The delight and relief that swirled around Constitution Hill as he extended his unbeaten record to nine starts here on Thursday was expressed in various ways. Nicky Henderson, his trainer, was teary, the punters who sent him off favourite were jubilant and Nico de Boinville, the winner’s jockey, was rounding on the critics.
“It was definitely worth the wait,” he told an ITV racing reporter shortly after their handing only a second career defeat to the excellent mare Lossiemouth. “And one more thing. Paddy Brennan, you can shove that where the sun don’t shine.”