Nicky Henderson's Cheltenham team: Key takeaways

Nicky Henderson talked through plans for his Cheltenham team on Monday morning. Here are Adam Houghton's key takeaways.

Henderson taking nothing for granted with Constitution Hill

Unbeaten in five starts under Rules, by a cumulative margin of 77 lengths, Constitution Hill was never more impressive than when winning the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at last year’s Cheltenham Festival, quickening clear in the straight to win by 22 lengths.

That performance earned Constitution Hill a Timeform rating of 177p, the highest ever awarded to a novice hurdler. That view of the form was backed up by both the time and the closing sectional – the Supreme was quicker at all stages than the much more steadily-run Champion Hurdle later on the card – and it’s testament to his rare talent that the horses he swept aside at Cheltenham included the likes of Jonbon and Mighty Potter, both Grade One-winning novice chasers this season.

In two starts this season Constitution Hill has been similarly imperious, winning the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle by 12 lengths and the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton by 17 lengths. His closest pursuer on both occasions was stablemate Epatante, a six-time Grade One winner over hurdles and runner-up last year when trying to regain the Champion Hurdle crown she won in 2020.

Put simply, Constitution Hill has proved himself to be in a different league to anything pitched in against him so far – he has won every race by 12 lengths or further – and it’s clear that Henderson’s biggest concern is just getting the 1/3 favourite to Cheltenham in one piece as he attempts to make it six from six in the Champion Hurdle.

“It feels as if you’re here a bit earlier than normal, aren’t you?” Henderson asked the assembled media at Seven Barrows. “We’re a week earlier and I’m usually saying it’s two or three weeks to go, but it’s actually four tomorrow and that’s a very long time away. A week is a long time in a horse’s life – four weeks is an eternity!

“Constitution Hill has been on the track at Cheltenham and he’s broken records – he’s done most things. He hasn’t done anything wrong, but there is plenty that can go wrong. I think that’s the biggest issue and we all know that, between now and Cheltenham, most days there will be somebody out of the running.

“You’ve just got to keep your fingers crossed and pray that you’re going to get a clear run. But you never do – something will happen.”

Something did happen on Monday morning, but thankfully for Henderson it wasn’t anything to do with one of his star players for the Festival. Instead, it was Willie Mullins who was the bearer of bad news as it was announced that Allaho would be forced to miss the Ryanair Chase due to an abdominal bleed, robbing the meeting of Timeform’s highest-rated chaser in training.

As for Timeform’s highest-rated hurdler in training, Henderson wouldn’t rule out the possibility of Constitution Hill bidding for top chasing honours himself one day, with his bombproof temperament also giving him the option of going up in trip.

“I could yes, without a doubt,” Henderson confirmed when asked whether he could see Constitution Hill jumping a fence at some stage in his career. “That will be a decision for the summer and with him you could go chasing, you could go two and a half miles and why wouldn’t he go three? I think he’d go as far as you like.

“This is an extraordinary animal and his greatest asset is his head. His racing brain is brilliant and you could go three miles with him, because you can just switch him off and he goes to sleep. You wait until you get to the right moment and Nico [de Boinville, jockey] knows where the button is. You press the button and it works – it really is as simple as that.

“He’s doing freakish things, but he’s only had five runs in his life and I think you have to remember that it’s still very early days in this horse’s career. Normally when you come into a Champion Hurdle you’ve got a horse who has had 10-12 races or something, so it’s hard to gauge him really apart from the fact he’s done nothing wrong.

“He’s got an awful long way to go before I start saying things like he’s the best horse I’ve ever had – it took me 10 years to say that about Sprinter Sacre! There is competition and there’s a new kid on the block in State Man. I feel sorry for First Street who was second to him in the County Hurdle last year. What an unfair thing to do to unleash that in the County Hurdle!”

Jonbon will be sharper for Warwick run

After being brushed aside by Constitution Hill in last year’s Supreme, Jonbon went on to Aintree where he gained a first victory in Grade One company in the Top Novices’ Hurdle, digging deep to beat El Fabiolo by a neck in a race where the first two pulled a long way clear of the rest.

It was a thrilling contest between the pair and another mouthwatering clash could be on the cards in the Sporting Life Arkle at Cheltenham, a race for which El Fabiolo is the general 11/10 favourite, with Jonbon next best at 7/4.

It had been the other way round until as recently as Saturday morning, but it’s fair to say that Jonbon was no more than workmanlike when maintaining his unbeaten record over fences in the Kingmaker Novices’ Chase at Warwick that afternoon, needing to be firmly ridden to reel in the enterprisingly-ridden Calico and only gradually drawing clear in the straight to win by five and a half lengths.

It was certainly a far cry from the impression created by El Fabiolo when winning the Irish Arkle by 10 lengths at the Dublin Racing Festival the previous weekend, a performance which earned him a Timeform rating of 165p, the highest awarded to a novice chaser this season.

Still, Jonbon isn’t far behind with a rating of 163p and Henderson is hopeful that we’ll see an improved model at Cheltenham compared to what we saw at Warwick.

Henderson said: “I think it will have done him good personally. He had a really good blow, like he’s never done before, and I’m going to take the positives. It wasn’t pretty to watch – in fact it was bloody awful from where I was watching because it frightened the living daylights out of me! – but he jumped very well and eventually he’s quickened up and won nicely. He ought to have done to be fair because on his previous performances he’d have beaten him by a long way.

“I spoke to J.P. [McManus, owner] and everyone and we’re looking at it as a good wake up call for everybody. He will be sharper for it and had a good old blow. A.P. [McCoy, former jockey] went to Warwick and he comes down here a lot. He said to me that he looked fantastically well, but he looked ready to go to the show ring and not the racecourse and he perhaps just needed it a little more than we anticipated.

“The Arkle will be Helter Skelter and they’ll go a good gallop, but he can go a good gallop as well. He’s made it in his other two runs just because he’s sharp, he’s quick and he’s a good jumper – that’s why I was quite keen to get a lead. It probably was a good thing the others weren’t there as they might’ve beaten them, but he’s back and he’s fine and we’re just going to get on normally. I’d better just sharpen my pencil and get some more work done.

“I think Jonbon drifting in the market was fair and having watched it I was pretty sure he probably would. He doesn’t know his price and I’m not worried about that, though.”

Decisions to be made with high-class mares

Jonbon might have made hard work of landing the odds at Warwick on Saturday, but the listed novice hurdle at Exeter the following afternoon would have been a much easier watch for Henderson as Luccia barely came off the bridle to extend her winning sequence.

Now unbeaten in four starts under Rules, Luccia holds an entry in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham – a race in which she’d receive a 7 lb sex allowance from the geldings – and she certainly wouldn’t be out of place in that line-up. For context, based on her Timeform rating of 140P – the large ‘P’ denotes that she is still open to significant improvement – Luccia is ranked seventh on weight-adjusted ratings for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and at least a couple of those ahead of her look likely to run elsewhere at the Festival.

However, so too does Luccia, with Henderson seemingly leaning towards running her in the Dawn Run Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, a race for which she currently heads the ante-post betting at around 7/4.

Henderson said: “I don’t know yet, but Luccia ought to run in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle. She was impressive yesterday, but I’ve got to see her out yet as I haven’t seen her this morning.

“Nico was tempted [by the Supreme], but I think the betting tells you what we’ve got to do. We did put her in the Supreme, which I thought was ambitious at the time anyway, but we don’t have to decide now. I would be in favour of sticking with the mares’ race, I must admit.

“I’ll speak to the owners nearer to the time, but I’m not going to throw it out. If there was a forfeit stage you’d leave her in, but I can’t believe you’d throw away the mares’ race. I’m not saying she would win that, but at least you know you’ve got a very good chance of winning that.”

Henderson left the impression that there is a more difficult decision to be made with regards the Festival target of Marie’s Rock, who proved at least as good as ever when making a successful reappearance in the Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day.

Marie’s Rock had previously sprung an 18/1 surprise when winning the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle at last year’s Festival and that would look the logical aim for her once again, though it won’t be a soft touch this year with former Champion Hurdle winners Epatante and Honeysuckle both featuring among the potential opposition.

It’s for that reason that Henderson is considering stepping Marie’s Rock up to three miles for the Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, especially as there doesn’t appear to be a standout performer in that division as things stand.

Henderson said: “She’s in very good form and it’s certainly possible that she could move up and run in the Stayers’ Hurdle. I’ve discussed it with Tom Palin [Middleham Park Racing] and there’s no doubt we’ll discuss it more. It certainly won’t be a decision that we’ll make in the near future.

“There are a few contenders around. I’d say the biggest danger is Teahupoo and you’ve got to always respect dear old Paisley Park, but there isn’t a standout. In the Mares’ you’re going to have Epatante and Honeysuckle, and we might even have Theatre Glory, so there is a bit to be said for at least considering the Stayers’ Hurdle.

“I know I was saying with the filly [Luccia] that I’d want to take the easier option and go for the Mares’ Novice, but I don’t think the Stayers’ is any more difficult with her getting 7 lb. I know she’s never run over three miles, but she won the Relkeel Hurdle on New Year’s Day and she stayed very well. I thought she was very impressive that day and she flew up the hill, so she’s fit and well and it’s something we’ll consider.”

Former stable star Shishkin plays supporting role

All eyes were on Shishkin on this morning last year as the red-hot favourite for the Queen Mother Champion Chase was paraded at Seven Barrows, hot on the heels of his thrilling defeat of Energumene in the Clarence House Chase at Ascot. However, it’s fair to say that things didn’t go his way at Cheltenham, nor have they since.

From the rare bone condition which was diagnosed after his no-show in the Champion Chase – he was pulled up after jumping just eight fences – to the flipped pilate he’s been treated for since finishing a laboured third on his reappearance in the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown in December, Shishkin suddenly seems to be a horse beset with physical issues and it remains to be seen whether Henderson can get him back to his brilliant best.

Once Timeform’s highest-rated chaser in training, Shishkin would certainly be a leading form contender if rediscovering his peak form in the Ryanair – not least in the absence of Allaho – and Henderson is hoping he can book his place in that line-up with a better showing when he goes beyond two miles for the first time over fences in Saturday’s Ascot Chase.

Henderson said: “He goes to Ascot and after that, ask Matt Chapman! He tells me I’m a plonker. I’ve nothing for the Champion Chase, unless Matt Chapman is right and I’m a complete so and so for not entering Shishkin. We’ll find that out on Saturday.

“Shishkin has been racing as though he wants further to my eye. I hope I’m right, otherwise I’m going to be doing an awful lot more supplementing. He is also in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, but I wouldn’t have thought he’d go for that.

“You could say that Ascot left a mark on him last year, it was a tough race. You don’t really like to see horses racing off the bridle for so long and that’s what he’s done the last twice. I want to see him on the bridle and it’s got to be better for him.

“I feel sorry for them [about Allaho], because he’s an outstanding horse. This is what’s going to happen for the next four weeks and that’s why it’s absolute hell. We all look forward to it, but you’re tip toeing on egg shells for four weeks. That changes the Ryanair big time and hopefully makes me agree that little bit less with Matt Chapman!”