The delight and relief that swirled around Constitution Hill as he extended his unbeaten record to nine starts here on Thursday expressed itself in various ways. Nicky Henderson, his trainer, was teary, the punters who sent him off favourite were jubilant and Nico de Boinville, the winner’s jockey, was rounding on the critics. “It was definitely worth the wait,” he told an ITV racing reporter shortly after their handing only a second career defeat to the excellent mare, Lossiemouth. “And one more thing. Paddy Brennan, you can shove that where the sun don’t shine.”

It was, perhaps, a little unnecessary in what is, after all, a game of opinions, and his former weighing-room colleague’s pre-race view that Lossiemouth would emerge victorious was clearly shared by many, as she set off at 11-8. But it was a clear sign of the pressure that had been building in the weeks leading up to Constitution Hill’s oft-delayed return to action, and the immense relief that, as De Boinville had told Henderson after an impressive gallop in late November, “we’re back”.

Related: Banbridge wins King George VI Chase while Constitution Hill takes Christmas Hurdle – as it happened

The drama in Thursday’s contest was in the emotion and significance as much as the race itself. Lossiemouth never really threatened to close down Constitution Hill, who travelled and jumped with all his familiar fluency throughout, after De Boinville sent him to the front jumping the second-last.

But it also teed up a compelling rematch with State Man, the Champion Hurdle winner in Constitution Hill’s absence last season, in the feature race on day one at Cheltenham in March, and possibly Lossiemouth too, although the Mares’ Hurdle, which she won last season, suddenly looks like a more attractive target.

“Three weeks ago, he worked on our gallops on the grass, and Nico said, “we’re back”,” Henderson said. “It was as simple as that. I was very nervous coming here today and he had to put up a big performance. I was preparing myself for defeat and accepting it with the knowledge that you would hope to beat her in Cheltenham [in March] with the normal improvement one can expect. He will come on sufficiently and we have got to have a clean run, but he has never looked better than he does. The last fortnight he has looked fantastic.”

Henderson was understandably reluctant to commit to a Cheltenham prep for Constitution Hill until he has had a chance to see how he comes out of Thursday’s race, but the International Hurdle at the track’s Trials meeting at the end of January is an obvious stepping-stone if required.

Constitution Hill could be backed at 5-1 for the Champion Hurdle earlier this month but is now odds-on to reclaim his title at around 8-11, while State Man is out to 3-1 to reverse a nine-length beating the last time the two horses met, in the Champion Hurdle in 2022.

Paul Townend, Lossiemouth’s jockey, later reported that he “was never that comfortable” at any stage of the race, but the significant silver lining for Willie Mullins’s stable jockey was that with JJ Slevin, the regular partner of Joseph O’Brien’s Banbridge, fulfilling contractual commitments in Ireland, he was an obvious choice for the prime spare ride in the King George VI Chase.

Townend rode a brilliantly judged race on Banbridge, delivering the eight-year-old to challenge the front-running Il Est Francais at the final fence and seal victory with a foot-perfect jump. For much of the race, Il Est Francais had threatened a repeat of his dominant success in the card’s three-mile novice chase 12 months ago, and midway through the turn for home, with the rest of the runners still at least four lengths adrift, he was odds-on in running on Betfair.

“Il Est Francais put up a fair performance to stay there as long as he did,” Townend said. “But it was going to be an unbelievable performance for him to stay at that speed. My hands were tied where I was, but I thought I had the right ones in front of me, and he [Il Est Francais] had them out of their comfort zone a long way out. I was always going to ride my lad to come home [late] anyway because it was an unknown trip, and luckily we pinged the last.

Wetherby 11.50 Let’s Go Joe 12.25 Kingston James 1.00 Campaign Trail 1.35 Grand Albert 2.15 Livano Bello 2.45 Parisencore 3.20 Blue Bellamy

Chepstow 12.00 Clap Of Thunder 12.30 King William Rufus 1.05 Lowry’s Bar 1.40 Nietzsche Has  2.10 Woodie Flash 2.50 Galia Des Liteaux (nap) 3.25 Doyouknowwhatimean

Kempton 12.45 Inappropriate 1.20 Royale Margaux 1.55 Sir Gino 2.30 Boothill 3.08 Frero Banbou 3.38 Aucunrisque

Wolverhampton 4.00 Southbank 4.30 Enacting 5.00 Best Rate 5.30 Merchant 6.00 Bulldog Spirit 6.30 Existent 7.00 Come On John 7.30 Palazzo Persico 8.00 Forever Proud

“It’s a tricky fence, I missed it last year on Allaho, and it’s so close to the line that I never got going again. I was conscious of that and you need luck in these races, and today, everything went my way. Lossiemouth was disappointing, and I’m very fortunate that I was able to pick up the ride on Banbridge half an hour later. If I’d just had Lossiemouth, I’d have been going home with my tail between my legs tonight.”

O’Brien, meanwhile, now has the unique record of having won two Derbys as a jockey, and two Melbourne Cups on the Flat and a King George over jumps as a trainer. “This is really special as I grew up watching races like this, ever since I could walk and talk,” O’Brien said. “To have a runner is very special and to win it is a dream come true.”

Galia Des Liteaux can make it pay in Welsh National

The ground for the Coral Welsh Grand National on Friday promises to be significantly less attritional than usual, but the strongest stayer is still likely to prevail and conditions look ideal for Dan Skelton’s stamina-laden mare, Galia Des Liteaux (2.50), to give the yard its first success in Chepstow’s feature event of the year.

Galia Des Liteaux was useful over hurdle but has improved steadily over fences and marathon trips. She travelled well for a long way before fading from the last to finish eighth in the Grand National at Aintree in April, when the effort involved in making a big move towards the leaders halfway around the second circuit was probably starting to tell.

The eight-year-old is probably better judged on her earlier run in the Classic Handicap Chase at Warwick, when she carried a big weight into a close second, as the trip and ground were very similar to those that Galia Des Liteaux will face on Friday, while she is back to the same handicap mark of 142 as well.

Even the three-and-a-quarter miles in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury looked insufficient last time and odds of around 6-1 look attractive as she returns to a true marathon trip.

Chepstow 1.05 The six-year-old Lowry’s Bar has made an excellent start to his chasing career and a 4lb rise for his win at Exeter in early December is more than fair.

Kempton 1.20 The versatile Royale Margaux has looked an improved model over hurdles on her last two starts, did well to get within four lengths of the winner after finding trouble in running at Cheltenham last time and can race off the same mark here.

Chepstow 1.40 Marcel Roland’s Nietzsche Has was a close second in a Grade One at Auteuil in November and he is comfortably clear of his field on ratings as he drops back to Grade Two company.

Kempton 1.55 A fascinating clash between two of the most exciting young novice chasers on either side of the Irish Sea. Ballyburn, last year’s Gallagher Novice Hurdle winner at Cheltenham, made a solid start to his chasing career at Punchestown in November, but marginal preference is for the younger and even less exposed Sir Gino, who posted an impressive time when easing eight lengths clear in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle last time.

Chepstow 2.10 The progressive Woodie Flash remains on a fair mark after going down only to a well-handicapped rival at Newbury in November.

Kempton 2.30 Conditions look ideal for Boothill to make up for his mid-race departure when favourite for this race last year.

Kempton 3.08 The Venetia Williams stable remains in excellent form and her resurgent Rehearsal Chase winner, Frero Banbou, can add another useful prize to the tally here.