Last year’s Champion Hurdle has been excluded from the Cheltenham Festival by his trainer Nicky Henderson.
The unbeaten and defending Champion Hurdle hero performed poorly at Kempton Park last Tuesday, putting his participation in the showpiece meeting in serious doubt.
A scope showed that there was mucus in his lungs and despite slightly more positive news in the following days, the results of a blood test on Thursday proved to be another blow.
When is the Cheltenham Festival 2024? Start and end dates
The Cheltenham Festival starts on Tuesday 12 March and ends on Friday 14 March.
How many days does the Cheltenham Festival last?
The Cheltenham Festival is a four-day race meeting.
How to watch the Cheltenham Festival
ITV has the free-to-air broadcast rights and will broadcast the first five races of each day of the meeting. For comprehensive coverage you’ll need a subscription to Racing TV, accessible via Sky and Virgin Media, or streamed online.
How many breeds are there?
28 races will be held over four days. Each day has one ‘main race’: Champion Hurdle (Tuesday), Queen Mother Champion Chase (Wednesday), Stayers’ Hurdle (Thursday) and the Cheltenham Gold Cup (Friday).
Race schedule: times for every race at the 2024 festival
Tuesday March 12
1.30: Sky Bet Supreme beginner’s hurdle (grade 1)
2.10: Arkle Challenge Trophy Beginners Pursuit (Grade 1)
2.50: Ultima Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap)
3.30: Unibet Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy (Grade 1)
4.10: Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
4.50: Boodles Youth Disability Obstacle (Premier Handicap)
5.30: National Hunt Challenge Cup Chase for Beginner Amateur Jockeys (Grade 2)
Wednesday March 13
1.30: Baring Bingham Beginners Obstacle (Grade 1)
2.10: Brown Advisory Beginner Hunt (Grade 1)
2.50: Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap)
3.30: Betway Queen Dam Champion Chase (Grade 1)
4.10: Glenfarclas Chase (Cross-country pursuit)
4.50: Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap)
5.30: Weatherbys Champion Bumper (Grade 1)
Thursday March 14
1.30: Gymnast’s Beginner’s Pursuit (Grade 1)
2.10: Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap)
2.50: Ryanair Chase (Grade 1)
3.30: Paddy Power Stayers Obstacle (Grade 1)
4.10: TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap)
4.50: Ryanair Mares Novice Hurdle (Grade 2)
5.30: Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Hunt for Amateur Jockeys
Friday March 15
1.30: JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1) (New course)
2.10: County Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap) (new course)
2.50: Albert Bartlett obstacle for beginners (grade 1)
3.30: Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase (Grade 1)
4.10: St. James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase
4.50: Paddy Power Mares’ Chase (Grade 2)
5.30: Martin Pipe conditional jockeys handicap hurdle
What’s the latest Cheltenham Festival news?
By Marcus Armytage
The Cheltenham Festival lost one of its star names and biggest draws on Monday when Nicky Henderson finally declared Constitution Hill a non-runner for next Tuesday’s Unibet Champion Hurdle.
The gelding has been strongly backed to defend his title and unbeaten record in eight races, but since seven-year-old Michael Buckley’s dismal performance at Kempton last Tuesday, the trainer has been in an uphill battle to return Constitution Hill to full health and a good to get health. fair chance to win the race.
After a week of bulletins about his health, including the results of last Thursday’s first blood test, which turned guarded optimism about his participation into outright pessimism, punters and racegoers will already have softened from this blow.
After receiving the results of a second blood test, taken on Monday morning, which confirmed that the readings were going in the right direction, but not fast enough, the trainer had no choice but to withdraw for the sake of the horse.
Constitution Hill is not yet considered good enough to gallop today or tomorrow, which would be the acid test. That would have risked exacerbating the current problem or, worse, creating a new one.
Henderson, who has won nine Champion Hurdles, said: “Very sadly we will have to admit defeat in the battle to prepare Constitution Hill for the Champion Hurdle and therefore we have to declare that he will not be running there this year.
“He has undoubtedly improved over the weekend and seems noticeably brighter than at the end of last week and I really thought he was a lot perkier this morning when he was ridden. Unfortunately, the all-important blood test shows that while the numbers have improved, they are still far from sufficient for a horse to train seriously and race within a week.
“The numbers have gone down, but have gone up enough to indicate that he has not yet fully recovered from what was wrong with him. The only way to continue the improvement is to not stress him and he obviously cannot compete in these Olympics if he is not sufficiently trained. It is in everyone’s interests that we have a fit and healthy Constitution Hill to win back the crown next year. We appreciate all the support we have had from everyone.”
It means the rematch with last year’s runner-up, Irish horse State Man, whose connections are believed to have improved, will now not take place and the Willie Mullins-trained gelding, unbeaten in all four starts since Cheltenham 12 months ago , is 1-3 for the race in which the next two in the betting, Lossiemouth and Irish Point, both have winnable alternatives at the meeting.
If Constitution Hill’s absence shows anything, it’s how difficult it can be to get horses back to the festival year after year. He would be going for the third victory in three years. Henderson still has a sizeable team heading to the festival, but Shishkin in the Gold Cup is now the most prominent participant.
Unaware of the hustle and bustle around him, Constitution Hill was let loose in a meadow at Seven Barrows on Monday, picking grass and enjoying the rare winter sun. As a fit horse who hasn’t done much in the past week, you might think he was anything but a paragon of health. However, his blood tests told a different story.
Depending on how long it takes for him to get over his current condition, his options are limited; the Aintree Hurdle in five weeks, the Punchestown Champion Hurdle in early May or throw it into the field to start again in September. It is unlikely that these will even be considered until he has fully recovered.
Cheltenham Racecourse: a short guide
Apart from Aintree, Cheltenham is the most legendary show jumping track in Britain. Located in the west of England, the track has played host to the very best showjumpers from Britain and Ireland since the meeting was first held there in 1904.
There are two courses on the circuit, each with different tests. The Old Course, used during the first days of the festival, is a shorter, tighter song with less emphasis on endurance. As such, faster horses and horses that are comfortable with leading are often better suited to its demands.
The Champion Hurdle and the Queen Mother Champion Chase are both run on the Old Course.
The New Course is the opposite. With gentler bends and a long climb from the bottom of Cheltenham’s straight hill to the top, the New Course suits strong stayers on a variety of tours.
The Stayers’ Hurdle and the Cheltenham Gold Cup are both held on the New Course.
How do you get tickets and how much do they cost?
Tickets for the festival are available directly from The Jockey Club website and are available in three categories. Club tickets cost £107.00 for the first three days of the meeting and are sold out for the final day.
Tattersalls tickets cost £74.00 for each of the first three days and £89.00 on the last day. Best Mate tickets cost £52.00 for the first three days and £70.00 on the last day.
Parking at Cheltenham Festival
Parking is available to pre-book from £20 per car per day or £30 for minibuses (up to 15 seats), £75 for limousine parking and £75 for coach parking (16 seats and over).
Visit for further parking information visitcheltenham.com/whats-on/cheltenham-festival/parking.