THE announcement by Nicky Henderson to rule Constitution Hill out of the Champion Hurdle effectively signals the end of a brilliant and dramatic career over hurdles for a horse who had it all, but developed a habit of leaving it on the floor.

He was a sensational novice on a par with the ill-fated Golden Cygnet and his Supreme win was as compelling a performance as I’ve witnessed by a hurdler.

He was, then, as fluent a jumper of hurdles as I’ve seen, and seemingly a natural at that element of his game. It’s been confusing and disappointing in equal measure to see that natural talent unravel in the last year or so, but that’s what it has done, and that’s why I feel the correct decision has been made to call time on his hurdling career.

Past champions with jumping issues have been able to improve to varying degrees through schooling and experience, whereas Constitution Hill is a rarer case of a natural jumper who has developed problems. This is hard to correct with schooling as the technique is already ingrained and it’s no surprise that Constitution Hill has been reported as schooling brilliantly before previous falls.

Some people talk of a loss in confidence, but to me a horse lacking confidence would be more likely to jump carefully or put in an extra stride whereas Constitution Hill has still been shaping to let fly at his hurdles only to find the old impulsion that used to see him soaring over his obstacles missing. Mentally, he knows what to do, but physically that message isn’t translating the way it used to. As the parish priest used to say, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Constitution Hill was due to complete a schooling session this week, but my understanding - and there have been conflicting reports - is that he did not school; if that’s true, I’m glad, as it’s difficult to understand the benefit. If he always jumps well at home then a decision to run, which hinges on schooling, would put huge pressure on connections to run.

Those who have watched his last five races must know that his failures are not due to statistical anomaly or bad luck, but to a fundamental loss of technique. A decision has been made about him as an individual and I believe it is the correct one. Those who scream “the game’s gone woke” because of it, need to give their collective heads a wobble.