How to solve a problem such as Constitution Hill?

Not so long ago those words would have sounded crazy as racing set about crowning potentially the greatest hurdler the sport has ever known.

Blessed with a bombproof temperament, he also had the engine of a jumbo jet and appeared flawless, just like flat racing’s greatest, Frankel.

Ground conditions were never a problem for Michael Buckley’s superstar, who put meat on the bones by destroying the 2022 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle field at the Cheltenham Festival, drawing a whopping 22 lengths clear in course record time.

Timeform, the respected ratings organisation, gave him their highest ever figure for a novice hurdler after that exhilarating display and Constitution Hill, trained in Lambourn by Buckley’s old pal Nicky Henderson, swept all before him the following season when he captured the Champion Hurdle by nine lengths from the top-class State Man.

However, things began to unravel in February last year when he went to Kempton for a gallop and worked poorly against inferior stablemates. A lung infection ruled him out of his Champion Hurdle defence and then a bout of colic curtailed a frustrating campaign for connections. Lameness meant he missed last year’s Fighting Fifth, which he was an easy winner of in 2022, but smooth victories in the Christmas and Unibet Hurdles were then recorded, albeit there was a final-flight scare in the latter that, sadly, was a portent of what was to come.

Lining up as the 1-2 favourite for the Champion Hurdle in March, the eight-year-old fell four out - too early to know what would have happened - and the outcome of the Aintree Hurdle a month later was far from certain when he came down again two out. It was not Henderson’s smartest move to then run him at Punchestown as his stable star, quite rightly, looked like he wanted to be anywhere else.

A full MOT took place over the summer and he also had a trip to what the legendary trainer likened to an “equine Specsavers” to, pardon the pun, see if his eyesight was contributing to his tumbles.

The vibes this autumn about his wellbeing were conspicuously positive in advance of Constitution Hill’s trip to Newcastle for the Fighting Fifth, when he was set to be tested by the emerging pair of The New Lion and Anzadam as well as unheralded Champion Hurdle heroine Golden Ace.

That positivity lasted only until the second hurdle when Nico de Boinville’s mount crashed to the floor, setting in motion a chain of speculation about what would be next.

Would he be retired? Would fences teach him some respect? Would a change of jockey or some headgear help? Would a go at flat racing be worth a try?

One thing evident about Henderson in the early Constitution Hill days was how relaxed he was. He knew he had the best horse, who, quite simply, turned up and swatted his opponents away like clockwork; it might be a case of alarm bells ringing now.

Never one to panic, outwardly at least, Henderson has dismissed talk of retirement and chasing, and, given his loyalty, is unlikely to suggest a jockey switch, which leaves continuing down the hurdling path - although connections would be public enemies should anything happen to jump racing’s most-talked-about individual - or an outing on the flat.

If Willie Mullins can win at the Breeders’ Cup with Ethical Diamond, how high could a vastly superior hurdler fly? It’s an interesting thought, albeit one with a fair amount of romance attached.

For a start, Constitution Hill wasn’t allowed to compete in an Ascot Hurdle three years ago because his camp deemed the (autumn) ground too fast, so how would he cope with quick conditions at the height of a British summer, let alone anything exotic like California or Melbourne? There’s also little glory or excitement running on the all-weather in the winter, while he is not bred for the job given his parents, Blue Bresil and Queen Of The Stage, ran over hurdles. Ethical Diamond, on the other hand, was bred to be a flat horse and his sire Awtaad had the brilliance to capture an Irish 2,000 Guineas, and then also sire a quality Group 1 winner in Anmaat.

The Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day, therefore, seems the most likely spot to see Constitution Hill next and Henderson has previous experience when it comes to coaxing his leading lights back to rude health with Sprinter Sacre being the finest example, but solving this particular problem might be his greatest achievement yet.