‘Just like Fury v Usyk’, racing gets own heavyweight Boxing Day bout on ITV
Share:
Kempton Park will host racing’s own version of Fury v Usyk when two equine stars meet for the first time on Boxing Day. The Grade 1 Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle has been won for the last two years by Constitution Hill and six times in the last seven by his trainer Nicky Henderson.
Yet Constitution Hill has not raced since he scored at odds of 1-12 in December 2023, his season curtailed by an infection and his reappearance in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle last month abandoned due to a bout of colic. The seven-year-old is one of four declared for the 2m race at Kempton Park in which champion trainer Willie Mullins will run the mare Lossiemouth.
Constitution Hill is undefeated in eight races over hurdles while Lossiemouth, who is ante-post favourite for next year’s Champion Hurdle, has been beaten once in ten starts. Burdett Road and Lump Sum are the other two runners. The race starts at 1.55pm and will be of six races shown live on ITV along with the £250,000 Ladbrokes King George VI Chase.
Lossiemouth is favourite with the sponsor but the popular Constitution Hill could overtake his rival in the betting on the day. “The betting is close in the Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle with Evens Lossiemouth and 6-5 Constitution Hill," said Simon Clare of Ladbrokes.
"There is nothing between them really and it’s entirely feasible Constitution Hill could start favourite. "The great thing is we have seen some great talk in the media with Michael Buckley (owner of Constitution Hill) coming out and saying Constitution Hill has never been injured.
