Nicky Henderson heads to Ireland to end Jumps campaign with Constitution Hill well backed
Lambourn trainer Nicky Henderson will be aiming to end his 2024/25 Jumps campaign in style as the handler sends plenty of runners across the Irish Sea for the Punchestown Festival.
Saturday saw a rare defeat for Jonbon, as Il Etait Temps stunned punters to win the bet365 Celebration Chase at Sandown.
The Willie Mullins trained horse had not raced for over a year, but returned to defeat one of Henderson’s top stars.
The headline act over in Ireland will, of course, be Constitution Hill. The superstar hurdler has been a faller on his last two starts in the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and then at the Grand National Festival in the Aintree Hurdle so has a bit of something to prove.
Read below for a full rundown of Henderson’s potential runners at the four-day Festival in Ireland courtesy of Punters Lounge, who offer the latest horse racing betting.
Tuesday
3.05 - Noble Park, Crazierthandaisy
3.40 - Iberico Lord
5.25 - Laguna Beach
Henderson kicks off day one of the Festival with four intended runners, including two in the Albert Bartlett Triple Crown Series Final. Crazierthandaisy ran a decent race on handicap debut when finishing third of 13 at Wetherby back on March 28 but will need a bit more in stronger company here to challenge the top end. Noble Park was beaten on debut by 5.5 lengths on March 9 and is another that will need to find improvement.
Laguna Beach is an interesting debutant in the bumper on Tuesday, and there has been no British-trained winner of this race since Henderson saddled the winner in 2005 with Its A Dream.
Wednesday
3.40 - Centreofattention, Tradecraft
Just a couple of runners could take to the track for Henderson on Wednesday, day two of the Festival. Centreofattention could be one to keep an eye on, a winner on debut by half a length on January 12 at Wincanton and is a runner owned by legendary Irish owner JP McManus. Tradecraft was also a winner on debut for Henderson at Sandown in a Novices’ Hurdle.
Thursday
4.15 - Jeriko Du Reponet, Doddiethegreat, Punctuation
4.50 - Khrisma, Timetoshine
Henderson landed a 1-2 in the Pertemps at the Cheltenham Festival last month and those two runners could lock horns in the Listed Conway Piling Handicap Hurdle on day three at Punchestown with Jeriko Du Reponet and Doddiethegreat, the latter getting the better of the former at Prestbury Park.
Friday
6.40 - Constitution Hill
7.10 - Khrisma
The big story of the Festival is the arrival of Constitution Hill to Ireland to tackle the Grade 1 Boodles Champion Hurdle on day four at Punchestown.
The superstar hurdler has something to prove after falling in his last two starts on British shores but having been schooled over fences in recent days back at Lambourn, Henderson feels confident to send his stable star over to Ireland where he will take on the likes of 2024 Champion Hurdle winner State Man for the Willie Mullins team, who was a dramatic faller at the final hurdle with the 2025 edition at his mercy after Constitution Hill had tumbled earlier in the race.
Boodles Champion Hurdle betting (via horse racing odds)
Constitution Hill 11/10
State Man 6/4
Brighterdaysahead 6/1
Golden ace 10/1
14/1 bar
Saturday
4.50 - Lulamba
5.25 - Impose Toi
Another of Henderson’s big guns who could make the trip over to Punchestown on the final day of the Festival is Lulamba, second in the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March when beaten by 100/1 shot Poniros, who also holds an entry at Punchestown in this Grade 1 four-year-old hurdle contest.
