Henderson must make the right call for Constitution Hill only

Whether he eventually does or does not take his chance in the Unibet Champion Hurdle on the opening day of the upcoming Cheltenham Festival, there must be no doubt that trainer Nicky Henderson and owner Michael Buckley must make the decision based on what is best for Constitution Hill, and that no other factors should come into play, write Paul Alster.

A crucial February 25 schooling session should shed a little more light on just how seriously the great former champion hurdler is currently taking his jumping of obstacles, especially given his stunning performance of the week before when he routed some fair horses in a mile-and-a-half Southwell novice event, a scintillating Flat debut at the age of nine that raised the roof on the usually sparsely populated Rolleston grandstand.

The presence of Constitution Hill resulted in something approaching a ten-times bigger crowd at Southwell than is usually the case on a February evening. Once he stormed into the lead over two furlongs out the crowd went crazy, understanding they were witnessing something special from a horse who has a unique place in the consciousness of the racing public. Along with many others, I doubted that he would be able to win but was proved spectacularly wrong as he raced to a runaway near ten-length success, and a likely official BHA rating in the 100s.

I agree with the views expressed by the majority of racing experts and fans of the sport, that having already scaled the heights of the jumping game, Constitution Hill has nothing left to prove in that sphere. Having fallen in three of his last four starts, the possibility that yet another fall for this great horse could be his last, is one I don’t wish to contemplate. He could potentially have a new career awaiting him on the Flat with races like the Ebor Handicap, the Melbourne Cup, and many others already mentioned.

When the decision is finally made as to ‘will he or won’t he’ run in the Champion Hurdle on March 10, I would like to think that the fact that the Henderson stable is sponsored by the Champion Hurdle sponsors Unibet, will not in any way weigh on the veteran handler’s calculations. Henderson has a long-standing relationship with the prominent online betting site – he is one of a number of major racing yards that have sponsorship agreements in place with betting organisations – and it goes without saying that the sponsors of the two-mile championship race would dearly love to see one of the most popular horses in many years take his chance in their race. The publicity would be priceless.

Henderson famously has very strong emotional ties to his horses and a tear is never far away from those blue eyes when his charges are in the thick of championship action. Any horse can get injured at any time – a single false step can prove disastrous in some cases – they are notoriously fragile creatures despite their size and power.

For everyone’s sake, it would surely be best for Henderson, for the image of the much scrutinised racing industry, and most importantly for Constitution Hill, if he is not to be asked to risk tackling the Champion Hurdle having clearly struggled with obstacles in his most recent starts. This hugely talented gelding should be trained to tackle the 2026 Flat season where further legions of racing fans looks sure to come his way whether he wins, loses or draws.

Paul Alster has broadcast and reported on the British racing industry for four decades as a commentator, journalist, TV and radio presenter, betting correspondent, SP Returner, tipster and form analyst, among other things.