The mercurial career of Constitution Hill took a dramatic upward turn on Friday as the 2023 Champion Hurdle winner turned his belated Flat debut into a procession up the Southwell straight, coming home nine and a half lengths clear of the runner-up, with Oisin Murphy, the champion jockey, motionless in his saddle.
Even those closest to Constitution Hill were left astonished by his performance, which may make it increasingly likely that the champion jumping horse who had famously forgotten how to jump will now switch to racing on the Flat full-time.
“I couldn’t have dreamed that one up, I must admit,” Nicky Henderson, the nine-year-old’s trainer, said. “We probably should have sorted this about four years ago, shouldn’t we? It’s nice to be back with positive vibes, we’ve got lots to look forward to and lots of decisions to make.
“One thought this would tell us roughly what we would do and this does open up a lot of doors, doesn’t it? We have to think long and hard. It would be lovely to say ‘We will do this’, but I don’t think we can at the minute.”
Michael Buckley, Constitution Hill’s owner, has suffered more than anyone as a horse who was already established as one of the finest hurdlers of all time has had a series of setbacks. The possibility of Constitution Hill running on the Flat at all would have been unthinkable just 11 months ago, when he went to post as the 1-2 favourite for the Champion Hurdle.
After a fall at the fifth at Cheltenham, his career has lurched from one disappointment to the next, culminating in a third fall in four starts in Newcastle’s Fighting Fifth Hurdle in November. That early exit, at the second flight after taking off too early at the first, suggested that the nine-year-old had lost all confidence in his ability to get from one side of an obstacle to another.
“It sounds a silly thing to say after what’s happened in the last year,” Buckley said, “but we’ve always known he was special. And I think with all the problems and heartbreaks we’ve had, now everybody knows how special he is. He’s a nine-year-old horse, but he sure is good.”
Constitution Hill had drifted in the betting in the days running up to Friday’s race, but he set off as the 6-4 favourite after a rush of money in the hours beforehand and was roared to victory by a near-record crowd for an evening meeting at Southwell.
The same fixture 12 months ago drew just 320 spectators, but there were 3,520 racegoers on Friday, as 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 programme to attract a younger audience to the sport.
The bumper crowd and the jubilant reception for Constitution Hill as he returned after his facile success was a huge vindication for Southwell’s decision to create the £40,000 event for novices, following a suggestion by Henderson that Constitution Hill could benefit from a spin on the Flat after his latest setback at Newcastle.
There were fears earlier in the week, when the big purse attracted a bumper entry including a runner from Willie Mullins’ yard in Ireland and several from top Flat stables, that Constitution Hill would be balloted out, and his place in the lineup was confirmed only on Wednesday morning.
“Putting on that prize money made the race far too competitive for my liking, with all these fancy Flat horses turning up,” Henderson said. “But what can you say, he was unbelievable.”
Kdeux Saint Fray can put a dent in Mullins’ Kempton record
With pre-Cheltenham purdah fast approaching, the Ladbrokes Trophy Handicap Chase at Kempton on Saturday could well 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 a further layer of complexity to the puzzle.
Mullins has a well-earned reputation for sliding contenders into handicaps at Cheltenham and Aintree on very competitive marks, but his Kempton record – three wins from five runners – is not too shabby either.
Eight of those 10 winners set off as favourite, so money for either Rising Dust – three-from-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, though, neither Rising Dust nor Chance Another One is an obvious blot on the handicap, and even the unbeaten Rising Dust is making a big jump in class after an 11lb rise in the weights.
Several rivals have very similar claims on the book, including last year’s 15-length winner, Katate Dori, and the ultra-consistent Hoe Joly Smoke, but neither makes as much appeal as the progressive six-year-old Kdeux Saint Fray (3.35), at around 7-1.
Kdeux Saint Fray was five lengths behind Jordans Cross at Cheltenham last month but finished with running left after getting caught behind a tiring rival at a vital stage. He runs off just a 1lb higher mark 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 and sets a fair bar for the lightly raced favourite, Hold The Serve.
Lingfield 1.25: Robson Aguiar has made a strong start to his training career in Ireland and Valiant Force looks primed to get him off the mark in the UK at the first attempt.
Kempton 1.45: Precious Man is still on the up and can reverse form with One Horse Town from Cheltenham in November.
Lingfield 2.00: Karl Burke’s Boiling Point has the most convincing profile stepping up to 10 furlongs for the first time.
Kempton 2.25: Jax Junior is progressing rapidly and has several pounds in hand of this field.
Newcastle 2.43: It is still early days for Dom Of Mary at the James Owen yard and this extreme test of stamina could bring the best out of him.
Kempton 3.00: Double Measure posted a useful time when successful at Huntingdon and looks ready for Grade Two company.
