Nicky Henderson declares Constitution Hill ‘ready for action’ after promising Newbury galloping run – as Britain’s most debated horse prepares for comeback at Coral Gold Cup

Nicky Henderson is itching to let Constitution Hill loose at Newcastle on Saturday week as he launched an impassioned defence of the nation’s most debated horse.

Constitution Hill worked at Newbury racecourse on Tuesday morning with his exceptionally talented stablemate Sir Gino; this was his first appearance in public for 267 days and he was the star attraction on a gallops morning organised ahead of the historic Coral Gold Cup.

In the piece of work, Constitution Hill finished just behind Sir Gino but the nature of his performance led to a wild reaction in the ante-post betting markets, with many firms pushing his price out for both the Fighting Fifth Hurdle – his target at Newcastle on Saturday week – and the Champion Hurdle.

Such is the interest in Constitution Hill, there was some disappointment that he did not zip clear of his galloping companion but Henderson, jockey Nico de Boinville and owner Michael Buckley were all content with what they saw and were adamant significant physical improvement will be forthcoming.

‘Don’t ever underestimate Sir Gino, he is a machine,’ Henderson said. ‘He is the only horse that can do it to Constitution Hill. 

‘He is very, very good. He had a good blow, which is the reason we came here. He’ll work again at the end of the week and, now we’ve got rain, he will have a school.

‘He’s ready for action. Oh (the engine) it’s still there. That made him work but there is no point in pussyfooting about. 

‘He had a bad scope (last January) then a bout of colic, but as long as you don’t have surgery it’s irrelevant. If he’d had colic surgery, I’d be worried but he got over it very quickly.’

There was huge frustration last season that Constitution Hill was limited to just one race – the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton – but Henderson went to great detail to explain the circumstances of what the gelding had been through. 

As far as he is concerned, no problems are lingering.

‘Look, he hasn’t died; he hasn’t been anywhere,’ said Henderson. ‘He hasn’t been injured. He just missed a race. 

‘He hasn’t got anything to prove. He’s already proved it, hasn’t he? You have got to get it out of your head that he has been missing or “will he come back?” He hasn’t been anywhere!

‘Sprinter Sacre (his former Champion Chaser) had been ill for a year and a half. That was a comeback. This horse isn’t coming back. He ran at Christmas! 

‘He hasn’t been damaged, he hasn’t been hurt, he hasn’t been wounded. I’ve been saying this for six months and nobody seems to understand.’

As far as Henderson is concerned, Constitution Hill will go to Newcastle in 12 days then head back to Kempton on Boxing Day before attempting to reclaim his Champion Hurdle crown from the Willie Mullins-trained State Man, who is owned – like Sir Gino – Joe and Marie Donnelly. 

‘He is serious,’ said Henderson, who is planning on giving Sir Gino his debut over fences at Kempton next Monday. ‘He is serious. He was the tragedy of last year, that he couldn’t go to Cheltenham. That is as good a four-year-old as I have seen.

‘Shishkin, Altior, Sprinter Sacre – they all went over fences much later. He’s four but he’s got the size and scope of a chaser; he’s been brilliant schooling. 

‘If he was required, for any unfortunate reason, he is there (for the Champion Hurdle). If anything happened to State Man, I’d think he’d get a call.’