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2026 Champion Hurdle

When entries closed at midday on Saturday, Henderson's star had been joined among the possible runners by representatives from the jumps yards of Willie Mullins, Dan Skelton and Paul Nicholls, as well as from the Flat stables of Andrew Balding, Charlie Hills and Charlie Johnston.

In the ballot, BHA rules give first priority to "horses that have run in or completed no more than two Flat races and have been placed in the first four at least once in those races," a group which comprises eight of the 32 entries.

Second preference goes to "horses that have not run in a Flat race," meaning Constitution Hill is among 15 such qualifiers whose order of elimination will be decided on Sunday morning by random ballot.

If more than 14 are declared on Wednesday, horses will be balloted out in order of elimination as published on the BHA admin site on Sunday morning.

Someone might be putting jam on Con Hills ballot ball tomorrow morning. :ROFLMAO:
Either that or someone's paying off other entrants.
 
Be funny if the sponsor put the condition he has to run in and it ends up the rest of them running round for a tenner...
 
Even if he does get in, there's a fair few decent ones in there with flat experience over him.

Racecourse gallop with mister coffey might be the better option.
 
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It’s a disgrace anyway let’s be honest, bowing down to one horse and trainer to put a flat race on, it’s laughable :ROFLMAO:

The race and the fact he’s going for it should be a clear sign the horse should never jump an obstacle again!

He was absolutely fantastic for 2 seasons but hasn’t been the same since he starting falling. Run him on the flat or retire him, have to admit the attention he keeps getting bores me now to be honest.
 
Craigy14 said:
It’s a disgrace anyway let’s be honest, bowing down to one horse and trainer to put a flat race on, it’s laughable :ROFLMAO:

The race and the fact he’s going for it should be a clear sign the horse should never jump an obstacle again!

He was absolutely fantastic for 2 seasons but hasn’t been the same since he starting falling. Run him on the flat or retire him, have to admit the attention he keeps getting bores me now to be honest.
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Nowt to do with a big crowd for the course then?
It’s a result for Southwell, the public going to watch and the players involved.
Dont see anything wrong with that personally.
 
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Carnage at Taunton said:
Nowt to do with a big crowd for the course then?
It’s a result for Southwell, the public going to watch and the players involved.
Dont see anything wrong with that personally.
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They were going to get one anyway, it’s part of this Friday night live events they are running. Does anyone really care watching him run 1 and a half miles on the flat as a 9 year old? That’s not what he was bought to do. The constitution hill I loved watching was 22 lengths in the supreme and then 9 lengths in a champion hurdle and the rest of his performances in that 2 year period.

He’s a national hunt horse that can’t national hunt anymore, or so it seems.
 
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Craigy14 said:
They were going to get one anyway, it’s part of this Friday night live events they are running. Does anyone really care watching him run 1 and a half miles on the flat as a 9 year old? That’s not what he was bought to do. The constitution hill I loved watching was 22 lengths in the supreme and then 9 lengths in a champion hurdle and the rest of his performances in that 2 year period.

He’s a national hunt horse that can’t national hunt anymore, or so it seems.
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Yeah, I think it’s a bit more beneficial for the course now all this is going on.
Agree with you re the horse you loved watching though, I’m the same.
I’m just hoping however this all ends up, the horse don’t suffer.
 
Where would Bob Ollinger finish if he were supplemented. Obviously horses tend to get slower with age but he still travels better than pretty much everything in the stayers. If the two Irish mares run there’d surely be plenty of pace on, he’s right up there on ratings and arguably the main beneficiary of his defection wears the same colours. Winning four different grade ones at the festival . That’d be some legacy.

Anyway not going to happen but not sure it’s much crazier than some of the horses that look like they might be throwing their hat in the ring.
 
Should supplement Faugheen MK2 in there as well
 
He already needs a couple to not declare to get a run, seems putting a good prize up may have scuppered the plans.
 
EnvoiAlien said:
He already needs a couple to not declare to get a run, seems putting a good prize up may have scuppered the plans.
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It's a fucking circus act.
Typical of racing.
Although I expect some phone calls will be made and some will step aside.
 
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Quevega said:
It's a fucking circus act.
Typical of racing.
Although I expect some phone calls will be made and some will step aside.
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I expect so, if it'd been the usual 3 or 4k maiden race it'd have got 8 or 9 entries tops, maybe they should've considered that, or the race conditions.
Still be funny if he didn't get in, I expect the place is sold out by now as well.
 
One of the reasons for the maiden i think I remember hearing was to get him less nervous about going to the racetrack, and if he just had a run around without falling it would help his confidence and maybe relax him for Cheltenham.

So maybe instead they could just bring him to an empty racecourse for a gallop and nicky and nico could shout at him on the way in to simulate a race day. And then when he makes it through the gallop fine, cheltenham might not be so scary.
 
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