There had been lots of talk over the past two to three weeks about the 7.30pm at Southwell last night. What would normally have been a low-key affair had turned into the talking point across all of racing, and all because of Constitution Hill.
Add to that Willie Mullins deciding to have a runner with Daddy Long Legs and Amo Racing declaring a promising four-year-old in Square Necker, the race took on a life of its own.
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The performance couldn’t have been more emphatic as Constitution Hill cleared away for a 9½length win in front of a big crowd at Southwell. Its true the race didn’t have much strength in depth, but that doesn’t matter. He won with total authority, and more importantly, seemed to enjoy himself with, in my opinion, the best jockey on the flat, Oisin Murphy riding him.
The big question now, though, is what Nicky Henderson (the trainer) and Michael Buckley (the owner) do now. It’s clear that Constitution Hill still has his class and talent, but he is a nine-year-old gelding.
The aftermath of the performance has been bizarre to me. People have been saying he has to run in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham on 10 March, but I just don’t see it.
Are we forgetting how we got here? He was running in a Novice race on the flat because he had fallen three times in his last four races and, for me, had not been showing his usual zest for racing. Yet some people in racing have forgotten this fact, and to be honest, I don’t know what they are thinking.
What this performance did last night was show that even at nine years old, he has the pace and ability to mix it up in pattern company on the flat, and that is where I would concentrate.
Flat racing has a different rhythm from national hunt, and Oisin gave him a peach of a ride, teaching him plenty about being in a flat race.
So, if he were mine (as if I’m ever going to own a horse like Constitution Hill), I would be sticking with the flat, and I would be looking for a Listed or Group 3 race.
The Ormonde Stakes at Chester in early May would be a good one; though not sure the tight track would suit, the 1m 5f trip would be perfect, and ground-wise it can often be softer there. But my choice would be the Further Flight Stakes at Nottingham in early April over 1m 6f. If I were at Nottingham racecourse, I would be having a quiet word with the trainer and owner.
Do you agree or disagree with my thoughts on the future of Constitution Hill? Would love to read your thoughts about that and the race itself last night.
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