Constitution Hill has been given his next target before he runs at the Cheltenham Festival.
The 2023 Champion Hurdle winner was unable to defend his crown due to illness last March. After a long absence due to a succession of issues, he returned for the first time in 12 months in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton.
The eight-year-old put a stop to doubts about his readiness with an emphatic win over champion mare Lossiemouth. As a result the unbeaten hurdler is 4-7 favourite with William Hill for the Unibet Champion Hurdle on March 11.
Trainer Nicky Henderson was initially undecided whether to give Constitution Hill another race or send him straight to Cheltenham. On Thursday he announced his decision in his blog for stable sponsor Unibet.
He revealed: “We have all been very happy with Constitution Hill since the G1 Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day and he has taken the race particularly well.
“Consequently, with that in mind, it is our intention to run him again in the G2 Unibet Hurdle at Cheltenham on 25th January en route to, hopefully, regaining his Unibet Champion Hurdle crown in March.
“It is a race we unfortunately had to miss last year but everything has gone very well since Christmas and he will have a gallop tomorrow which will put him spot on for a week’s time.
“The decision was quite easy because he has just been very well in himself, he looks great, and I really am delighted with how he has come through Kempton, so that is our plan.
“He doesn’t need to, but he will jump five hurdles between now and then, more so to amuse himself and Nico, because it’s certainly not amusing for me, it’s frightening watching him!
“Matty Gill, who rides him every day, says he feels great and from what I can see as well, I think this is the right decision. He had a spin up the grass on his own earlier in the week and looked in very good order so Prestbury Park here we come!”
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