Constitution Hill gallop a decider

CONSTITUTION Hill faces a “crucial” gallop that will decide whether he runs at the Punchestown Festival on May 2 or not.

- MIKE EGERTON

Nicky Henderson believes it will be easy to tell if the former champion hurdler - who enjoyed himself at the Lambourn Open Day on Good Friday - is in top shape after his falls at Cheltenham and Aintree.

“We had a parade of the old champs in the afternoon, Sprinter Sacre, Altior, Coneygree and I actually took Constitution Hill with them)’ said Henderson, speaking on Nick Luck’s daily podcast yesterday.

“We were just trying to say ‘go and have a day out, walk round for 10 minutes and come home without getting too battered, which he has been the last twice. It was a mental game really, I can’t say it made any difference and he just walked round like he does.