CONSTITUTION HILL should once again prove in a league of his own to stretch Nicky Henderson’s record of Champion Hurdle triumphs to nine.
It’s a measure of what he has achieved in just five attempts over hurdles that the six-year-old is already being spoken of as one of the all-time greats.
Blue Bresil’s son set the tone in his first season, adding to two wide-margin wins at Sandown Park – the latter a 12-length score in the Grade One Tolworth Hurdle – with a 22-length drubbing of his opponents in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle last March. And he has added to his status in his second campaign.
Unsuitably fast ground saw Nico de Boinville’s partner re-routed from Ascot in November to the top-level Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle a week later. Making all the running, Constitution Hill disdainfully drew clear of stablemate, and 2020 Champion Hurdle heroine, Epatante to score by 12 lengths.
He extended that superiority to 17 in the Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle at Kempton Park on Boxing Day, and has understandably been at cramped odds for this race ever since. In any normal year, State Man would go off favourite for the Tuesday feature, and with good reason.
A four-and-a-half-length Irish Champion Hurdle humbling of Honeysuckle extended his winning run to six, and Willie Mullins’ challenger is clearly best of the rest.
MARIE’S ROCK is expected to mount a successful defence of the Close Brothers' Mares' Hurdle (4.10) title she won in style 12 months ago.
Milan’s daughter was an 18-1 chance when motoring home for Nico de Boinville to beat Queens Rock by a length and three-quarters last March. But that was no fluke, as Marie’s Rock proved with a length-and-a-quarter beating of Stormy Ireland in the Grade One Mares' Champion Hurdle at Punchestown at the end of April.
Slow to come to hand this winter, Nicky Henderson reintroduced her against male opposition in the Grade Two Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day. And Marie’s Rock took another step forward, produced to lead after the last and sprinting away to dismiss Dashel Drasher by six lengths.
This contest is significantly stronger than in 2020, but the eight-year-old’s upward curve shows no sign of reaching a plateau and she is a confident choice to hang on to her crown.
Honeysuckle, making her career valediction, and Epatante have captured the last three runnings of Champion Hurdle between them and set the bar very high on their best form, with Love Envoi, successful in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at last year’s Festival, best of the rest.
CORACH RAMBLER has strong claims of becoming the fourth winner of the Festival’s three-mile, one-furlong Ultima Handicap Chase (2.50).
The cards looked stacked against the Lucinda Russell-saddled son of Jeremy entering the business end 12 months ago – Corach Rambler had many more rivals in front than behind. Derek Fox conjured a power surge from the nine-year-old, who grabbed Gericault Roque on the climb to the line to score by two and three-quarter lengths.
Corach Rambler didn’t shine at Carlisle in October but his fourth in Newbury’s Coral Gold Cup the following month – Remastered was two places ahead in second – showed the fire still burns.
Targeted at this race since then, the Scottish raider still looks dangerous off a 6lb higher mark.
A first attempt beyond three miles is likely to tease out more from Nassalam, while Into Overdrive, Monbeg Genius and The Big Breakaway are others with claims of a minor medal.
Newsboy's tips for day one of the 2023 Cheltenham Festival
CHELTENHAM
1.30 IL ETAIT TEMPS
2.10 EL FABIOLO
2.50 CORACH RAMBLER (NB)
3.30 CONSTITUTION HILL
4.10 MARIE’S ROCK (NAP)
4.50 METAMORPHEUS
5.30 GAILLARD DU MESNIL
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