The 2023 Fighting Fifth Hurdle, that will feature Constitution Hill, will be rescheduled to fit into the Sandown Tingle Creek Fixture on Saturday 9th December, after Newcastle racecourse was forced to call off their card this weekend.
Fighting Fifth Hurdle Rescheduled To Sandown
Constitution Hill could be in action before Christmas after all as his expected target – the Fighting Fifth Hurdle, which was called off at Newcastle, will be rescheduled.
The lucky racecourse to get the race is Sandown Park, who will stage their Tingle Creek fixture on Saturday 9th December, with the BetMGM Fighting Fifth Hurdle now squeezed into the schedule.
This means Sandown Park festive racegoers will now the chance to see the Nicky Henderson star hurdler Constitution Hill and current Champion Hurdler in action. As long as Henderson confirms he’ll run, which he’s expected to do.
Constitution Hill Could Join Stablemate Jonbon At The Esher Track
Constitution Hill has won over £600k in prize money and will join his stablemate Jonbon, who is the red-hot favourite to land the Tingle Creek Chase with the best UK horse racing sites.
With the ‘Con-Bon’ double, despite not likely to pay much, sure to figure in many weekend accas.
The 6 year-old has won all seven of his starts over hurdles and remains a big fancy to back up his Champion Hurdle win at the Cheltenham Festival next March.
This isn’t the first time the Fighting Fifth Hurdle has been called off and moved.
In 1993 the Newcastle race was abandoned, while in 2008 (Wetherby) and 2010 (Newbury) the race was run at different tracks.
Constitution Hill Not A Certain Runner In The Rearranged Fighting Fifth
Despite the good news that the Fighting Fifth Hurdle will be moved to Sandown on Saturday 9th December, Constitution Hill’s trainer Nicky Henderson is still having some concerns about running his star hurdler so close to Kempton.
He told the PA News agency “We’ve discussed it and discussed it and we’ll continue to discuss it,” Henderson told the PA news agency on Friday afternoon.
“What I couldn’t give Ian Renton (regional director for the Jockey Club) was a guarantee that if they put it on at Sandown that we would run, so I think what they will do is reopen it, and therefore we are not holding it to ransom.
“I don’t know, I’m nervous about it – the time schedule – and I fear one race will have to be sacrificed for the other.”
When Is The Sandown Tingle Creek Meeting?
📅Date: Saturday 9th December 2023
🏇Racecourse: Sandown Park
📺 TV: ITV / Racing TV
WATCH: Constitution Hill Winning The 2023 Champion Hurdle
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