Constitution Hill impresses in pre-Cheltenham Festival gallop

Connections of Constitution Hill have been encouraged by an impressive public gallop as memories of last year were erased at Kempton Park.

The Nicky Henderson-trained superstar produced a lacklustre display in the build up to the 2024 Cheltenham Festival, as a poor gallop led to tests which revealed a respiratory infection.

The untimely bout of colic put paid to the defence of Constitution Hill's Champion Hurdle defence and he was subsequently ruled out of the rest of the season.

Further setbacks included more issues in a laboured gallop ahead of a planned seasonal reappearance in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle, leading to an absence until Boxing Day.

After triumphs in the Christmas Hurdle and the Unibet Hurdle either side of the new year, attention turned to Kempton this week where Constitution Hill was on top form to the delight of owner Michael Buckley.

“We’ve been so happy and you’ve just got to blank out last year," said Buckley.

"We knew before we actually came here last year that these horses weren’t flying and it was going to be harder to get through, whereas today everything has gone perfect."

Constitution Hill's next race will be the 2025 Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival where he will almost certainly go off as favourite.

For all information such as guides, horses and odds, be sure to explore our dedicated hubs where you can also bet on Cheltenham on every race and bet on the Gold Cup. Maximise your potential winnings with our Cheltenham Super Boosts and other Cheltenham Betting Offers.  For expert analysis and predictions on every race, visit our Cheltenham Festival Tips page.

Matt Gibbs

• Cheltenham Racecourse
• • 
  •