‘It’s not what any of us wanted. I think he’s the best hurdler around when he stands up’ – Constitution Hill receives heroic Cheltenham send off
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Nicky Henderson and Michael Buckley were taken aback at the levels of support racegoers showed towards Constitution Hill when he paraded before the first race on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival.
The 2023 Champion Hurdle winner has been involved on day one of the festival three times since 2022 – the year he won the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle – but his jumping days are now over. His sole focus is on the Flat following a winning debut at Southwell last month.
A bumper crowd surrounded the winner’s enclosure and parade ring to witness Constitution Hill at Cheltenham for the final time, and his owner Buckley still finds it hard to comprehend how loved his nine-year-old is.
He said: “He’s popular, but maybe he’s become more popular in some ways for having his off days and failings.
“It’s not what any of us wanted. In an ideal world, he wouldn’t have been sick, he wouldn’t have fallen, and he would have been coming here to win the Champion Hurdle for the fourth time in a row. It may sound arrogant, but if he stands up, I think he’s the best hurdler around. I’m allowed to think that because he’s my horse, but this is a different kind of feeling.”
Reflecting on Constitution Hill’s winning debut on the Flat, Buckley added: “I didn’t expect that, and it turned into an amazing sports event. It was very emotional, and we all got emotional. He’s got one hell of a following.”
Henderson echoed the words of his long-time ally and believes his 11-time winner deserved a fitting farewell to his jumps supporters.
“It’s lovely and great that everyone’s come to see him. It’s a goodbye to Cheltenham, but we might have a veterans’ bumper here one day,” he joked.
Constitution Hill: romped home on his Flat debutCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)
“It’s sad it’s come to this, but we had to face the only solution. I wouldn’t like to think what state Michael and I would be in if he were going to run in the Champion Hurdle. We’ve saved ourselves from that, and Michael deserves a bit of respite because of the dramas of the last 12 months.”
However, the Lambourn trainer has yet to pinpoint Constitution Hill’s next target.
Henderson said: “We have a few options. We’d like to have a spring campaign, so we might miss the summer. There’s nothing really for him at Royal Ascot, so he can concentrate on the autumn when the ground eases up. I’ve just got a passport, I know that, so we’ll go off somewhere together.
“There’s another novice at Kempton at the end of next week, and he could go to that. He had a bit of a fat knee this morning, so we need to see if he can work at the weekend. We’ll try to sort out where we go before the end of this week.”
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