Former Champion Hurdle hero Constitution Hill delivered a stunning performance on his Flat racing debut Friday evening, winning the SBK Road To Cheltenham Novice Stakes at Southwell by nine and a half lengths. The nine-year-old, ridden by Oisin Murphy and trained by Nicky Henderson, captivated a near-record crowd of 3,520 at the Nottinghamshire track, a significant increase from the 320 spectators who attended the same fixture last year.
The victory marks a dramatic turn in the mercurial career of Constitution Hill, who suffered a fall in the 2023 Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham and subsequent falls in three of his four starts following that event, most recently at Newcastle in November. Trainer Nicky Henderson expressed his astonishment at the performance, stating, “I couldn’t have dreamed that one up, I must admit.” He added, “We probably should have sorted this about four years ago, shouldn’t we?”
Sent off as the 6/4 favourite after a late surge of betting, Constitution Hill was held up in midfield before making a smooth move on the turn for home. Murphy, who described the horse as feeling “like a machine at home,” allowed Constitution Hill to stride clear, winning comfortably from Square Necker. “He felt like a machine at home,” Murphy said. “There wasn’t a lot of strength in depth in that race and if he was to continue on the Flat he’d have tougher assignments, but the feel was exactly the same.”
The impressive display has prompted speculation about a potential full-time switch to Flat racing for Constitution Hill. Henderson acknowledged the possibility, saying, “This does open up a lot of doors, doesn’t it? We have to suppose long and hard. It would be lovely to say ‘We will do this’, but I don’t think we can at the minute.” Owner Michael Buckley, who has experienced a series of setbacks with the horse, commented, “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.”
The race at Southwell was part of racing’s new Friday Night Live programme, aimed at attracting a younger audience to the sport through the “Invades” initiative. The £40,000 event for novices drew a competitive field, prompting Henderson to initially express concern about Constitution Hill being balloted out. He later remarked, “Putting on that prize money made the race far too competitive for my liking, with all these fancy Flat horses turning up,” but ultimately praised the horse’s performance as “unbelievable.”
Elsewhere, at Kempton Park on Saturday, the Ladbrokes Trophy Handicap Chase is expected to be a highly competitive race. Emmet Mullins has entered two runners, Rising Dust and Chance Another One, adding complexity to the puzzle. However, the progressive six-year-old Kdeux Saint Fray, at around 7-1, appears to have a strong chance, having finished five lengths behind Jordans Cross at Cheltenham last month and running off a favorable handicap mark.
