Constitution Hill out of Champion Hurdle and ready for the next chapter on the Flat

Constitution Hill, the brilliant 2023 Champion Hurdle winner, has been ruled out of this year’s race on March 10 and any further races over jumps following a training session at Nicky Henderson’s yard on Wednesday, with the trainer saying in a statement that “it is not fair to ask him and Nico [de Boinville, his jockey] to do it again” after three falls in the nine-year-old’s last four races.

The confirmation that Constitution Hill will pursue new opportunities on the Flat follows his astonishing debut at Southwell level four days ago. While some jump fans will rue that one of the best hurdlers in racing history won’t get a final chance to reclaim his former crown, others will be relieved that the risks associated with another fall have weighed more heavily in the balance than the appeal of one last run at the festival.

‘Michael Buckley [Constitution Hill’s owner] and not surprisingly, I have spent a lot of time soul searching and pondering the future of Constitution Hill,” Henderson said in a statement about X on Wednesday afternoon, “and have unfortunately concluded that he will not compete in the Unibet Champion Hurdle the following week.

“Last Friday evening was a magical occasion for all of us and we really appreciated his popularity and the love and admiration that everyone showed for Conrad, as he is affectionately known here. It was a wonderful evening for him, us and I believe the British [racing] and we are very aware of public perception and the possible consequences of crossing hurdles and do not feel it is fair to ask him and Nico to do it again.

Henderson continued: “He showed on Friday night that he still has a career ahead of him that could potentially take us all to new playing fields. I would like to thank the thousands of supporters and admirers of Constitution Hill who shared their feelings with us and offered advice on how we should move forward, and I would have to say the poll was as close to 50/50 as it could possibly be.”

“This is a sad day for many of us, especially for the National Hunt fraternity who would have loved to see Constitution Hill try to regain its crown, and sad for everyone here, especially for Nico, who has spent so much time solving our jumping problems.

“However, he makes the jumping world sound heard [and] happy and ready for the next chapter. It has been a dizzying journey so far and Michael has had to endure some dark days but has of course enjoyed the enormous highs and thrills of an extraordinary horse.”

Constitution Hill has been invited to parade at Cheltenham on Champion Hurdle Day, a year after he left as odds-on favorite before the autumn that marked the start of his jumping problems.

Henderson and Buckley, meanwhile, will now set up a schedule for their gelding to compete in major Flat Racing festivals both in Britain and around the world.

Buckley suggested November’s Melbourne Cup – the ‘race that holds a nation back’ – as a potential target in the wake of Constitution Hill’s win at Southwell last week, although the nine-year-old would have to meet strict veterinary and qualifying requirements to appear at Flemington later this year.

The Ebor Handicap at York in August – which is a ‘win-and-you’re-in’ for the Melbourne Cup, subject to veterinary checks – has also been suggested as a possible target, alongside Ireland’s St Leger in early September, which, unlike other major ‘Classic’ events, is not restricted to three-year-olds.

With Constitution Hill confirmed absent, Dan Skelton’s The New Lion is narrow favorite for the Champion Hurdle at 5-2. Brighterdaysahead, the Irish Champion Hurdle winner, is a 3-1 shot and Lossiemouth, the Mares’ Hurdle winner at the festival for the past two seasons, is 7-2.