Newcastle optimistic conditions will be right for withdrawn stars on Saturday

Newcastle is optimistic conditions will be on the slower side for its flagship jumps meeting on Saturday raising hopes that two of racing's most exciting stars, Constitution Hill and L'Homme Presse, may run a week on from their late withdrawals on a decimated Ascot card.

Constitution Hill, a brilliant winner of last season's Supreme Novices' Hurdle and the ante-post favourite for the Champion Hurdle, was kept in contention for the Grade 1 Betfair Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Monday's confirmation stage, while Brown Advisory Novices' Chase victor L'Homme Presse featured among the entries for the Rehearsal Handicap Chase.

Both Cheltenham Festival winners figured among 15 non-runners at Ascot last Saturday, with quicker than ideal conditions, leaving a threadbare card of just 30 runners, a novice handicap chase walkover, and a wave of disappointed racegoers and pundits.

Although Nicky Henderson has also mentioned the International Hurdle at Cheltenham on December 10 as a possible option for Constitution Hill, Newcastle is hopeful conditions will be suitable for last weekend's big absentees to take their chance seven days on.

Newcastle has had 79mm of rain in the last six days and clerk of the course Eloise Quayle said: "We're soft, good to soft in places. We've had an inch and a half of rain since our last meeting last Thursday but it has dried slightly since, when we raced on soft ground.

"It would be remiss of us to totally rule out anything at the moment, but we're hopeful of some slower ground. It won't be really slow, but we're hoping it'll be on the slow side.

"We are due to get rain in forecasts. Some of them are disagreeing with each other and are being changeable this week, but we will just have to see."

The Henderson-trained Epatante remains a narrow 8-11 favourite with sponsors Betfair for the Fighting Fifth, a race she won dominantly in 2020. She also shared the prize last year with Not So Sleepy, another of the six runners in contention for Saturday's £115,000 prize.

Pied Piper, Tommy's Oscar and Voix Du Reve complete the six contenders, but it is the possible presence of 5-4 shot Constitution Hill, that has officials at the Gosforth Park track excited.

Quayle added: "Both races look fantastic, but it's very exciting and a privilege to have those two stars entered at this stage and it would be great if they can both come up. Hopefully we can have a few showers between now and then so they can turn up."

Venetia Williams indicated on Sunday L'Homme Presse, a general 10-1 chance for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, could take in the Betfair-backed Rehearsal Chase and the seven-year-old's participation would bolster a stellar card.

L'Homme Presse: could bolster a stellar Newcastle cardCredit: Edward Whitaker

He has been installed as the 3-1 favourite for Saturday's race, although Chantry House, Aye Right and Happygolucky are among the potential opposition.

Contenders Hurdle scrapped

Henderson will have one less option for his Champion Hurdle hopes later in the season after Sandown confirmed the Contenders Hurdle has been scrapped.

The Seven Barrows trainer has successfully used the Listed contest as a stepping stone to the Cheltenham Festival with Binocular and Buveur D'Air, but it has been deemed a "surplus opportunity".

Sandown's head of racing and clerk of the course Andrew Cooper said: "We review the entirety of our race programme at Sandown Park annually to ensure it is fully optimised to provide interesting and competitive racing, and following recent discussions with the industry’s Jump Pattern Committee our combined view was that the Contenders Hurdle is now a surplus opportunity.

"As such, we felt the most sensible outcome was to remove the race with immediate effect as part of our ongoing efforts to provide a compelling programme. Our plan is to replace it with a Class 3 bumper, which could be a nice lead into similar contests at the spring festivals."

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