Cheltenham Festival news: Nicky Henderson backs Constitution Hill for Cheltenham glory at preview night
With the Cheltenham Festival just days away, legendary trainer Nicky Henderson is brimming with confidence about Constitution Hill’s chances of defending his Champion Hurdle crown.
Speaking at Old Gold Racing’s Cheltenham Preview Night at Clarkson’s pub, Henderson declared his superstar hurdler is “good to go” as he prepares to take on a highly competitive field.
Despite some weather-related setbacks in training, Henderson remains optimistic. “Constitution Hill had his last proper gallop this morning (Tuesday),” he said.
“We’ve been trying to school him the last couple of days, but the frost has gotten in the way. Hopefully, we can do that soon. Otherwise, he’s good to go.”
The presence of Brighterdaysahead, who is expected to have a pacemaker, has added intrigue to the race.
“For the life of me, I can’t see how you need a pacemaker to go faster than she goes,” Henderson joked.
“They must have drafted in a six-furlong sprinter! The good thing for Constitution Hill is he stays.
“They can go as fast as they like…He can live with whatever pace they want to go.”
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Pauling’s Diva Luna “back to her best”
Fellow trainer Ben Pauling also expressed confidence in his runner, Diva Luna, who has overcome a challenging season to return to form.
After a promising start to her career, setbacks derailed her momentum, but Pauling now believes she’s ready to shine again.
“She’s in here as a 12 or 14/1 shot, and I think she’s back sparkling,” Pauling said.
“It’s the first time we’ve seen her back to how she was last year.
“I thought she’d be an even-money shot for this race at the start of the season, and while we haven’t had the season we hoped for, we have got the mare that we thought we had back again.”
With plenty of excitement building ahead of the Cheltenham Festival, the insights shared at Old Gold Racing’s preview night have only added to the anticipation.
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Photo credit: Old Gold Racing
