Constitution Hill to miss Cheltenham in massive blow to punters

Plus: how to watch of TV and streaming, how to get tickets, how much they cost and parking information

Last year’s Champion Hurdle has been ruled out of the Cheltenham Festival by his trainer Nicky Henderson.
The unbeaten and defending Champion Hurdle hero worked poorly at Kempton Park last Tuesday, putting his participation at the showpiece meeting in major doubt.
A scope showed mucus in his lungs and despite slightly more positive news in the following days, results of a blood test on Thursday proved to be another blow. 
The Cheltenham Festival starts on Tuesday, March 12 and ends on Friday, March 14. 
The Cheltenham Festival is a four-day race meeting.
ITV have the free-to-air broadcast rights and will show the first five races of each day of the meeting. For comprehensive coverage you will need a subscription to Racing TV, which can be accessed through Sky and Virgin Media, or streamed online.
There are 28 races run over the four days. Each day has one ‘feature’ race: Champion Hurdle (Tuesday), Queen Mother Champion Chase (Wednesday), Stayers’ Hurdle (Thursday) and the Cheltenham Gold Cup (Friday).
1.30: Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)2.10: Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase (Grade 1)2.50: Ultima Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap)3.30: Unibet Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy (Grade 1)4.10: Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle (Grade 1)4.50: Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap)5.30: National Hunt Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys’ Novices’ Chase (Grade 2) 
1.30: Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) 2.10: Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (Grade 1)  2.50: Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap)  3.30: Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1)4.10: Glenfarclas Chase (Cross Country Chase) 4.50: Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap)5.30: Weatherbys Champion Bumper (Grade 1)
1.30: Turners Novices’ Chase (Grade 1)2.10: Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap)   2.50: Ryanair Chase (Grade 1)    3.30: Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle (Grade 1) 4.10: TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap)  4.50: Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2)  5.30: Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase
1.30: JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1) (New Course)2.10: County Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap) (New Course)2.50: Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)3.30: Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase (Grade 1)4.10: St. James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase4.50: Paddy Power Mares’ Chase (Grade 2)5.30: Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle
By Marcus Armytage
Constitution Hill has been declared a non-runner in next Cheltenham’s Champion Hurdle, Nicky Henderson said on Monday.
After Michael Buckley’s seven-year-old worked dismally at Kempton last Tuesday, trainer Henderson had been in a battle to return Constitution Hill to full health.
Constitution Hill trails his work companions at Kempton this morning pic.twitter.com/nw94pfcmCX
But after a week of bulletins about his health, including the results of last Thursday’s initial blood test which turned guarded optimism about his participation to downright pessimism, punters and racegoers will have already been softened up for Monday’s blow.
After receiving the results of a second blood test, which confirmed the inflammation was moving in the right direction but not quickly enough, the trainer was left with no choice and, if you do things by the horse, this was the only choice.
Quite apart from not running next week, he is not deemed fit enough to gallop on Tuesday or on Wednesday, which was going to be the acid test. That would risk exacerbating the current problem or, worse still, creating another one.
Henderson, who has won nine Champion Hurdles, said in a statement on X: “Very sadly we are going to have to admit defeat in the battle to get Constitution Hill ready for the Champion Hurdle and therefore have to declare that he will not be running there this year.
“He has undoubtedly improved over the weekend and seems noticeably brighter than he was at the end of last week and I really did think he was a lot perkier when ridden this morning. Unfortunately the all important blood test shows that although the figures have improved they are some way from being satisfactory for a horse to commence serious training and to race in a week’s time.
“The figures have come down but are raised enough to indicate he has not fully recovered from whatever was ailing him. The only way to continue the improvement is not to stress him and he obviously cannot run in these Olympic Games if he is not trained sufficiently. It’s in everybody’s best interests we have a fit and healthy Constitution Hill to win back the crown next year. We appreciate all the support we have had from everybody.”
It means the rematch with last year’s nine length runner-up, the Irish horse State Man, who connections believe have improved, will not now take place and the Willie Mullins trained gelding is odds-on for the vacant title.
Unaware of the fuss surrounding him, Constitution Hill – unbeaten in eight races – was turned out in a paddock at Seven Barrows picking at grass and enjoying some rare winter sunshine.
As a fit horse who has not being doing much for the past week, you could be forgiven for thinking he was anything but a picture of health. His blood test, however, tells a different story.
Aside from Aintree, Cheltenham is the most-storied jumps racecourse in Britain. Located in the west of England, the track has played host to very best jumps horses from Britain and Ireland since the meeting was first held there in 1904. 
There are two courses at the track, each posing different tests. The Old Course, used over the first days of the festival, is a shorter, tighter track with less of emphasis on stamina. As such, speedier horses and those comfortable with front-running are often better suited to its demands. 
The Champion Hurdle and the Queen Mother Champion Chase are both run on the Old Course.
The New Course is the opposite. With more gentle sweeping turns and a long climb from the bottom of Cheltenham’s home-straight hill to the top, the New Course suits strong stayers over a variety of trips. 
The Stayers’ Hurdle and the Cheltenham Gold Cup are both run on the New Course.
Tickets to the festival are available directly from The Jockey Club website and come in three categories. Club tickets cost £107.00 for the first three days of the meeting and are sold out for the final day. 
Tattersalls tickets come in at £74.00 for each of the first three days and £89.00 on the final day. Best Mate enclosure tickets come in at £52.00 over the first three days and £70.00 on the final day. 
Parking is available to book in advance from £20 per car per day or £30 for minibuses (up to 15 seats), £75 for limousine parking and £75 for coach parking (16 seats and above).
For further parking formation visit visitcheltenham.com/whats-on/cheltenham-festival/parking.