Henderson: Straight to Cheltenham for Champion Hurdle favourite Constitution Hill

Nicky Henderson is set to chart a direct route to Cheltenham with Unibet Champion Hurdle favourite Constitution Hill. The six-year-old is the 1-5 market leader for the Festival highlight in March after another wide-margin success in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day, routing stablemate Epatante by 17 lengths - an increase of five lengths on his Fighting Fifth verdict over the crack mare.

Henderson had mentioned the Champion Hurdle Trial at Haydock on January 21 as a possible stopping point for his star hurdler, while the Irish Champion Hurdle takes place at Leopardstown on February 5. But neither option looks likely now.

The Seven Barrows handler would have been keen to run at Cheltenham had the International Hurdle that was originally scheduled for December 10 been resurrected, but that is not a possibility, despite Henderson raising the idea. He told Nick Luck's Daily Podcast: "We've ummed and ahhed a fair bit, I did have what I thought was quite a bright idea but it doesn't quite come off and I can understand why, but I did sort of enquire whether we might have the International Hurdle that was abandoned rescheduled on Trials Day at Cheltenham.

"If that had been possible I would have gone there with him, but I really don't like the idea of Haydock and so I think almost certainly Constitution Hill will not run again before Cheltenham. "He's obviously very good fresh, he was very good the first time this year in the Fighting Fifth.

Last year we went from the Tolworth to Cheltenham and you couldn't have had him any better so I really don't see any point, there's nothing to be gained. "I might have an open day or something so people can come and see him - I would have thought that was a possibility." Epatante