Hendo maps out Hill campaign
NICKY HENDERSON yesterday mapped out a comeback for Constitution Hill in Cheltenham’s Unibet International Hurdle a fortnight on Saturday – followed by a possible trip to Ireland over Christmas.
Drying ground saw the 5-4 Champion Hurdle favourite ruled out of a planned seasonal reappearance at Ascot on Saturday. Now Henderson and Constitution Hill’s owner Michael Buckley are favouring a return to Cheltenham – the scene of the five-year-old’s 22-length Supreme Novices’ Hurdle triumph last March – over a clash with stablemate Epatante in the Grade One Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle on Saturday. “It’s only a Grade Two instead of a Grade One, but so what?” said Henderson yesterday.
“It’s worth £130,000 and he only gets a 3lb penalty, so why not go to Cheltenham?
“Michael wasn’t mad about going to Newcastle and the International would be a lovely race for him.”
With 2020 Champion Hurdle heroine Epatante set to seek a third success in the top-level Christmas Hurdle at Kempton Park on Boxing Day, Henderson is considering a tilt at Leopardstown’s Matheson Hurdle – Willie Mullins’ Sharjah has captured the last four runnings of the Grade One two-miler – three days later.
“The International is on December 10, so that would give us 19 days,” he added.
“It’s a possibility, otherwise you wait until Haydock on January 21 for the Champion Hurdle Trial.”