Iberico Lord supplemented to Champion Hurdle as owner JP McManus pays €20,000 fee

Nicky Henderson may be without Constitution Hill in the Unibet Champion Hurdle but is still set to be double-handed after deciding to supplement Iberico Lord for the Cheltenham Festival showpiece.

The reigning champion was ruled out on Monday due to a respiratory infection, which has prompted a rethink from Henderson and owner JP McManus on the Cotswolds target for Iberico Lord.

Winner of the Greatwood and Betfair Hurdles, the six-year-old had been among the leading lights for Friday's County Hurdle - but Constitution Hill's absence combined with the possibility of testing ground on the opening day will see him switched to the main event.

McManus has paid the €20,000 supplementary fee and Iberico Lord will now join stablemate Luccia, winner of Ascot's Betfair Exchange Trophy when last seen, in the Champion Hurdle line-up.

In a statement on X, Henderson said: "We have decided to supplement Iberico Lord this morning for the Unibet Champion Hurdle.

"He is obviously a very progressive young hurdler that keeps improving having won both the Greatwood and the Betfair handicaps. He loves soft ground which it seems that it might well be on Tuesday and therefore possibly not so soft on Friday when he was originally intended to run in the County.

"Obviously with the unfortunate defection of Constitution Hill, the race has a different complexion and so he is due to join Luccia in the line-up."