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Daily Mirror
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
"He'll be back" - Constitution Hill retirement talk quashed by trainer Nicky Henderson
Henderson has given Mirror Racing the latest update on Constitution Hill after the hurdler was beaten 27 lengths by State Man at the Punchestown Festival on Friday Nicky Henderson intends to race on with Constitution Hill once the top thoroughbred has been given time to recover from the Punchestown Festival. The 2023 Champion Hurdle hero failed to show any of his old brilliance behind all-the-way winner State Man in Friday's feature race. With James Bowen deputising for injured colleague Nico de Boinville, Constitution Hill was heavily backed by members of the huge crowd and went off the 8-13 favourite. However he was slow to start when the tape was released and after a big leap at the first flight, was soon in trouble as Paul Townend kicked from the front on State Man. British raider Golden Ace finished an honourable second with Constitution Hill 27 lengths behind the Willie Mullins-saddled winner in fifth. The disappointment led to discussion among racing fans about the former hurdling great's future on the racecourse. Speaking to the Mirror and Express on Saturday, Henderson said: "Constitution Hill will be back for next season. "His immediate future plan is out in the field, he will have a summer holiday like he normally does. We have found a few things but they aren't excuses." Although unable to challenge for top honours in the Boodles Champion Hurdle, it was the first time Constitution Hill's had completed in three races. The eight-year-old fell heavily at the Cheltenham and Aintree festivals and he was having his first run for Seven Barrows outside of Britain yesterday. Constitution Hill helped draw a modern day record crowd of 42,138 people to the circuit, situated around an hour from Dublin. Punchestown's vet reported the winner of £881,823 from ten triumphs had grazes to his right hind cannon bone and was sore post race, while Bowen reported his mount stopped quickly. "The whole of Ireland came to see him yesterday so it was a shame we didn't get the result," Henderson added. "He will be on his way home tonight and back to his own bed. He's fine and just has some sore muscles. We will give him time to get over this season."
Daily Mirror
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Horse racing tips: Four to follow at the Punchestown Festival and Newmarket on Friday
The ITV Racing cameras will show races from Newmarket's Betfred Guineas Festival on Friday 2 May. The course's top trainer over the past three years Charlie Appleby has a couple of leading chances. Meanwhile at Punchestown, Constitution Hill clashes with State Man in the Boodles Champion Hurdle The Betfred Guineas meeting begins at Newmarket on Friday as Punchestown's festival reaches day four. Here Mirror Racing picks out four horses to keep an eye on.... Fifty Nifty - 3.30 Newmarket Tom Clover's trainee has had just five races in his short career. He made a perfect start in a Yarmouth maiden event last April and built on further experience to land a Class Two handicap on Newmarket's July Course. Rounding the season off, the talented thoroughbred made good headway over a furlong out and led in the closing stages. Then given a traditional winter break when jump racing took over, Fifty Nifty returned a couple of weeks ago with a close course and distance second. A bit short of room at an important stage, he ran on to press all-the-way winner Ten Pounds. It went down as another improved effort from Fifty Nifty and he is fancied to confirm the form with a couple of these. Silver Knott - 4.05 Newmarket Globetrotting stayer Silver Knott looks to be one of several excellent rides for William Buick, who has a 30 per cent track strike rate in the past three years and a very similar one with the Group Two Betfred Jockey Club Stakes approaching. And it looks an ideal target for Charlie Appleby's five-year-old, who back in 2022 landed the Autumn Stakes on the Rowley Mile so there are no concerns on that front. Mostly campaigned in America, Silver Knott showed his versatility when controlling the Dubai City Of Gold event at Meydan in March and he took his first two starts after a break last year. Theatre Native - 5.25 Punchestown The Rachael Blackmore-ridden mare showed just how good she can be when taking a premier handicap for novice mares at Cheltenham's April Meeting. Sent on from the seventh fence, Theatre Native travelled well and gave her supporters a smooth ride by keeping it simple from the front, putting in accurate leaps. Her next target is tougher with 20 runners declared, including shortlisted Henry de Bromhead-trained stablemates Nara and Native Speaker. But at this stage of the season it is worth sticking with a mare at the top of her game and her previous form was franked, suggesting she might rate higher still. State Man - 6.40 Punchestown The Willie Mullins-saddled star played his part in a dramatic Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in March. Constitution Hill exited early, leaving an open goal for Brighterdaysahead, but Gordon Elliott's mare underperformed on the afternoon. The setbacks should not take anything away from the performance of State Man however, in command when he came down with the race at his mercy. Cheekpieces gave the multiple Grade One scorer extra impetus and a Boodles Champion Hurdle hat-trick on home soil awaits.
