NICKY HENDERSON admits he is ‘very sad’ at the prospect of Constitution Hill being BLOCKED from his pre-Cheltenham run on the Flat at Southwell.
The £40,000 1m4f novice has attracted way more attention than usual with the former Champion Hurdle king entered.
But he has fallen on the wrong side of ballot rules, meaning he needs horses to be pulled from the SBK-sponsored race before he can run.
Depending on the number of runners in the race, Constitution Hill currently needs either two or four horses to be scratched.
Those numbers look likely to be reduced by one with Hughie Morrison confirming Secret Squirrel is unlikely to go after running in last Saturday’s Kingwell Hurdle.
We will know for certain the situation on Wednesday at 10am, when declarations for the 7.30pm race – which will be shown live on ITV – are made.
In reality it looks like the horse will get to run, with bookies making it 2-9 he gets a spot.
Southwell chiefs had been licking their lips in anticipation of Constitution Hill’s run.
The Festival hero is on a huge comeback mission after falling in three of his past four races.
A run on the all-weather and in a Flat race would have been utterly unthinkable for Michael Buckley’s nine-year-old not that long ago.
But his hurdling career has gone off a cliff and legendary boss Henderson is doing all he can to restore the horse’s confidence.
In his own words, though, it would be ‘Sod’s law’ were Constitution Hill to miss out.
Henderson, who has not said for definite whether Constitution Hill will go to Cheltenham Festival in three weeks, told the Racing Post: “Let’s hope there’s a couple in there who don’t need to run.
“It’d be very sad if he didn’t get in because a lot of work has gone into putting this together and it’s had a lot of media coverage, which has been good fun.
“It’s a good thing it’s caused a lot of interest, but it’ll be a pity if he has to miss the party.
“It would be Sod’s Law, but life is life.”
The BHA issued a statement clarifying the situation.
They posted a photo of the elimination sequence for the race with the following message: “The below is the elimination sequence for the SBK Road to Cheltenham Novice Stakes.
“Please note the elimination sequence lists horses in order in which they would be eliminated, so the horse at the top of the list would be eliminated first.
“For priority order therefore please read this from bottom up.”
FREE BETS – GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org.
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chases their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
- Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
- Gamble Aware – www.gambleaware.org
Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.