Nicky Henderson gave his biggest hint yet that star novices Constitution Hill and Jonbon will face off against each other in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham on March 15.
On a Seven Barrows press day Henderson insisted both horses were brought out at the same time, quipping "they aren't going to be split up in three weeks so you may as well see them at the same time".
There had been talk that one of the pair would be stepped up in trip for the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle to avoid a clash but Henderson looks set to pitch them both into battle over two miles.
"It's the plan to run them both (in the Supreme), but they are like cheese and chalk. Constitution Hill would stand in front of everyone all day and that is how he is in life. The other horse is the complete opposite, but he did behave well today. He's usually hyper," said Henderson.
"They are all in good form and both worked on Saturday, but not with each other and they will not, that's too obvious, we may as well find out in three weeks. They don't need to work together and it would ruin the whole party if we knew the answer!
"They would both get two and a half (miles) but we don't want trials here, so there's no point in working them together. The only time we did it with good horses was Simonsig and Sprinter (Sacre) for a couple of years as they were the only ones who could go with each other.
"If they galloped together they'd have a dust up and I don't want that. They are very, very good."
Henderson has an embarrasment of riches when it comes to novice hurdlers.
Aside from having two at the top of the market in the Supreme, Walking On Air and I Am Maximus will head to the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle with claims.
"We decided not to run Walking On Air at Doncaster this week as for a couple of weeks I just wasn't overly happy with him after Newbury. I'd have liked another run, but Nico (de Boinville) is confident if any horse can do it off one run, it's him," said Henderson.
"I Am Maximus has very good form, he was probably just outstayed by Henry Daly's horse (Hillcrest) who is going for the Albert Bartlett."
Epatante is something of an afterthought in the Unibet Champion Hurdle in comparison with the Henry De Bromhead trained Honeysuckle but Henderson says his mare has a squeak.
"We started this year and JP (McManus, owner) said we had two objectives, the Fighting Fifth and Christmas Hurdle and we got one and a half as we dead-heated in the Fighting Fifth!" said Henderson.
"I had it half in my mind that we could go up in trip for the Mares' Hurdle and I said as such coming off the Kempton stand to JP, but I said we'd see what Nico said - anyway he said one word, 'no', so that was that.
"She's just all speed and doesn't want to be going over further than two miles.
"Honeysuckle does look very good, she'll be very hard to beat, but I do think we are back to where she was when she won her Champion Hurdle, though I'll admit that might not have been the strongest ever run."
