NICKY HENDERSON has been left 'traumatised' after superstar horse Constitution Hill was rushed to hospital with suspected colic.
The Seven Barrows trainer said his former Champion Hurdle monster - who was forced to miss this year's Cheltenham Festival - is 'not completely out of the woods' yet.
Colic can be a life-threatening condition in horses and one of the symptoms is sharp belly pains.
But, despite grave fears over his health and huge concerns he may never race again, Henderson said he hopes to have his stable star home safe and sound soon.
In a shock statement on Sunday morning, Henderson confirmed: "We have had a few traumatic days with poor Constitution Hill as he had to go to the veterinary hospital on Wednesday night in order to monitor suspected colic and I am pleased to sat that they have managed to avoid surgery so far and this morning he is being reintroduced to a normal diet.
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"If this goes well he could come home in the next day or so.
"We are not completely out of the woods but very hopeful that he will soon be back which will be an enormous relief.
"This will obviously interfere with our plan to get to Punchestown which is very sad but the only important thing at the moment is to get him safely home."
Constitution Hill had been as short as 1-4 to retain his Champion Hurdle crown earlier this month and was many people's banker of the Festival.
But he was pulled after a shocking racecourse gallop at Kempton left Henderson and owner Michael Buckley stunned.
The horse was found to have 'significant mucus' in his airways and subsequent blood tests revealed he was not well enough to run.
Henderson had reported the horse being perkier and more himself in the days before the Festival.
But this latest development is a shock as it was not thought the unbeaten seven-year-old was so severely ill.
Punters were quick to pass on their well-wishes and hoped to see him fit enough to race again next season.
Racegoers have seen the horse in the flesh only once all year, when he won the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton.
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Constitution Hill was due to make his seasonal bow in the Fighting Fifth but it was cancelled at Newcastle and the horse didn't make the trip to Sandown for the rearranged version.
It was thought he could run at either Aintree's Grand National Festival in two weeks.
Or take on his biggest rival and Champion Hurdler State Man at Punchestown's Festival at the end of April.
But with both of those options long gone the only hope now is that we see the all-conquering hurdler return to race in the near future.
Constitution Hill was on course to become arguably the greatest hurdler of all time.
He is eight from eight on the track and has amassed more than £730,000 in prize money.
He hammered State Man by nine lengths in the 2023 Champion Hurdle, winning eased down in front of a cheering crowd.
Constitution Hill was sent off 1-12 when last seen, beating Paul Nicholls' Rubaud by almost ten lengths.