Nicky Henderson has ruled out any thoughts of retiring Constitution Hill following a series of setbacks in recent months.
Having kicked off his campaign with a couple of victories, the eight-year-old fell at Cheltenham and Aintree before finishing a distant fifth behind State Man at Punchestown on Friday.
That run of results prompted speculation that connections could opt to cut short the former Champion Hurdle winner’s career, but Henderson said: “I can say next season does happen, anything otherwise is out of the question.”
The Seven Barrows handler is hoping a summer break will allow Constitution Hill to regroup and shrug off any mental scars incurred from such a miserable spring.
Speaking on Racing TV’s Luck on Sunday programme, Henderson said: “The one thing you can’t do is read a horse’s mind! We think we can, but we can’t – and what he’s thinking is not what I was thinking at the time.
“For all the advice I’ve had since Aintree, since even Friday, there are a million different opinions of what we should and shouldn’t be doing.
“Now, if I put them all into operation the confusion would be horrendous, so I think we’ll stick to our own plan and that’ll be turn him out and hope that he can just literally mentally forget it.
“They do remember, of course they do, but there’s not much else you can do. Horse psychiatrists, whisperers, they do exist, and we’ll do everything, but it’s just not that easy.
“I think just a really quiet piece of time and go back to Charlie Vigors, where he’s spent all his summers, ever since he came here, he’ll be happy there and we’ve just got to try to get him to relax, which is what he’s good at.”
Previous Falls
However, when reflecting on Constitution Hill’s most recent reversal, Henderson did admit to believing his charge was still feeling the effects of his two previous tumbles.
Henderson added: “The conclusion at the end of the day is that there was one tell-tale moment, it was when he was at the start and he just turned his head as if he was saying ‘I don’t want to do this’.
“That is the most unlike Constitution Hill moment I’ve ever seen. It’s just so unlike him, he wouldn’t turn his head from anything, he would answer anything and never let you down.
“He’d had two crunching falls, the Liverpool fall was horrible. We had schooled and he’s done everything right. He was a bit sorry for a week after Aintree but then he brightened up and bounced out and we said ‘OK, if you want to go, you want to go’ and he did.
“But that moment at the start told me everything, just because it is so unlike him.
“He’s the most willing, level-headed horse you could find, with a willing temperament, but I’m afraid we’ve probably just emptied that little part of him and that is what his thought was then, it was just so out of character.”
