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Kingwell target for Brentford Hope after gallant Constitution Hill effort

Brentford Hope seen finishing second to Constitution Hill last weekBrentford Hope seen finishing second to Constitution Hill last week
© Photo Healy Racing

Harry Derham was delighted with Brentford Hope’s second to Constitution Hill in the Unibet Hurdle at Cheltenham on Saturday and will now aim his eight-year-old at Wincanton’s Kingwell Hurdle.

Nicky Henderson’s superstar made it 10 wins from 10 starts under rules, although a mistake at the last had those in the grandstands gasping before Nico de Boinville quickly steadied the partnership to canter up the hill and score by three lengths.

Brentford Hope took it up in the early stages before De Boinville sent Constitution Hill to the front and he never saw another horse and despite the final-flight blunder was never in danger.

Derham felt second was the best he could hope for and was happy to take home that prize.

He said: “At the entry stage we thought we could get third prize-money and then at declaration stage we had a bonus and thought we could get second prize-money, so that was fantastic.”

De Boinville was motionless in steering Constitutional Hill home and Derham joked: “I think he could have fallen, had a cup of tea, turned around, gone back home and then come back and still won!

“But we were under no illusions. We never thought about winning. We obviously thought that the best possible position we could get was second and we were very pleased to do that.

“He’s going to go to the Kingwell Hurdle now at Wincanton. That’s three weeks to the day from the Unibet.

“Whether he’ll run in the Champion Hurdle or not, I don’t know. If he won the Kingwell then maybe we would. I’m not sure. The Kingwell has been his big target and it very much still is.

“He’ll run after the Kingwell for sure as long as he’s OK, but the Kingwell is our main plan and where he goes after that is up for debate currently.”

Viyanni holds an entry in the Triumph Hurdle, but Derham is keen to avoid a rematch with Lulamba and will point him at the Fred Winter at the Festival.

The classy Lulamba was making his debut for Henderson in the BetMGM Juvenile Hurdle at Ascot and scored readily by three and a half lengths from last year’s French Derby fifth Mondo Man, with Viyanni a further two and three-quarter lengths back in third.

Derham added: “I would imagine the Fred Winter looks more realistic for him.

“Obviously Lulamba took care of us exceeding easily the other day, so one more run before the Fred Winter, where that comes will be over the next few weeks. I haven’t quite decided where yet, but I would imagine he is more a Fred winter horse. I was extremely pleased with his run.

“The winner, I don’t think there’s any secret how good he was. I think he was favourite for the Triumph before he ran.

“Nicky’s obviously got a top-class outfit. They knew what they had and the second horse was 111-rated on the Flat and we are a 70-rated Flat horse so I was absolutely chuffed to bits with his run.”