Constitution Hill’s Newcastle return 'unlikely' doubt after new training setback

Trainer Nicky Henderson posted a video connected his societal media relationship detailing different contented has emerged with the 2023 Champion Hurdle victor since his disappointing gallop connected Tuesday

Constitution Hill is lame putting his planned instrumentality successful adjacent Saturday’s Fighting Fifth Hurdle successful superior doubt.

The unbeaten hurdler, victor of the 2023 Champion Hurdle, was forced to miss this year’s Cheltenham Festival owed to unwellness and has not raced since Boxing Day past year.

As portion of his warm-up for a much-awaited instrumentality to enactment helium took portion successful a gallop astatine Newbury connected Tuesday.

However helium failed to radiance successful the workout with stablemate Sir Gino and had to beryllium pushed on to decorativeness alongside his companion, nether a motionless James Bowen.

In the aftermath Constitution Hill was displaced arsenic favourite for adjacent year’s Champion Hurdle portion his likelihood were connected the drift for the Fighting Fifth.

The seven-year-old was owed to gallop connected Friday but the workout did not spell up arsenic helium was recovered to beryllium lame.

Breaking the news, Henderson said: “Constitution Hill is presently lame. This wasn't instantly evident aft his gallop astatine Newbury connected Tuesday, but for the past 48 hours helium has been sore. For what crushed we are inactive unaware.”

He continued: "I'm presently investigating. This, arsenic I'm definite everybody volition appreciate, is simply a tragic occupation for us. We person to study wherever we are and helium is inactive nether investigation.

"We're trying to find the crushed for it, which is not apparent, and we volition support everybody posted, but astatine this signifier you'd person to accidental helium is improbable to marque adjacent Saturday astatine Newcastle.

"I person to corroborate to everybody this is not a status telephone – helium is not – helium was agleam and breezy aft his gallop but we person this issue."

Coral pushed Constitution Hill retired to 5-1 (from 5-2) for the Champion Hurdle, for which Sir Gino is arsenic 3-1 chance.

The firm's David Stevens said: "With Constitution Hill improbable to statesman his run successful the Fighting Fifth adjacent weekend, a decisive triumph for either State Man oregon Lossiemouth successful Punchestown's Morgiana volition spot them cement their presumption arsenic wide favourite for the Champion Hurdle."

Henderson suggested connected Tuesday that Sir Gino could beryllium utilized arsenic a back-up astatine Newcastle if Constitution Hill couldn’t run.

But connected Friday helium said determination was nary determination connected Sir Gino’s information adding that the four-year-old would not beryllium declared for a beginners’ pursuit astatine Kempton connected Monday.