Bookies think Constitution Hill will swerve Fighting Fifth as ‘brilliant’ Honeysuckle starts road to Cheltenham glory

BOOKIES think Constitution Hill will miss this weekend’s Fighting Fifth – after the Ascot fiasco.

Trainer Nicky Henderson said there was no chance he was going to run his sensational Supreme winner on good ground last weekend.

PA

That immediately raised the prospect of a head-to-head with stablemate Epatante at Newcastle this Saturday.

But bookies Betfair, sponsors of the Grade 1 hurdle contest, say the betting suggests Constitution Hill will remain wrapped in cotton wool for a little while longer.

Epatante, 2020 Champion Hurdle heroine, remains the 8-11 fav for the race, with Constitution Hill 5-4.

Gordon Elliott’s Pied Piper is 7-2 while Not So Sleepy, who dead-heated with Epatante in this race last year is 9-2.

Betfair spokesman Barry Orr said: “Ascot’s loss could be Newcastle’s gain with Constitution Hill a potential runner but the betting suggests he will go elsewhere and leave this to his stablemate Epatante.”

Although on the prospect of running, Hendo said: “We’re keeping all options open, that’s all.”

Meanwhile, Henry de Bromhead confirmed Honeysuckle is all set for a record-breaking return in the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse on December 4.

This will be the wondermare’s final season in racing.

She has struck up an unbeaten 16-race winning streak with Rachael Blackmore and the pair will pray they can get the better of Constitution Hill when they hopefully meet in next March’s Champion Hurdle.

De Bromhead, who was at a loss to explain A Plus Tard’s flop in the Betfair Chase, said: “Rachael has schooled her, she was brilliant and she seems really well, her work is good.

“She’s got one more sort of bigger piece to do and then on to the Hatton’s Grace.

“She just seems to be able to do it, no matter what – no matter what the ground, the trip, the pace, she always seems to do it. That’s how I would look at it.

“All we can do is keep trying to have her as right as we can, try and beat who we can and if someone can beat us, fair play to them. We’ve had some spin with her.

“Everyone is entitled to their opinion, all we can do is keep getting her there as best we can.

“I think she should go down as one of the greats, just for what she’s done already, I think she’s entitled to.”

The Betfair Fighting Fifth – Sponsors Odds

8-11 Epatante

5-4 Constitution Hill

7-2 Pied Piper

9-2 Not So Sleepy

8-1 Tommy’s Oscar

100-1 Voix de Reve

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