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Constitution Hill, the unbeaten winner of the 2023 Champion Hurdle, is currently lame and “unlikely” to run in next weekend’s Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle, Nicky Henderson, the gelding’s trainer, said in a statement on X on Friday.
Constitution Hill has been off the track since extending his unbeaten record to eight wins in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on 26 December last year and the news that he has suffered a training setback follows a racecourse gallop at Newbury on Tuesday morning which Henderson said would ensure the seven-year-old was “ready for action” at Newcastle on 30 November.
“I’m afraid I have to report that we have a problem with Constitution Hill,” Henderson said. “He is currently lame. This wasn’t immediately apparent after his gallop at Newbury on Tuesday but the last 48 hours he has been sore, but for what reason we are still unaware and are currently investigating.
“This as I’m sure everybody will appreciate is a tragic problem for us as an issue, but we have to report where we are. He is still under investigation, we are trying to find the reason for it which is not apparent and we will obviously keep everybody posted but at this stage I think you’d have to stay he is unlikely to make next Saturday at Newcastle.
“I have to confirm to everybody this is not a retirement call, he is not [retiring], and he was bright and breezy after his gallop but we have this issue.”
Henderson later told Sky Sports Racing that “Wednesday everything appeared fine, Thursday he was lame, he’s still lame today and he was last night.”
The trainer added: “He’s sound at a walk, and there’s no obvious reason so he’s currently going through tests and examinations as we speak.
“To everybody it’s important because we want to get him back. This horse has never ever taken a lame step in his life. The only problems he’s ever had was a dirty scope last year and then the colic [in the spring], and a terrible gallop at Kempton [in late February] along the way, but he’s never, ever been lame and we have no idea why.
“It might be simple and I hope it is, and I hope we can mend it, repair it, get him sound as quickly as possible. If he’s sound tonight, he’ll go to Newcastle. But I am having to warn that I think it’s unlikely, but we’ll see.”
The news that Constitution Hill was a major doubt for his much-anticipated return to action was heralded by a steady drift in the ante-post betting for the Fighting Fifth on Friday morning which saw him replaced as favourite by his stable companion, Sir Dino.
Sir Dino is also among the five-day entries for the Beginners’ Chase at Kempton on Monday, a race which Henderson used to launch the chasing career of Altior, a subsequent Arkle Trophy and Champion Chase winner, in 2016. The final declarations for Monday’s race will be made on Saturday morning.
