• Unbeaten runner behind Sir Gino in racecourse workout
• Best hurdler for decades friendless for Fighting Fifth

As Nicky Henderson said one thing about Constitution Hill after his exercise gallop at Newbury on Tuesday morning, the betting markets said another, adding another twist to the build-up to his much-anticipated return to action at Newcastle in 11 days’ time.

The unbeaten winner of the 2023 Champion Hurdle finished a half-length behind Sir Gino, his galloping companion, his first trip to a track since February, but while Henderson said afterwards that “he’s ready for action” and insisted that the seven-year-old’s huge talent “is still there”, he had drifted from odds-on to odds-against for the Fighting Fifth Hurdle on 30 November within an hour of crossing the line.