Consitution Hill lived up to his star billing with a stunning victory in the Unibet Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy on the opening day of the 2023 Cheltenham Festival.
Nicky Henderson's six-year-old – sent off the shortest-priced favourite at 4-11 in Champions Hurdle history – was already being compared to some of the greats of both codes of racing. And he took another step towards being possibly regarded as the best ever with superb nine-length victory in the Grade One feature under Nico De Boinville.
It is now six wins from six starts and five in a row at the top level, as the Michael Buckley-owned hurdler, who Henderson described afterwards as 'an extraordindary horse', produced the brilliant success everyone hoped he would. Sitting just off the pace set by outsider I Like To Move It, Constitution Hill was travelling – as he does – supremely well under De Boinville. Then he moved to the lead over the third-last hurdle and had his main market rival – Willie Mullins' State Man (7-2) – trying in vain to go with him. But there was little chance of an upset and Constitution Hill moved clear to secure a wonderful win in the two-mile championship.
