Nicky Henderson, the seasoned trainer, has officially declared that Constitution Hill will continue to compete over hurdles for the upcoming season. The six-year-old sensation boasts an impeccable record of seven wins in as many career starts, with six of those triumphs at the prestigious Grade One level. Among his victories was a remarkable nine-length win in the previous season’s Champion Hurdle.

Following Constitution Hill’s outstanding performance in the Aintree Hurdle in April, there were discussions among Henderson, the owner Michael Buckley, and jockey Nico de Boinville about transitioning the horse to chasing over the summer. However, after careful consideration, the trio has decided to keep him in hurdle races, with the ultimate goal being another Champion Hurdle triumph.

Henderson shared his thoughts with the PA news agency, stating, “After extensive deliberation and seeking advice from all corners of the racing world, we’ve made the decision to keep Constitution Hill over hurdles. While some may question this decision, it was a straightforward one for us. We considered schooling him over fences, and he has shown he can handle them, but our primary concern was his ability to stay three and a quarter miles in the Gold Cup.”

He continued, “Switching to fences would have led us down a path of running in races like the Arkle and Champion Chase, but the Champion Hurdle holds a special place in our hearts. Nico was confident that stamina could be a significant issue, and we agreed that pursuing the Gold Cup dream was the right course.”

The unanimous decision among Henderson, Buckley, and De Boinville was not made in haste, as Henderson explained, “It may have taken three months, but we were all certain it was the right choice.”

Had Constitution Hill pursued chasing, the aspiration was to replicate the legendary Dawn Run, the sole horse to win both the Champion Hurdle and the Gold Cup. By remaining in hurdle races, given his dominance in the division, the aim could now be to match the five previous three-time Champion Hurdle winners, which includes Henderson’s See You Then, or even set a new record with four titles.

Henderson expressed his optimism, saying, “The great thing is that he’s still young enough to break records. If we were going to switch to chasing, it had to be now. While this decision stands for the time being, you can never say never. He’s currently six years old and will turn seven in March.”

He added, “We’ve been fortunate to have smooth preparations over the last two years, with no setbacks. That kind of luck is rare in horse racing. The important thing is that we have a clear plan. We’ll begin with the Fighting Fifth, followed closely by the Christmas Hurdle, which is only a few weeks away. Additionally, the Unibet International has been moved to Trials Day at Cheltenham in January, which provides us with another race opportunity before the Cheltenham Festival in March.”