Nicky Henderson was unconcerned with Constitution Hill's Newbury gallop on Tuesday despite his seven-year-old drifting in the antepost market for the Bet MGM Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle.
Paddy Power pushed the unbeaten hurdler out to 6/4 from 8/13 on the back of the workout, but Henderson was satisfied with what he saw, declaring his stable star to be ‘ready for action’ ahead of the Newcastle contest on Saturday, November 30.
The seven-time Grade One winner has not been sighted since bolting up on his sole start last season in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton Park after a setback ruled him out of the defence of his Champion Hurdle crown at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
Having had a spin at Newbury last month the Michael Buckley-owned seven year old stepped up his preparations back at the Berkshire track at the Coral Gold Cup Gallops Morning on Tuesday alongside stablemate Sir Gino.
And although Constitution Hill needed to be shaken up late on in the exercise, by regular rider Nico de Boinville, to keep tabs with Sir Gino it was a display that Henderson expected to see from his undisputed stable star.
Henderson said: “It was great that we got the work into him. That made him work and he just took a blow a furlong out.
“They have done a lot more today than they did with Jonbon the other day. He needed a gallop and he has had one. He had a good blow as that made him work.
“He will have one more bit of work, and a school. He hasn’t jumped a hurdle yet, and although I don’t think he needs to, it just does keep their eye in.
“Don’t ever underestimate Sir Gino until I let you. He is the horse that can do that with Constitution Hill, and in my opinion no other horse could do that.
“I hope you will see the usual old Constitution Hill. He is ready for action. That made him work today, and that is why we are here.”
While there will be an element of pressure on the shoulders of both Henderson, and Constitution Hill, the Seven Barrows handler it is nothing like the situation he was placed in with Sprinter Sacre.
He added:“Sprinter Sacre had a bad heart, this horse has had nothing wrong, just bad luck. He had a bit of colic and as long as you don’t have surgery it is irrelevant.
“Everybody gets bad lungs, and tract washes at times, it is all part of it. He has never been sick, it was just a routine dirty scope, then he worked badly at Kempton.
“If he had colic surgery I would have been worried, but he took no time to get over it and it was soon back in the field.
“He should have had two additional runs last season. The Fighting Fifth was abandoned, and that was not his fault, or mine. He went to Kempton and did his job. He effectively missed one race which would have been at Cheltenham.
“Charlie (Vigors, of Hillwood Stud) does a brilliant job, but if anything he came back a bit too big and he had to come in a fair bit earlier than I anticipated, which was a good thing.
“That will have done him the world of good, as he needed a little wake up, as we had to get serious, and we have.”
And giving Henderson further enthusiasm about the up and coming return of his stable star is how he has settled into what he describes is his new ‘en-suite’ box.
He added: “I had this idea to knock a hole in the wall and he can now go in and out of his box as he likes.
“I’ve never seen him so happy. He is the most laid back horse in England.
“We like turning horses out, but we wanted to give him as much fresh air and fun. He can go out every day, have a buck, squeal and a roll.
“He then trots back in, has a munch of food, and does what he likes. He can sit on the beach outside if he wants to!
“He is the only horse that has a walk in en-suite. I can see him from my desk in the office and you can watch him.
"I think everybody would agree that he is very happy, and there is no doubt about it that he looks happier.”
A trip to Kempton Park on Monday awaits stablemate Sir Gino, who will make his debut over fences in The ‘Book Christmas Festival Hospitality Now’ Beginners’ Chase.
The It’s Gino gelding was three from three for Henderson last season culminating with Grade One glory in the Anniversary 4-Y-0 Juvenile Hurdle at Aintree.
And while the unbeaten four year old has a long way to go emulate the heights of the likes of Altior, Shishkin and Sprinter Sacre, Henderson is excited about seeing the It’s Gino gelding switch disciplines.
Henderson added: “He is serious. He was the tragedy of last season, that he couldn’t go to Cheltenham. That is as good a four-year-old as I have seen.
“We’ve got the four year old allowance so let’s go and do it as by God he is good at jumping a fence.
“He was very good the first day we jumped him over five fences. We then did it a week later over 10 fences.
“Shishkin, Altior, Sprinter Sacre – they all went over fences much later. He’s four, but he’s got the size and scope of a chaser and he has been brilliant schooling.
“He has got so much speed and has been very good at everything he has done. I very much see him being a two miler this season as he is a very quick horse.”
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