- Constitution Hill made a perfect return to action with victory on Boxing Day
- Racing’s biggest star triumphed in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton
- He could now chase a fourth Champion Hurdle success for Nicky Henderson
Nicky Henderson is aiming to rewrite history with Constitution Hill after jump racing’s biggest star maintained his unbeaten record.
Running for the first time since April, Constitution Hill was sent off a prohibitively priced 1-12 to win the Christmas Hurdle for the second year in succession and that he did, showing the kind of gear change you would associate with a Group One Flat horse.
Henderson, owner Michael Buckley and jockey Nico de Boinville felt it was wise to keep the gelding away from fences at the start of this season and the ambition is now to potentially win Cheltenham’s Champion Hurdle four times — a feat that has yet to be achieved.
‘You have got to try and enjoy this,’ said Henderson, after Constitution Hill had beaten Rubaud by almost 10 lengths without ever being close to hitting top gear.
‘It’s nice that it all still works as it should. He’s not run since April and there are a lot of things that can happen in that time.
Constitution Hill won the Christmas Hurdle for the second year in succession on Boxing Day
‘Horses don’t train on, they get problems, but he’s here. And his technique is absolutely unbelievable.
‘He will come on for this. Nico said to me, “You will never know what that was like at the second last — I just let him go”.
‘The turn of foot and the speed he was going was just extraordinary.
‘I’ve never seen a horse jump a hurdle so fast in my life.’
