Constitution Hill will miss Cheltenham Festival if not fit in a week, says ‘shocked’ Nicky Henderson

‘SHOCKED’ Nicky Henderson says Constitution Hill has a week to get fit for Cheltenham Festival – as he confirmed the horse is suffering from a ‘significant’ infection.

There was mass panic in the markets on Tuesday as the unbeaten superstar’s price rocketed for the Champion Hurdle after a sluggish Kempton workout.

It was later revealed the horse had ‘significant mucus’ in his airway and is now a big doubt for the meeting.

Constitution Hill had been as short as 1-4 to defend his Champion Hurdle crown but is now as big as 6-4.

Willie Mullins’ State Man is the new 8-11 favourite for the big race on day one.

But Henderson said Constitution Hill could still line up if he recovers in time – and refused to say the dream of a second straight win was all over.

He said: “We just scoped him, Jamie Knapp the racecourse vet has had a good look at him.

“I’ve got a sample of the scope here which I will take to our vet’s lab. There is evidence of mucus in there, nothing else.

“We had a period in January when we had much the same sort of thing and it seems that it might have come back to haunt us.

“We will see what the figures are and what they tell us, we will get it analysed and we should find out this afternoon.

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“If it is just mucus you can clear it up.

“The fact he didn’t gallop all over them doesn’t mean he hasn’t done any work, he has still done a gallop.

Join racing correspondent Jack Keene in a trip around Kempton in the ITV tracker car

“He was scoped last week and was perfectly all right, but you know what it’s like – you can go to bed feeling fine and wake up the next day full of flu.

“Of course you are worried, it would be crazy not to be.

“We now know what has happened, he stopped rather like a horse who had bled but he hasn’t, which is a very good thing.

“Jamie said there is significant mucus, once we know the results if he needs antibiotics they will be ready and waiting for him at home.

“Jamie said if you’re lucky you can knock it on the head in a week.

“Nico just said he couldn’t keep tabs on them, they are good horses he worked with but that is not right at all.

“You can’t rule him out at this point, but if it’s not clean in a week’s time he ain’t gonna get there in another week I would say.

“It’s a bit of a shock to us. We’ve got to cope with it and what goes with it.”

Legendary trainer Henderson spoke to media at Kempton before issuing an update in a statement posted online.

He said: “Following up on this morning’s situation with Constitution Hill, the sample from his tracheal wash has shown a small increase in the number of neutrophils which indicates a respiratory infection which is significant but far from drastic.

“He will start a course of antibiotics immediately and we plan to re-scope him on Friday in order to monitor which way this is going.

“He would only be having light exercise this week following the gallop.

“Both our own vet and the racecourse veterinary surgeon who scoped him feel we definitely have a chance of correcting this in time and we will be doing everything possible to do so.

“We have a fortnight to work him and it is possible, so we will keep everybody notified accordingly.

“He is absolutely fine within himself and we have simply got to get on top of this issue as quickly as possible.”

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