'The obvious thing to do' - Nicky Henderson explains decision to switch Lulamba's Aintree target

Nicky Henderson's formidable team for day one of the Aintree festival has been weakened considerably, following the news star juvenile Lulamba will take on his elders later in the week.

Henderson had the ante-post favourite for the first two races of the meeting, Jango Baie and Lulamba, leading into the odds-on favourite for the day's feature race with Constitution Hill dominating the market for the William Hill Aintree Hurdle.

Lulamba was 8-11 for the Boodles Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle but is the 5-4 market leader for Saturday's Grade 1 Turners Mersey Novices' Hurdle over two and a half miles.

• Constitution Hill-Lossiemouth rematch on but Lulamba absent as day one fields for Aintree's Grand National festival confirmed

While the betting suggests he had a better chance against his own age group, Henderson said he felt the longer race and the four-year-olds weight allowance which comes with it will suit his star prospect better.

"It was an idea which occurred to me," explained the six-time champion trainer. "Aintree's a sharp track and he's a big horse, I was wondering who would run in the two-and-a-half and what we're really after is the extra half a mile. I just think it'll help him.

"Aintree's such a speed track and he's a big boy. He needed all of the hill to bring him into the race at Cheltenham, which it did and he got his head in front, it's just unfortunate he got mugged on the blind side in the last stride as he couldn't see him. But the hill helped him a lot.

Aintree's hurdles track is much more speed-favouring than Cheltenham'sCredit: Edward Whitaker

"Two miles there will be sharp enough for him, and four-year-olds get a 10lb allowance and at this time of year that's considerable. It also gives him another two days from Cheltenham to recover and when you put all the pros and cons of the two races together we came down in favour of the two-and-a-half."

Asked if this meant Lulamba would be campaigned over further next season, Henderson said: "I don't think it does at all, I'm just trying to find the right race for him at this time and, having put him in, it seemed the obvious thing to do."

On whether Lulamba could go novice chasing next season, he added: "He very easily could be, but let's see what happens here. It'll be his last run of the season."

Henderson's Aintree will kick off with Jango Baie in the EBC Group Manifesto Novices' Chase, in which the Arkle winner will step back up to the two and a half miles he has competed over all season, while Constitution Hill, a superstar with something to prove according to the Racing Post's David Jennings who argues his legacy is on the line, will attempt to put a crashing fall at Cheltenham behind him in the £250,000 Grade 1 Aintree Hurdle.

"He's well and had a nice piece of work on Friday and a school," said Henderson. "He's done lots of jumping and told me and Nico [de Boinville], who was driving him, that he's in good shape, so here we go."

Read more:

David Jennings: Constitution Hill's legacy is on the line - can he really be classed as an all-time great on what he's done so far? 

Constitution Hill-Lossiemouth rematch on but Lulamba absent as day one fields for Aintree's Grand National festival confirmed 

2025 Grand National field takes clearer shape after six horses removed and pecking order for contenders on cut line confirmed 

Paul Nicholls finds new jockey for Grand National hope after Bryony Frost and her replacement both rule themselves out 

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