NICO'S CAREER LEAP TO GLORY

Nick Townsend talks to Nico de Boinville about his life-changing choices

- Nick Townsend

While Sean Bowens, Harry Skelton, Sam Twiston-Davies and Harry Cobden dominate the early skirmishes for the jump jockeys' championship, the current 26th on the leaderboard has an altogether different target in his mind's eye: yet more Grade 1 victories, to add to a phenomenal tally of 45.

This key member of Nicky Henderson's Seven Barrows yard in Lambourn has never been in pursuit of a championship - his best year in that regard being 86 winners in 2018-2019 - because Nico de Boinville has other priorities. This ultimate team player has long been entrusted with one of the most coveted roles amongst national hunt jockeys.

We talk, coincidentally, on Champions Day on the Flat - after which the jumps code dominates. Rides have been relatively few through the summer and early Autumn. But that will soon change. For de Boinville it is the quiet before the storm. One which will bring him and his stable high-class winners to add to his current total of 90 Graded races? Almost certainly.

Could any horse induce the anticipatory juices to start flowing than the long-awaited return of Constitution Hill, last year's Champion Hurdle victor, in this month's Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle the first Grade 1 of the season and a race his mount won in 2022.

The 7yo's last race was the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day, but according to his trainer suffered a bout of colic. He has also had a wind operation.

The name of Constituation Hill had inevitably been prompted after we had been reflecting on this being one of the most informative, and rewarding, stages of the year as the stable's more recent additions, many from France or the point-to-point field, begin to strut their style.