A “quite dire” weather forecast is owner Michael Buckley’s biggest concern ahead of Constitution Hill’s return in the BetMGM Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle on Saturday.

The pre-eminent star of National Hunt racing was a brilliant winner of the Gosforth Park showpiece last season, before going on to land the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton, the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham and the Aintree Hurdle to extend his faultless record to seven.