Nicky Henderson is pleased with Constitution Hill as he prepares for his run on the Flat at Southwell on February 20.
After crashing out in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle on his seasonal reappearance, his third fall in his last four runs over hurdles, Henderson has changed tack with the nine-year-old's routine and is aiming him at a £40,000 all-weather novice stakes at Southwell.
With his hurdles career on the back-burner - for now - he's been having stalls practice under confirmed rider Oisin Murphy.
Henderson gave an update on Thursday's Nick Luck Daily Podcast, saying: "Oisin came and rode him yesterday, they were on the gallops with another ex-Flat horse. The first time (coming out of the stalls at Charlie Hills’) he was very good, yesterday he was like a champagne cork coming out of the bottle.
“They rode a bit of work on him as well, so he knows what he’s going to be riding when the day comes.
“He said he felt quick enough for a mile and a half and he felt he was plenty fit enough. He’s got two bits of work to do before he’s back to where I would say he’s a fit horse, but a mile and a half on the Flat is a different type of fitness to a two-mile hurdle."
Questioned on his possible participation in the Unibet Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, Henderson said: "If we have a reason to think that jumping is of no consequence... now, Yogi [Breisner] came down on Monday and we’ll do the same thing tomorrow, so this poor horse is having a multi-tasking week, so if I haven’t confused him by the end of the week it’ll be a miracle.
“This horse can handle anything. He’s got the best mind you’ll ever see, he’ll cope with all this.
“Jumping is the whole issue, if you could guarantee a clear round I genuinely do not believe there is a horse… Sir Gino would be the biggest danger to him put it like that.”
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