BHA provides Constitution Hill update after scary fall at Cheltenham Festival

Constitution Hill walked away from a scary fall in a shocking Champion Hurdle on day one at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival.

The previously unbeaten hurdler, who was the odds-on favourite for the race of the day, looked poised to win, only to suffer a hard fall under jockey Nico de Boinville.

The dramatic race then looked set for a repeat of 2024 when State Man claimed the win, but Paul Townend was unable to successfully negotiate the last hurdle and also crashed out, leaving Golden Ace to pick up the shock win.

After a nervy wait, both horses and jockeys could be seen walking away, and the British Horseracing Authority confirmed to ITV Sport that both horses and jockeys are “absolutely fine”.

Constitution Hill trainer Nicky Henderson said: “He’s OK too, nobody is hurt, two jockeys and horses who have had proper old falls, but they’re OK. We’ll have a rather fun day in Punchestown, that’s where I’d like to go. It’s cruel to be fair, it’s tough on Michael, we’ve waited two years to get back here and he was back. He’s fine, Nico’s fine, the other two are fine.

“At least State Man had the race won, we didn’t get to see what would have happened, it would have been fun. We know if you’re going to play it, you have to take it. It’s tough, a lot of heartache to get back here. You can’t see it, you can’t share it. We’ll have to carry on.”

“He absolutely steps onto the hurdle with Nico, on the front of the hurdle, he steps clean into the middle of it, he can’t stand up when you do that,” Ruby Walsh told ITV Racing.

“Paul Townend [aboard State Man], he commits to the land, I don’t think you’re always wrong, make a decision, commit to it, but over he goes, that’ll live with him forever, trust me!”

Lorcan Williams riding Golden Ace passes the fallen horse of State Man ridden by Paul Townend (REUTERS)

While State Man trainer Willie Mullins added: "It was just too long, you don't see two champions fall like that, it's extraordinary stuff, fantastic to have a win like that [Golden Ace] when all of that happens.

“We’re used to it at this stage, it’s what happens, what can we say? Everyone is good and a very popular winner, racing is good for us.”