Reigning Champion Hurdle hero Constitution Hill’s participation in the 2024 renewal on Tuesday 12th March is in doubt after Nicky Henderson’s star produced a poor piece of work at Kempton Park on Tuesday morning and it’s seen his odds for the event lengthen significantly and State Man is now challenging for favouritism.
A facile winner of the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton Park on Boxing Day, Constitution Hill has not been seen on the track since that December win and Henderson was giving some of his top stars a workout on the all-weather at Kempton today to get them fully tuned up for the festival in two weeks time.
However, Constitution Hill languished back in third place of the three horses working, which also included Triumph Hurdle hotpot Sir Gino, and Nico De Boinville immediately dismounted him and it forced the Seven Barrows team to have him scoped, where mucus was to be found.
Later on in the afternoon, Henderson reported on his Twitter account that Constitution Hill will be given antibiotics and it’s now a race against time for the Champion Hurdle.
Such developments has seen State Man slashed in the betting for the Champion Hurdle and the recent Irish Champion Hurdle, who was thrashed last year by Constitution Hill at Cheltenham, is now the clear ante-post favourite with some bookmakers, who have him odds-on.
For those bookmakers who go Non Runner No Bet, they are offering 1/2 on each of State Man and Constitution Hill, so it’s a worrying couple of weeks for the Henderson team, who will be hoping their class act can take his chance and try to maintain his unbeaten record under Rules.