period to be endured rather than enjoyed. But having to watch his best chance crumble before his eyes as reporters gaped alongside him was surely one of the most trying experiences of his career.

Hope survives. Hard-nosed users of the Betfair exchange appear to have settled on 7-4 as the correct price for Constitution Hill as things stand. Those who have taken shorter odds must now put up with at least a week of uncertainty.

Bravemansgame and others from the Paul Nicholls yard were also at Kempton and appeared to work well. As the drama unfolded, their grooms quickly boxed them up and made haste towards the M3, lest the misfortune of others prove to be catching.

Constitution Hill: a stop-start season

December 1 Constitution Hill and Shishkin travel north for Newcastle’s Fighting Fifth Hurdle fixture the following day only for the meeting to be cancelled due to frozen ground. The Seven Barrows stars spend the night at Doncaster before returning to Lambourn.

December 9 The same two horses were declared for the rearranged Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Sandown but were withdrawn on raceday morning due to the heavy ground.

December 26 Constitution Hill makes a successful return in the Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle at Kempton, winning the race for a second time and extending his unbeaten record under rules to eight. He justified odds of 1-12 in beating Rubaud by nine and a half lengths.

January 15 An unsatisfactory scope leads to Constitution Hill missing the Unibet Hurdle – his planned run before the festival – on Trials day at Cheltenham on January 27. 

February 27 Constitution Hill disappoints in his awayday exercise on Kempton’s all-weather track, with a subsequent scope showing evidence of mucus. There is now doubt over his participation in the Champion Hurdle.

Unibet Champion Hurdle, 3.30 Cheltenham, March 12

William Hill (non-runner money-back market): 1-2 State Man, 4-6 Constitution Hill, 5-2 Lossiemouth, 5 Irish Point, 10 Not So Sleepy, Zarak The Brave, 12 bar

Read more . . .

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