Nicky Henderson has hailed Constitution Hill as the “special one” ahead of his bid to retain the Champion Hurdle title at the Cheltenham Festival.
Michael Buckley’s supremo has won eight from as many starts during his career and aims to further his legend on Tuesday March 12.
The seven-year-old has not been seen since cantering to a nine-length victory in the Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day.
Trainer Nicky Henderson, who has 73 Festival winners to his name, said of Constitution Hill: “There’s an element of…pressure’s not the right thing, but responsibility certainly comes into it, because he is the special one at the moment and long may it last.
“As you know with him nothing worries him. We’re in good shape. I’d be pretty happy that we’re exactly where we were with him this time last year or this time coming into Christmas.
“He’s in good form. At Christmas obviously he had been ready because he should have gone to Newcastle so he was very well prepped for the Christmas Hurdle. But he is again here – straight after Christmas he was back in work because we were trying to get to Cheltenham but he didn’t miss anything there. But I’d still like that one good away day, that’ll do him.”
Constitution Hill eased to victory in the Christmas Hurdle
Luccia, another Seven Barrows star, is also set to run in the flagship race.
Henderson, who has amassed nine Champion Hurdle triumphs throughout his glittering training career, was quick to play down a Prestbury Park rivalry with Willie Mullins.
He said: “Willie and I can have plenty of fun and have a good game between us. We’re good mates.
“I don’t know what they’ll do [with State Man]. I think the main thing in this game is that we know what we’re trying to do and we’re going to concentrate on what we’re doing. There’s no point in concentrating on what everybody else is up to. They’ve got their plans to make and we’ll concentrate on ours.”
Constitution Hill remains undefeated but Henderson conceded he will fall short one day, much like Altior in the 2019 Christy 1965 Chase.
It won’t last forever – it can’t. All good things come to an end. With Altior it took 19 races before it came to an end but that was only because Henderson ran him in heavy ground against Cyrname and that wrecked it.
“It was my fault,” said Henderson. “I should have stood my ground and not listened to lots of rather annoying people who insisted that you’ve got to run these horses.
“They’d given me so much grief for taking him out of races and then I don’t take him out and look what happens. End of horse, literally, it was the end of his career, so you don’t make those sorts of mistakes too often.
“The worries of having horses like him [Constitution Hill] – and I don’t think too many people feel sorry for me – but you’ve got to be careful of what you’re doing and be mindful. You’ve got to do what is the right thing by the horse.”