By Lewis Porteous (Racing Post)

 

Champion Hurdle favourite Constitution Hill is set to join stablemate Epatante in Saturday’s Grade 1 Betfair Fighting Fifth Hurdle (2.10) at Newcastle.

Last season’s impressive Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner was ruled out of his intended seasonal reappearance in the Grade 2 Coral Hurdle at Ascot last weekend due to drying ground conditions but trainer Nicky Henderson wasted little time finding an alternative option as he revealed to the Racing Post on Wednesday that Constitution Hill will head to Newcastle.

“We’ve made the decision this morning and we’re going to run Constitution Hill at Newcastle this weekend,” said Henderson. “We’re happy for him to go there and Epatante will run there as well.”

A general 5-4 favourite for the Unibet Champion Hurdle, Constitution Hill won his three races as a novice by a combined 48 lengths last season, including a 22-length demolition at Cheltenham in March.

However, stablemate and former Champion Hurdle winner Epatante is not a rival to take lightly and she will be bidding for a third consecutive win in Saturday’s Fighting Fifth, having landed the race for the first time in 2020 before dead-heating with Not So Sleepy 12 months ago.

Sponsors Betfair make Constitution Hill the 1-3 favourite for Saturday’s race on the firm’s sportsbook, with Epatante next best at 3-1 and Not So Sleepy rated a 10-1 shot.

“As sponsors we are obviously delighted with the news,” said Betfair’s Barry Orr. “It’s not only great for the race but also for the National Hunt game in general that Nicky, with the respective owners, have elected to run both horses.

“That competitive element has been sadly lacking in recent renewals of this but this is a step in the right direction and will make the Fighting Fifth the must-watch race of the weekend.”

Regular rider Nico de Boinville is set to continue his association with Constitution Hill at Newcastle.

Following three dry days the going at Newcastle was described as good to soft, soft in places on Wednesday, with selective watering taking place.

Light showers are forecast for Wednesday and Thursday evening, with dry weather expected on Friday through to the start of Saturday’s seven-race card.

Officials at Newbury are also continuing to water before the track’s two-day Coral Gold Cup meeting beginning Friday, with the going described as good.