Constitution Hill’s erratic career took a dramatic upward turn on Friday when the winner of the 2023 Champion Hurdle turned his late Flat debut into a procession down the Southwell straight, coming home nine and a half lengths ahead of the runner-up, with Oisin Murphy, the champion jockey, motionless in his saddle.
Even those closest to Constitution Hill were amazed by his achievements, making it increasingly likely that the champion show jumper, who famously forgot how to jump, will now switch to racing on the Flat full-time.
“I couldn’t have imagined that, I have to admit,” said Nicky Henderson, the nine-year-old’s trainer. “We probably should have settled this about four years ago, right? It’s nice to be back with a positive atmosphere, we have a lot to look forward to and a lot of decisions to make.
“You thought this would tell us roughly what we would do and this opens a lot of doors, right? We have to think long and hard about it. It would be nice to say, ‘We’ll do this,’ but I don’t think we can do that right now.”
Constitution Hill owner Michael Buckley has suffered more than anyone as a horse already known as one of the best hurdlers of all time has suffered a series of setbacks. The possibility of Constitution Hill running at all on the Flat would have been unthinkable 11 months ago, when he posted as 1-2 favorite for the Champion Hurdle.
After a fall in fifth place at Cheltenham, his career lurched from one disappointment to another, culminating in a third fall in four starts in Newcastle’s Fighting Fifth Hurdle in November. That early departure, on the second flight, after taking off too early on the first, suggested that the nine-year-old had lost all confidence in his ability to get from one side of an obstacle to the other.
“It sounds strange to say after what’s happened this past year,” Buckley said, “but we always knew he was special. And I think with all the trouble and heartbreak we’ve had, now everyone knows how special he is. He’s a nine-year-old horse, but he’s certainly good.”
Constitution Hill had drifted in the betting in the days leading up to Friday’s race, but he left as 6-4 favorite after a rush of money in the hours before and was shouted to victory by a near-record crowd for an evening meeting at Southwell.
The same race 12 months ago attracted just 320 spectators, but on Friday there were 3,520 racegoers, while confirmed fans eager for a glimpse of Constitution Hill were joined by a large contingent from the ‘Invades’ initiative, there as part of racing’s new Friday Night Live program to attract a younger audience to the sport.
The huge crowd and jubilant reception for Constitution Hill when he returned after his easy success was a huge vindication for Southwell’s decision to stage the £40,000 novices event, following a suggestion from Henderson that Constitution Hill could benefit from a turn on the Flat after his latest setback in Newcastle.
There were fears that Constitution Hill would be voted out earlier this week when the marquee fair attracted a huge entry, including a runner from Willie Mullins’ yard in Ireland and some of the best Flat stables, and his place in the line-up was only confirmed on Wednesday morning.
“Adding in that prize money made the race way too competitive for my taste, with all those nice Flat horses showing up,” said Henderson. “But what can you say, he was incredible.”
Kdeux Saint Fray can put a dent in Mullins’ Kempton record
With pre-Cheltenham Purdah fast approaching, Saturday’s Ladbrokes Trophy Handicap Chase at Kempton could be the most competitive betting heat for the next two and a half weeks and Emmet Mullins’ decision to field two runners in the 13-strong field adds another layer of complexity to the puzzle.
Mullins has a well-deserved reputation for sliding opponents into handicaps at Cheltenham and Aintree in highly competitive fashion, but his Kempton record – three wins from five runners – isn’t too shabby either.
Eight of those ten winners went away as favourites, so the money for Rising Dust – three of three over fences and with the champion jockey, Sean Bowen, booked to ride – or Chance Another One, a course-and-distance winner in November, would be significant.
As things stand, neither Rising Dust nor Chance Another One is a clear blemish on the handicap, and even the undefeated Rising Dust is making a big jump in class after moving up 11 pounds in the weights.
Several rivals have made very similar claims about the book, including last year’s fifteen-year-old winner Katate Dori and the ultra-consistent Hoe Joly Smoke, but neither is making as much of an appeal as the progressive six-year-old. Kdeux Saint Fray (3.35), around 7-1.
Kdeux Saint Fray was five lengths behind Jordans Cross at Cheltenham last month but finished with a run to the left after falling behind a tiring rival on a crucial stage. He only runs a pound higher and has plenty of room for improvement as he steps up to three miles for the first time.
Kempton 1.10: Grenadier Jed is both consistent and still progressive, setting a fair bar for the light racing favorite, Hold The Serve.
Lingfield 1.25: Robson Aguiar has made a strong start to his training career in Ireland and Brave power looks set to get him off target at the first attempt in Britain.
Kempton 1.45: Precious human being are still on the rise and could turn around form with Cheltenham’s One Horse Town in November.
Lingfield 2.00: by Karl Burke Boiling point has the most convincing profile by going to 10 furlongs for the first time.
Kempton 2.25: JaxJunior is progressing rapidly and has gained several pounds in this area.
Newcastle 2.43: It’s still early for that Dom Of Maria at the James Owen yard and this extreme test of endurance could get the best of him.
Kempton 3.00: Double measure has had a useful spell while successful at Huntingdon and looks ready for a second-tier company.
#Constitution #Hill #move #Flat #fulltime #triumphant #debut