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Constitution Hill is set to face just four rivals when he puts his unbeaten record and huge reputation on the line in the Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day.
Constitution Hill is set to face just four rivals when he puts his unbeaten record and huge reputation on the line in the Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day.
The pre-eminent star of National Hunt racing, Nicky Henderson's charge was nothing short of sensational in last season's Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham and was similarly impressive on his reappearance in the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle last month.
The five-year-old left his Champion Hurdle and dual Christmas Hurdle-winning stablemate Epatante trailing in his wake at Gosforth Park, but after freezing temperatures scuppered her intended appearance in the International Hurdle at Cheltenham, she takes him on again.
Nico De Boinville will again do the steering on Constitution Hill and although conditions turned soft on Friday following 18 millimetres of rain, he expects his mount to take it in his stride.
"We have lost up-and-comers Knappers Hill and I Like To Move It It at the overnight stage, but we all know how good Epatante, who has won this race twice, is, and how effective Sceau Royal is around here as well, so complacency and over-confidence is not an option. It never should be," he said assessing the race in is Unibet blog.
"But everyone saw how good Constitution Hill was in the Supreme and he was again awesome in the Fighting Fifth on his return, a race in which he was 10 out of 10 in every department. It is a privilege to ride him. Horses as good as him make our job look very easy, and I have nothing more to add really.
"Extremes of ground are not ideal for most horses and heavy would not be ideal, but soft around here should be fine for him, and let's just hope the winning run continues."
Third in the betting is Alan King's stable stalwart Sceau Royal. The 10-year-old has won 17 races over hurdles and fences combined, but clearly has his work cut out in this company.
Harry Fry's Metier, who was last seen winning the November Handicap on the Flat, and the Chris Gordon-trained Highway One O Two have even more to find on official ratings – but the latter is a course and distance winner and bolted up in what looked a competitive handicap hurdle at Ascot last month.
Gordon said: "I've popped him in there and if he improves 35lb I've got it in the bag!
"At the end of the day we'd saved him for the £150,000 handicap at Ascot last weekend and unfortunately that got cancelled.
"There's not much else for him and there's fantastic prize-money on offer in the Christmas Hurdle. My boy will jump off and go his gallop and what will be will be.
"I don't really like doing this type of thing, but he's old and wise enough and there's just not a handicap suitable for him at the moment after the race at Ascot was called off.
"We'll go to Kempton, the owner can have a nice day and it would just be nice if we can get a bit of prize-money to bring back home."