Constitution Hill will miss Cheltenham
Constitution Hill will not run at the Cheltenham Festival, trainer Nicky Henderson has announced.
The unbeaten and defending Champion Hurdle hero worked poorly at Kempton Park last Tuesday, putting his participation in major doubt.
A scope showed mucus in his lungs and despite slightly more positive news in the following days, results of a blood test on Thursday proved to be another blow.
He was scoped again on Friday morning, with Henderson saying that "showed the Neutrophil percentage, indicative of infection, was back to normal parameters with no mucus evident".
However, he stressed another blood test yesterday would probably prove to be the "acid test", and on receiving the results he posted on social media: "Very sadly we are going to have to admit defeat in the battle to get Constitution Hill ready for the Champion Hurdle and therefore have to declare that he will not be running there this year.
"He has improved over the weekend and seems noticeably brighter than he was at the end of last week and I really did think he was much perkier when ridden this morning.
"Unfortunately the all important blood test shows that although the figures have also improved, they are quite a way from being satisfactory for a horse to commence serious training and to race in a week's time.
"It is in everybody's best interests that we ensure we have a fit and healthy Constitution Hill to win back his crown next year.”
State Man, who finished second at Cheltenham last year, is now the 1-3 favourite for the Champion Hurdle with Coral.