Constitution Hill on target for Italian job

Nicky Henderson is gearing up for a trip to Milan at the weekend after giving Constitution Hill the go-ahead to run in the Gran Premio del Jockey Club.

Following a couple of routine victories earlier in the year, the former superstar hurdler met with defeat for the first time on the Flat when fourth in Kempton’s September Stakes on his latest outing, but his performance in finishing fourth saw his rating rise to 108, effectively ruling out potential handicap targets on home soil.

Connections had the option of running much closer to home in the Group Three BetVictor St Simon Stakes at Newbury a day earlier, but Henderson is now fully committed to an exciting trip across Europe, with Oisin Murphy – who steered him to a memorable success at Southwell in February – booked for the ride.

“We’re on, absolutely – we’re going to Italy,” the Seven Barrows handler told the Press Association on Sunday.

“He’s in very good shape, he worked yesterday (Saturday) and that’s all done really now, so hopefully we’re going to go and give it a good go.”

Henderson is expecting to see plenty of familiar faces at San Siro, adding: “This will be fun and we are looking forward to it.

“We’re driving him over on Thursday, I think they all go by road and there’ll be a lot of English runners by the sound of it. It sounds like Mr (William) Haggas is going, Andrew Balding is going and I think George Scott is going – I think everyone is going!

“It sounds like the ground should be fine. I know there’s a race there today and they’re calling the ground good, but I think there’s some rain around as well and Oisin is going to ride him, so we’re all set to go.”

It will be a significant change from the norm for Henderson, who would usually be heading to Cheltenham’s Showcase meeting for the start of the new season at Prestbury Park.

However, with the continuing dry spell meaning it could be a while before his biggest guns will be seen in action over jumps, the trainer will be having his passport stamped for what at one time would have seemed an extremely unlikely ‘Italian Job’.

“It looks as if Cheltenham is going to be quite a quiet weekend (for us) with the ground, although I think there is some rain coming, which will be good, as we might be able to run a a couple on Friday,” he said.

“If someone had said a year or two ago we’d be taking Constitution Hill to Milan, you’d have said it must be April Fool’s Day or something like that, but it’s exciting. We had a few Italian media people here on Monday and it’s something to look forward to.”