No trip worries for Henderson as Constitution Hill returns

Sparkling Supreme winner steps up in distance.

All eyes will be on Constitution Hill at Ascot on Saturday as Nicky Henderson’s potential superstar makes his highly-anticipated return to action in the Coral Hurdle.

The master of Seven Barrows admitted to wondering what his former stable jockey Barry Geraghty had sold him in May of last year, with the then four-year-old reportedly showing little in his early training.

But that apparent laid back nature is perhaps Constitution Hill’s biggest weapon and he left no one in any doubt of the huge firepower he possesses on the track last season, with three facile successes, culminating in a scarcely believable 22-length demolition job in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

Henderson has not made any secret of what the Blue Bresil gelding can do on the Lambourn gallops once the button was found and eventually pressed, describing a handful of workouts as “frightening”, while a recent schooling session had him purring.

He said: “It (schooling) was extraordinary because every horse we have now has got to learn to jump a white hurdle and we have tons of them who, when you show them a white hurdle, they’re like pigeons scattering, just when they first see one – and then it’s bang, bang, bang.

“This horse just turned straight in, jumped five hurdles all on his own and was just like an arrow. It was the first time he’d seen a white hurdle and the first time he’d seen any hurdle since the Supreme.”

Constitution Hill will step up from two miles to the best part of two and a half at Ascot, but his trainer does not see it as a concern.

“I don’t think the trip will worry him. He was narrowly beaten in a point-to-point and the beauty of him is he’ll switch off,” Henderson added.

“If he was a free-running horse I would be frightened to death, but not with this fellow. He’ll go to sleep, I think, for as long as Nico (de Boinville, jockey) wants him to and he can switch him on as early or late as he wants to.”

Brewin'upastorm in action at Cheltenham
Brewin’upastorm in action at Cheltenham (David Davies/PA)

The horse rated the biggest threat to Constitution Hill by bookmakers is Brewin’upastorm, who unseated Sean Bowen at the first flight on his reappearance at Aintree a fortnight ago.

Trainer Olly Murphy has been happy with his stable stalwart since, but is under no illusions about the task he faces this weekend.

He said: “He’s in good form, obviously he’s facing a near impossible task beating Constitution Hill, but he schooled well under Aidan (Coleman) who is back on him because Sean is going to Haydock. There’s good place prize money and we’ll do our best.

“It (Aintree) didn’t take anything out of him and he’s schooled well since.

“You can’t be afraid of one horse, they do get beat, albeit very unlikely – we’ll give it our best shot.”

Following a bitterly disappointing chasing debut here last month, the enigmatic Goshen is sent back hurdling by trainer Gary Moore.

The six-year-old likes a right-handed track but must concede 3lb to the red-hot favourite and is rated 13lb inferior.

“He’s in great order. We could have run in another novice chase at Kempton on Monday, but he can get more prize money for being placed at Ascot than he can for winning at Kempton,” said the trainer.

“He likes Ascot and somebody has got to give Constitution Hill a lead, haven’t they?

“We’ve got to give him a bit of weight as well, which is bonkers, but there you go.”

The Alex Hales-trained For Pleasure and Uhtred from Dan Skelton’s yard complete the line-up.

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