Constitution Hill gets Punchestown 'green light' as Nicky Henderson gives update
Constitution Hill will run at the Punchestown Festival 'barring any hiccups' in a planned schooling session in the coming days, trainer Nicky Henderson has confirmed.
The Seven Barrows trainer had considered competing in Ireland after Constitution Hill's fall in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, but then chose to enter him in the Aintree Hurdle earlier this month. Unfortunately, the horse stumbled again at the second last hurdle.
With his usual jockey Nico de Boinville currently out of action, James Bowen took the reins for Constitution Hill's Friday morning gallop. The eight year old is now set to compete in the Boodles Champion Hurdle on May 2, provided he performs well in a forthcoming schooling spin.
'The news is good, and I'm delighted to say that we will give the green light for Constitution Hill to run at Punchestown next Friday,' Henderson said in his Unibet blog.
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'James Bowen rode him, which is ironic because the last time he sat on him was a few years ago when we finally discovered that he had an engine! He was the first person to discover that he was actually any good!
'They worked on the Jockey Club Estates All-Weather gallop, which we refer to as 'the back of the hill' and everything went exactly as I'd wanted; it was super and he is in great form and I couldn't have asked for more.
'He will school either tomorrow or Sunday and barring any hiccups he'll be heading off to the Emerald Isle."
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