Constitution Hill: The former Champion Hurdle winner shines when turning to the Flat

Constitution Hill – one of the biggest names in National Hunt racing – returned to winning ways with a dominant turn on the Flat at the Road To Cheltenham Novice Stakes.

After winning his first ten races, the seemingly unbeatable horse fell three times in four rounds.

In an attempt to get back on track, trainer Nicky Henderson entered him in a mile and a half at Southwell, before heading into March’s Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, which he won in 2023.

Starting as the 6-4 favorite and with five-time champion jockey Oisin Murphy in the saddle, the move paid off as the nine-year-old moved to the front well ahead of the line and held on to win by nine and a half lengths from Squire Necker and Gambino.

“He felt like a machine,” Murphy told ITV afterwards.

“It went as planned. It would have been very easy for me to go out front, but I wanted to get in between them and give him an idea of ​​what flat racing is like.

“For a big horse to jump, he has great speed and is a joy to ride.”

Meanwhile, Henderson said the exciting display under the floodlights of Nottinghamshire’s stadium “will open a lot of doors”.

“We’ve been through some tears over the last year or so,” he admitted. “It’s nice to come back with positive feelings.