Constitution Hill gives Nico De Boinville a scare

Nico De Boinville admitted “my heart was in my mouth” after Constitution Hill survived a hair-raising mistake at the final flight to seal victory in the Unibet Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Nicky Henderson’s stable star was nothing short of sensational when claiming Champion Hurdle glory in 2023, but was unable to defend his crown last term following well-documented health problems.

However, having proved his ability remains very much intact with a successful defence of the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton Park on his Boxing Day comeback, Henderson decided to turn the eight-year-old out a month later for Festival Trials day and he was a prohibitive 1-12 chance to dispatch of five inferior rivals.

After initially taking a lead off Brentford Hope, Nico de Boinville felt the pace was too sedate for Constitution Hill heading down the back straight and allowed him to stride on jumping the fourth obstacle.

He did not see another horse from there home and while the packed grandstands gasped when he paddled through the final obstacle, it did little to stop his momentum as he cruised up the hill under his motionless rider to score by three lengths.

Brentford Hope boxed on to finish a clear second, with Spirits Bay back in third.

A relieved De Boinville admitted: “My heart was in my mouth, he was doing everything so easily, but he found a leg and is hardly blowing. I’m delighted with him, just angry at myself more than anything.

“He was just half-asleep. I’d say if I’d woken him up after the second-last you’d be going forward, but he was doing it so easy. I just said to the boss we’re going to have to work him next week because he’s had an easy time of it there.

“He is special, as I’ve always said he’s a horse of a lifetime and everything went to plan bar the last.

“He felt as good as ever. I don’t know if he can be better, but he was good.”

Henderson said: “I’m pleased he ran today because Nico said he was so fresh and with no disrespect to the others, he said he hasn’t done anything there and I need to work him tomorrow – so I think he’s coming in to ride him!

“He came out of Kempton so much better and quicker than I thought he would and my first reaction was ‘we don’t have to go through all that again until March’. But a week later he was just full of it. I did wait until last week before I dared stick my head up and say we would run because I didn’t want to tempt fate, but he’s just been brilliant all the way through. It’s nearly been too straightforward.

“He deserves this bit of luck, Michael (Buckley, owner) deserves this bit of luck and we all deserve the luck, but we’re here now and we’ve got four or five weeks to play with and apparently I need to keep working him.”