Constitution Hill may head to Cheltenham
NICKY HENDERSON has 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 reappearance at Ascot on Saturday.
Now Henderson and owner Michael Buckley are favouring a return to Cheltenham – the scene of the five-yearold’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle romp 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 Epatante set to seek a third success in the Christmas Hurdle, Henderson is considering a tilt at Leopardstown’s Matheson Hurdle 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 (Champion Hurdle Trial).”
Willie Mullins’ State Man justified odds of 4-9 in Punchestown’s Grade One Morgiana Hurdle to earn a 4-1 (from 8-1) Champion Hurdle quote with Ladbrokes. “He’s probably not Champion Hurdle class, jumping-wise, yet but he has improvement in him,” said Ireland’s champion trainer.