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Cheltenham Festival 2022: Constitution Hill and Edwardstone deliver monster performances at Brits take day one lead

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WHAT’S that coming over the Hill? An absolute monster.

There is no other way to describe Constitution Hill, who produced a performance for the ages on day one at Cheltenham.

Constitution Hill wowed in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle

Thank God the Festival faithful were back in the stands to witness his 22-length demolition job in the Supreme.

It was a jaw-dropping win and deserved the soundtrack of 65,000 pumped-up punters, the sort you only get at Cheltenham.

The noise inside the course was deafening and the atmosphere had reached fever-pitch by the time the tapes lifted in the opener.

So excited were the crowd that they gave the runners a cheer on their way to post, a cheer when they reached the start and a booming cheer as they set off.

A roar two years in the making.

The Supreme can often be a messy, madly-run race, but it couldn’t have gone any smoother for jockey Nico De Boinville.

He cruised round in third place behind his stablemate Jonbon and the keen-going Dysart Dynamo.

Willie Mullins’ front-runner was still going comfortably when he crashed out at the third last.

Just before that flight, De Boinville had decided to switch inside and tag on to the back of Jonbon, rather than Dysart Dynamo.

If his jockey hadn’t made that slight adjustment, Constitution Hill would have had to do some serious sidestepping to get out of trouble. On such fine margins, races are won and lost.

As it was, the 9-4 joint favourite was in the clear rounding the bend for home, where he left Jonbon for dead in a matter of strides.

He powered up the hill to smash Annie Power’s track record and gave Nicky Henderson his third Supreme win since 2016 – following the footsteps of Altior and Shishkin, no less.

Henderson said: “Jonbon is a very good horse – for Constitution Hill to do that to him is remarkable.  

“It’s extraordinary that he is a genuine two-miler – I don’t know why, he’d stay two and half standing on his head, I think. He’s got an enormous turn of foot. 

“He’s always just racing in two gears below everyone else, because it’s all so easy for him, and then you press the button and the turbo works. 

“That’s the way he is at home and that’s the way he is on the racecourse, which is lovely. 

“It’s just nice to be back here with all these people who create that atmosphere – it means a lot.” 

Edwardstone kept up his winning streak in the Arkle

It was the dream start for the British after last year’s 23-5 humiliation at the hands of the Irish.

And it got even better when the brilliant Edwardstone rolled to a gutsy success in the Arkle.

The eight-year-old had been rock-solid all year for Alan King, and he extended his winning streak to five on the day that mattered most.

But it was anything but easy, as he performed a minor miracle to avoid a faller at the fourth fence and was almost wiped out by Riviere D’Etel, who jumped out to her right, two out.

He galloped clear after the last to end King’s seven-year Festival drought and give in-form jock Tom Cannon his first winner at jump racing’s jamboree.

King, who was on the receiving end of a bear hug from a chuffed Nicky Henderson after the race, grinned: “What a relief that is!

“There was plenty going on around him. We missed the carnage at the fourth. I was only half watching at the time, but I thought we could have easily been brought down.

“Maybe luck was on our side but he has done it really well and Tom has given him a cracking ride.  

“I’m not high at the minute that will be later as I’m just relieved. I’m thrilled for the horse and connections as they are wonderful.”

Cannon added: “This feels great – it feels like it’s been a long time coming. 

“It doesn’t matter how well you are doing in this game, it always feels like you are treading water, so I will enjoy the moment today and hopefully build on it.”

And hopefully the home team can build on a memorable day one. Four winners? Who saw that coming?

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