'Half-asleep' Constitution Hill survives late blunder before sealing a tenth successive victory for trainer Nicky Henderson
'Half-asleep' Constitution Hill survives late blunder before sealing a tenth successive victory for trainer Nicky Henderson
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The first word was sorry. As Nico de Boinville trotted Constitution Hill down the walk of champions, he was met by Jaydon Lee, the lad who looks after the superstar hurdler, and grimaced an apology. Constitution Hill had just extended his unbeaten sequence but, remarkably, his tenth successive victory wasn't perfect. Drama seems to follow this wonderful animal and so it proved once again in the closing stages of a race he had long since won, much to everyone's surprise.
![[Constitution Hill suffered a late blunder but steadied to deliver a tenth successive victory]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/26/00/94519045-14325779-image-a-18_1737849861403.jpg)
De Boinville had spent much of the Grade Two Unibet International Hurdle with his hands gripped tightly to his partner's bridle, trying to keep his awesome power shackled. He had popped over his obstacles fluently and all was going to plan until the ninth and final flight.
![[Trainer Nicky Henderson (pictured) was delighted to see Hill continue to assert his dominance]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/26/00/94519051-14325779-image-a-19_1737849871820.jpg)
For reasons unknown, Constitution Hill bulldozed through it, making a noise like a clap of thunder. For a split-second, you feared gravity might take hold and a bumper crowd gasped about the prospect of horse and rider going their separate ways but, quickly, he was back on an even keel.
He sauntered up the run-in, beating Brentford Hope as easily by three lengths as prohibitive odds of 1/12 suggested he would, but de Boinville didn't enjoy that little episode and was quick to put forward an explanation to trainer Nicky Henderson and owner Michael Buckley.
'Everything went to plan bar the last,' said de Boinville, explaining that mistake would never have happened in a race with a faster pace. 'He was just half-asleep. If I had woken him up after the second last, he would have taken off. He was just doing everything so easily.'.
