A possible switch to fences and a Cheltenham Gold Cup bid was being considered for the star hurdler, who won the Champion Hurdle in 2023; Nicky Henderson confirmed on Tuesday morning that he would remain over hurdles this season
Tuesday 19 September 2023 13:59, UK
Champion Hurdle star Constitution Hill will stay over hurdles this season, trainer Nicky Henderson has announced.
The six-year-old is unbeaten in seven career starts to date, with six of those victories at Grade One level, including a nine-length triumph in last season's Champion Hurdle.
Following Constitution Hill's Aintree Hurdle verdict in April, Henderson, owner Michael Buckley and jockey Nico de Boinville discussed a possible switch to chasing over the summer.
However, they have now decided to remain over the smaller obstacles, with another Champion Hurdle success the ultimate aim.
Henderson told Sky Sports Racing on Tuesday: "Would he jump fences? We haven't had a chance to do that yet with the ground very quick but you could do.
"I have full confidence that he would jump a fence, he would. The decision came down to simply, would he stay three and a quarter miles around Cheltenham?
"There's no point in going chasing unless we were confident we could turn him into a Gold Cup horse and the answer was no.
"We didn't think he would stay - we've got a horse here who breaks records over two miles and if you can do that, the chances of you staying are very slim.
"If we took a poll on hurdles or fences, the majority would say why would you go chasing?
"It might be a bit more ambitious to go chasing and try to win a Gold Cup but we simply feel he wouldn't stay - there's no point going chasing to win the Champion Chase.
"I've never been worried about two-and-a-half - we were going to start in the Ascot Hurdle over the Fighting Fifth but had to switch to Newcastle due to the fast ground and that's what we'll do this year.
"There's a very big difference between two-and-a-half and three-and-a-quarter, especially at Cheltenham."
Henderson also laid out the path for Constitution Hill's upcoming campaign, starting with the Grade One Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle, live on Sky Sports Racing.
"The main thing is we know exactly what we've got to try to do. We'll start off in the Fighting Fifth, then there's only 20-odd days until the Christmas Hurdle.
"This year what is different is they have moved the Unibet International to Trials Day at Cheltenham (January 27) when it used to be in December. That gives us another race potentially, before Cheltenham in March.
"We'll see what happens after that because then you have Aintree and Punchestown."
