Unibet International Hurdle
Grade 2, Cheltenham 15:00
£125,000 guaranteed,
4yo plus,
2m 179y, Class 1  
Saturday 25th January 2025

FormRatings

1 Constitution Hill 1/12F
2 Brentford Hope 10/1
3 Spirits Bay 28/1
5 ran Distances: 3l, 2¼l, 3l
Time: 4m 20.47s (slow by 23.47s)

All roads now lead to the Champion Hurdle for Constitution Hill after a heart-stopping moment at the final flight couldn’t deny him victory.

Nicky Henderson’s stable star, scintillating when claiming Champion Hurdle glory in 2023, had missed his title defense last year due to well-documented health setbacks. But the eight-year-old proved his brilliance remains intact with a stylish victory in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day. Henderson opted to give his charge another outing on Festival Trials Day, where he started as the prohibitive 1-12 favorite against five vastly inferior rivals.

Initially content to track Brentford Hope, Nico de Boinville judged the early gallop too sedate and allowed Constitution Hill to stride on down the back straight. From that point forward, he turned the race into an exhibition, cruising along effortlessly and leaving his opponents toiling in his wake.

However, a collective gasp swept through the Cheltenham grandstands when the superstar hurdler made an uncharacteristic mistake at the final flight. Yet such is his class that it barely halted his momentum, and with his jockey motionless in the saddle, Constitution Hill powered up the hill to win by three lengths.

Brentford Hope battled gamely to take second, with Spirits Bay running on into third.

Speaking to ITV Racing, De Boinville admitted: “My heart was in my mouth when he clipped the last. He was doing everything so easily, but he found a leg, and he’s hardly blowing. I’m delighted with him, just angry at myself for letting that happen.”

This victory cements Constitution Hill as the undisputed favorite to regain his crown at the Cheltenham Festival in March, with the Champion Hurdle now firmly in his sights.

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Unibet International Hurdle (Grade 2)
£125,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 2m 179y, Class 1
5 ran
Going: Soft, Good to Soft in places

POS. DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1     Constitution Hill 8 11-10 Nicky Henderson Nico de Boinville 1/12F
2 3 Brentford Hope 8 11-4 Harry Derham Jonathan Burke 10/1
3 2¼ Spirits Bay 7 11-4 Nigel Twiston-Davies Jordan Nailor 28/1
4 3 Fils d'Oudairies 10 11-8 Gordon Elliott Sean Bowen 18/1
5 1¼ Joyeux Machin 8 11-4 Dan Skelton Tristan Durrell 80/1

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