Jump racing needs Nicky Henderson's superstars firing again - and he certainly deserves a break

And so the saga is over. What was meant to be the season to cement Constitution Hill's status as possibly the greatest hurdler ever is now finished after just one Christmas Hurdle cakewalk against vastly inferior opposition.

Any hopes of a rematch with the latest Champion Hurdle winner State Man at Punchestown were dashed when Nicky Henderson announced his eight-time Grade 1 winner had spent five days in a veterinary hospital with suspected colic.

Like many, I suspect, I was initially sceptical about the seriousness of Constitution Hill’s dirty scope before the Unibet Hurdle at the end of January. Was it merely a convenient excuse to ensure there were no hiccups on the road to Cheltenham? I was wrong, as clearly he has been suffering from a multitude of problems since the beginning of the year.