Constitution Hill, the 2023 Champion Hurdle winner, has been officially ruled out of this year's race on 10 March and will not race over jumps again following a schooling session at Nicky Henderson's yard. The decision comes after the nine-year-old suffered three falls in his last four races over hurdles, with Henderson stating it was "not fair to ask him and Nico to do it again."
The gelding made a sensational Flat debut at Southwell four days ago, prompting owner Michael Buckley and trainer Henderson to reconsider his future. In a statement on X, Henderson said: "Last Friday night was for us all a magical occasion... He showed he has another career in front of him that could possibly take us all to new playing fields." Henderson added that the decision was met with a near 50-50 split of public opinion.
Buckley has already floated the Melbourne Cup in November 2026 as a potential target, though the horse would need to satisfy strict veterinary and qualifying requirements to run at Flemington. The Ebor Handicap at York in August, a "win-and-you're-in" qualifier for the Melbourne Cup, and the Irish St Leger in September are also being considered as next steps on the Flat.
Constitution Hill has been invited to parade at Cheltenham on Champion Hurdle day. With his absence, Dan Skelton's The New Lion has emerged as the narrow favourite for the race at 5-2, ahead of Brighterdaysahead and Lossiemouth.
