Stable Star Nicky Henderson, with a 1-2 Record, Was Pushed off the Board but Fell Just Short of His Target in the Champion Hurdle, the Biggest First-Day Race Ever
The roar of the crowd at Prestbury Park on March 11, 2025, still echoes in the minds of racing enthusiasts worldwide. The Cheltenham Festival’s opening day had arrived, and with it, the Unibet Champion Hurdle—a spectacle billed as the grandest first-day showdown in the event’s storied history. At the heart of the drama stood Nicky Henderson, the venerable trainer from Seven Barrows, whose stable star Constitution Hill entered as the odds-on favorite to reclaim the crown he had first seized in 2023. With an impeccable 1-2 record in the race under his belt—victories in 2023 and a heartbreaking second in 2024 after a fitness setback—Henderson was poised for redemption. Yet, in a cruel twist of fate, his charge was unceremoniously pushed off course at the fifth flight, tumbling just short of the glory that seemed so assured. The fall not only dashed hopes but ignited one of the most chaotic finishes in Champion Hurdle lore, underscoring the unpredictable allure of National Hunt racing.
Constitution Hill’s journey to this pivotal moment had been nothing short of legendary. The eight-year-old gelding, sired by Frankel out of a mare with proven stamina, had entered the 2025 season with nine straight wins under rules, a streak that extended to ten after a commanding display in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day. That performance, where he romped home by eight lengths under Nico de Boinville, silenced doubters who had whispered of rust after his 2024 absence. Henderson, ever the master tactician, had nurtured the horse through a meticulous campaign, blending high-octane trials with careful recovery periods. “He’s the best I’ve ever trained,” Henderson confided in a pre-Festival interview, his voice laced with the quiet confidence of a man who has saddled nine Champion Hurdle winners over four decades. The betting public agreed; Constitution Hill shortened to 1/2 favorite, drawing over 70 percent of the market’s investment and turning the race into a coronation rather than a contest.
The field for the 2025 Champion Hurdle was stacked with talent, making it a fitting candidate for the “biggest first-day race ever.” Defending champion State Man, trained by Willie Mullins, sought a repeat of his 2024 triumph, having edged out challengers at Leopardstown earlier in the year. Brighterdaysahead, the Gordon Elliott mare, brought explosive form from a 30-length demolition in the Neville Hotels Hurdle, while upstarts like Golden Ace— a 25/1 outsider under Jeremy Scott—hinted at potential shocks. Henderson’s runner was the fulcrum, though; without him, the narrative shifted dramatically. Jockeys and trainers milled about the paddock under a crisp Cotswold sky, the air thick with anticipation. Punters in the stands clutched tickets, dreaming of the upset that rarely comes against such a dominant force.
As the runners cantered down to the start, the tension was palpable. The Old Course, softened by recent rains but still lightning-fast over its two-mile test, promised a tactical battle. De Boinville settled Constitution Hill in mid-pack early, conserving energy for the anticipated late surge. The pace was steady, set by State Man, who hugged the rail with predatory intent. Then, disaster struck at the fifth hurdle. Constitution Hill, traveling like a dream, met the obstacle a fraction too close. His forelegs clipped the birch, and in an instant, the superstar somersaulted, unseating De Boinville and scattering debris across the turf. Gasps rippled through the 60,000-strong crowd; bookmakers exhaled in collective relief, saved millions on the day.
Remarkably, State Man suffered a similar fate moments later, stumbling at the next flight and parting company with Paul Townend. The two favorites, who had monopolized previews for months, lay sprawled in the spring grass, their ambitions extinguished in a blur of motion. Henderson watched from the stands, his face a mask of stoic resolve, while Mullins sprinted down the track to check on his charge. Post-race scans confirmed both horses emerged unscathed—Constitution Hill trotted back to the stables “bright and breezy,” as Henderson later reported, with no lasting damage. “These things happen in this game,” the trainer shrugged in the winner’s enclosure, his trademark humor surfacing amid the disappointment. “He’s fine, and we’ll live to fight another day. Punchestown, perhaps.”
With the script shredded, the remnants of the field charged toward an improbable finish. It was Golden Ace, the rangy chestnut under Lorcan Williams, who seized the chaos. Starting at 25/1 after a gritty second in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle the previous year, the Jeremy Scott inmate had flown under the radar. Williams, sensing the opportunity, asked for a big leap at the final flight and hit the front in the shadow of the post. Burdett Road, a 66/1 shot trained by James Owen, rallied gamely for second, while Willie Mullins’ Winter Fog snatched third at 150/1. Golden Ace crossed the line a length and a half to the good, sparking wild celebrations for owner Charlie McCarthy and a first Champion Hurdle triumph for Scott. “I thought we were just here for the day out,” Williams laughed, drenched in champagne. The prize money—£253,974 for the winner—capped a fairy-tale afternoon, but the emotional weight lingered on the fallen giants.
For Henderson, the fall was a bitter pill, especially after a season where his yard had hummed with promise. At 74, the Eton-educated maestro boasts a record that borders on the mythical: six trainer’s championships, over 100 Cheltenham Festival successes, and that haul of nine Champion Hurdle victories, equaling Peter Easterby’s benchmark. Yet, this near-miss evoked echoes of past heartbreaks—See You Then’s triple in the 1980s, Binocular’s 2010 charge, Buveur d’Air’s back-to-back in 2017-18. Constitution Hill’s tumble denied a tenth, a mark that would have etched Henderson deeper into immortality. Still, the trainer’s resilience shone through. Later that day, his Jango Baie powered to victory in the Arkle Novices’ Chase, salvaging a 1-2 overall Festival record and reminding all why he endures.
The 2025 Champion Hurdle will be remembered not for its favorites, but for its audacity—the way it humbled the mighty and elevated the overlooked. As the Festival unfolded over four sun-kissed days, yielding 28 races and £4.5 million in prizemoney, Henderson’s yard added two more winners, including a poignant triumph for Lulamba in the Champion Four Year Old Hurdle. Constitution Hill, meanwhile, returned to Seven Barrows for R&R, his unbeaten aura dented but spirit intact. Racing’s beauty lies in such narratives: the push off the board, the desperate lunge, the fall just short. In the grand tapestry of the sport, Nicky Henderson’s story is far from over. As he eyes Punchestown and beyond, one senses the stable star will rise again, target in sight, ready to claim what fate so narrowly withheld on that fateful March afternoon.
