Michael Buckley has owned some fantastic horses over the years, but he admitted last year’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner Constitution Hill excites him the most.
Speaking to 888sport ambassador Barry Geraghty, Buckley did little to hide hgis enthusiasm for the young horse.
He said: “He certainly looks like he has grown stronger and if he can run that sort of race again and has a bit of luck, he’s going to be a pretty tough nut to crack.”
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Constitution Hill has three wins from three career starts, with the standout performance undeniably being the 22-length annihilation in the Cheltenham Festival opener.
Buckley gushed as he reflected on that gargantuan showing.
“I was nervous as hell beforehand. It was the first race of the meeting with a lot of expectation.
“I thought he had an outstanding chance, and I also knew that he was very well thought of down at Seven Barrows.
"Nico [de Boinville] sort of niggled him a little bit at the top of the hill and then he was coasting along.
"It was sort of a blur from when they came down towards the home turn because he was going so well and so easily.
“I just couldn’t believe what I was seeing as he went further and further and further away.
And Buckley admitted he was shaking as he watched his horse do the business on such a grand stage.
"I was standing next to Nicky [Henderson], I was absolutely speechless – just shaking.
"You don’t see horses win like that at places like Cheltenham.
"You can’t ever imagine a horse could do what he did, because you’re talking about things that you just never see.
"But then, as I found out through the day and since, most of the people who’ve been National Hunt racing for the last 30, 40, 50 or more years, hadn’t seen anything like it either!”
And Nico De Boinville's likening of the horse to another Nicky Henderson-trained superstar really underscored what the Seven Barrows team made of Constitution Hill.
He said: “I was in Florida for his second run, and I made up some story that I had to come back for a business meeting, which was totally untrue.
“I was talking to Nico as he was on the walkway going back. He said, ‘I told you he was good, didn’t I?’. And then when he jumped off, I said ‘so, what did you really think?’ I remember the words very clearly – he said ‘it’s Altior-esque.’
“You can’t really have a compliment higher than that.”
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