Nicky Henderson has warned Constiution Hill will miss the Coral Ascot Hurdle unless there is significant rain.
The two-and-a-half mile contest has been pencilled in for the brilliant Sky Bet Supreme winner’s reappearance but with the ground currently good, good to firm in places, connections are looking for a Plan B.
“We desperately need rain at Ascot or he will not run. If it stays anywhere near where it as the moment he won’t go,” he warned.
“This is the problem. You say you’re going to run a horse somewhere and then when conditions mean you can’t certain members of certain gangs start criticising you for not running your horses and that’s just ridiculous. If that ground isn’t safe he will not run.”
Shishkin appears among the entries for the Betfair Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown and he’s progressing well at present.
“He is getting there. We’ve been very pleased all the way through and Nico is very pleased with him. He’s schooled well and coming along really nicely. The plan could possibly be the Tingle Creek, he’s entered, and we’ll see. If he’s happy and I’m happy he’ll run.”
The trainer confirmed Epatante to be firmly on target for the Betfair Fighting Fifth - “She’s ready to go up there and is in good form” – while Newbury's Long Distance Hurdle and Long Walk at Ascot are possible targets for Champ.
Hill shines in sizzling schooling session
By Simon Millham
Henderson reported Constitution Hill to have “jumped unbelievable” in his schooling session ahead of a potential run on Saturday.
The Seven Barrows handler revealed the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner had not seen a hurdle since scoring at the Cheltenham Festival in March. However, he had little to worry about as “the most uncomplicated horse you could come across” put the final touches to his Ascot preparations with flying colours.
“He jumped unbelievable,” said Henderson. “I said to Charlie (Morlock, assistant) as he jumped that this is the most uncomplicated horse you could come across. “He hasn’t seen a hurdle since last season and now we’ve gone to white hurdles that most horses just stop and stare at because they haven’t seen them before. It wouldn’t matter if they were pink ones, yellow ones, green ones or crocodiles in front of them, nothing bothers him.”
He continued: “You went through last year and you couldn’t quite believe what you were seeing and all summer you kept thinking ‘yes it did happen’, but then again some horses don’t train on, or they’re freaks and the freak bits come in and then go out again. But he has done three or four bits of work and it is just as frightening as last year. The only problem I have is I’ve told Michael Buckley (owner) he needs to buy me a couple of pacemakers – I don’t gallop horses with him because it’s unfair on the other horses.”
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