Nicky Henderson could run three in Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham

By Matt Brocklebank

Horse Racing

Sun February 11, 2024 · 11M ago

Nicky Henderson has not ruled out running a couple of stablemates in against Constitution Hill in the Unibet Champion Hurdle.

Last year's winner is already long odds-on to defend his crown on March 12 and, following this week's forfeit stage, fears had been growing that we could be looking at a very small field for the Festival's day-one championship race.

However, speaking on Luck On Sunday, the Seven Barrows trainer was keen to stress that he alone could be triple-handed in this year's Champion, with Luccia, a non-runner in Saturday's Betfair Hurdle at Newbury on account of the heavy going, and recent Unibet Hurdle third First Street also in line to take their chance.

Henderson said: "Poor old First Street is having a terrible time as we said at the start of the season 'there's going to be a lot of prize-money around', so we ran him in the Christmas Hurdle and he was third. He was third again in the Unibet Hurdle and amazingly for that, he got put up 5lb (by the official handicapper).

"I was thinking off 141 he could come into the Coral (Cup), but off 146 they've done him in completely there - 5lb for running against a lot of his old muckers he's been running against for years!

"Now, with Luccia, owner Paul Sandy is very keen to run. I suspect quite a few people will pick this up as I'd quite like it (prize money) for myself but we could easily run a couple more, yes.

"We did take Luccia out (on Saturday), she had 12 stone in the Betfair Hurdle on ground she would hate. And I don't think she'd stay two and a half miles of the Mares' Hurdle, even if I thought we could beat Lossiemouth.

"Paul's very keen to have a crack at the Champion. So you've got State Man and Constitution Hill, but then there's room for third, fourth and fifth."

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