Nicky Henderson and the Christmas Hurdle: Constitution Hill and Epatante bid for 10th win

By Sporting Life

Horse Racing

Thu December 15, 2022 · 2y ago

Nicky Henderson has a rich history with the Christmas Hurdle and Constitution Hill and Epatante bid to provide him with a 10th success in the Kempton feature.

Weather permitting this year's renewal of the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton Park on Boxing Day will be the 23rd running this century and, remarkably, Nicky Henderson could be bidding to saddle the winner for the tenth time.

Those nine victories have made him the most successful trainer in the history of the two mile Grade One contest by some distance - Noel Meade is next with four, all of which came in six years (Harchibald [twice], Jazz Messenger and Go Native) - which is no mean feat, especially considering not one Christmas Hurdle came his way in the first 22 years of his training career.

Henderson could already be in double figures for the Christmas Hurdle were it not for a terrific tumble at the second last flight for Punjabi (11/8 favourite) in 2008 when upsides the leaders; victory went the way of the nine-year-old Harchibald, adding to his victory in 2004 (he was also beaten a short-head by Straw Bear in 2007).

Henderson was in no doubt that Punjabi would have prevailed, saying after his 22/1 success in that season's Champion Hurdle: "He was a forgotten horse but he would have won £1 million if he hadn't fallen at Kempton and he would have won there - he was cantering. This makes up for it."

Five Christmas Hurdle (as the race is currently framed) winners have gone on to win the Champion Hurdle and Punjabi would have added his name to those of Lanzarote, Dawn Run and Kribensis. The two more recent horses to have done the double are a certain Faugheen and Epatante. That pair are among eight horses to have won two renewals of the Christmas Hurdle but none have collected three.

Could Epatante be the one?

It would be an astonishing success. That is not only because of the difficulty in keeping any horse sound and at the top of their game for such a long period of time but principally because of the stablemate that stands in her way, one Constitution Hill, the 4/11 favourite for the Champion Hurdle itself.

When Epatante (2/1 favourite) beat Sharjah et al to win the 2020 Champion Hurdle she had only tasted defeat once over hurdles and that loss - when ninth in the Dawn Run Novices' Hurdle the previous Cheltenham - remains the only occasion that the eight-year-old has finished outside the first three in 19 career starts.

That is a tremendous record at any level but is especially meritorious given that her 2020/21 campaign was plagued by a back problem that contributed to her second behind Silver Streak in the Christmas Hurdle when sent off a prohibitively priced 1/5 favourite on the back of a scintillating success in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle.

This season's Fighting Fifth Hurdle was won in brilliant fashion by Constitution Hill and the likelihood is that he will be sent off at a similarly short price as Epatante was in 2020.

It is unlikely that Constitution Hill will be beaten but the same would have been said of Epatante going into that season's renewal and the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.

Constitution Hill and Epatante to clash in Fighting Fifth Hurdle

Henderson has already had cause to dwell on that as an Epatante bid for history was never on the cards prior to the abandonment of the International Hurdle which left connections with few alternatives as the trainer explained on the Nick Luck Daily Podcast.

“We haven’t finalised plans and there is another idea but the plan is to run at Christmas in the Christmas Hurdle – we have no other option," he told the host.

“It’s the way of the world and it is very sad we can’t reschedule the race (International Hurdle). It’s all very well taking him (Constitution Hill) on but if you can appreciate it, it is hardly ideal.”

Ideal it may not be, but whichever way the Christmas Hurdle boils down, Henderson is more than likely to be celebrating victory number 10.