The horses trained by Willie Mullins have been absolutely sensational so far this season. This trainer has been one of the most successful so far in this horse racing season, thanks to his string of victories in the Dublin Racing Festival. But his renowned horse, Ferny Hollow, who hadn’t competed since the 2021 season, was set to make his return at the Cheltenham Festival this year.

Throughout the days leading up to the horse’s anticipated homecoming, there was much talk throughout the community. Despite the enthusiasm expressed by his famous trainer, Willie Mullins, a story arose lately stating that Ferny Hollow would not be making his debut at the lead-up race ahead of the Cheltenham Festival for a number of reasons.

Going to the Cheltenham Festival without any lead-up race

The Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1) is on Ferny Hollow’s race schedule, and he was clearly intent on making a comeback. Before the Grade 1 event, the horse was also aiming at the G2 Red Mills Chase. The shocking news, however, nevertheless, came from Chris Richardson, as reported by Road To Cheltenham on X. In the statement, Richardson said, “He’s not running because of the ground.” Furthermore, he brought attention to the fact that Mullins was “hoping to run“ the horse, but according to Richardson, the equine had “been off a while.”

The team’s best efforts to challenge the horse were also mentioned by Richardson. “We’re creeping back towards a run, but at this point in time it’s not quite going to happen,” he continued. Any horse aiming for a major event in the future has to have good lead-up races. The G2 Red Mills Chase, for example, could’ve been a sight to see, as it could also have determined the form of the Mullins-trained horse. However, this year, many popular horse racing trainers are targeting major events directly before sending their horses to a lead-up race, and one of them is Nicky Henderson.

Same situation with Constitution Hill

Constitution Hill, trained by Nicky Henderson, is well-known to all horse racing fans. The horse’s record is impeccable; except for his debut, he has never lost a race on any track. The horse has yet to be seen at a racetrack this season, as his last race was at Kempton Racecourse’s Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle (Grade 1).

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The horse’s intended race, nevertheless, is the Unibet Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy (Grade 1), as disclosed by Henderson himself. There was a mix of delight and concern around this extraordinary news. Fans were worried that the horse hadn’t participated in any pre-Festival races, and they couldn’t wait to see him run at the Cheltenham Festival once again. Nonetheless, Henderson has assured the community that the horse is in good shape and won’t let anybody down at the grand event.

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