Constitution Hill's first Flat target

Dubai

10f group 1 flat debut...(assuming typical field for that race) what's your o/u line for BSP george?

yielding ground

Henderson interview with Luke Harvey today, he seems adamant the horse will not go chasing as it's an accident waiting to happen, and quite likely he will run on the flat, is what I get from this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vZJcrGGvlw

No idea how much Henderson is into flat racing, probably not much, perhaps he'd need to be trained elsewhere for that, but I think it would be worth considering the Prix Exbury [gr.3] at St Cloud on March 15, over 10f, just after Cheltenham, usually very soft ground, and last year only 5 runners.  Not overly competitive in France these days and maybe a good opportunity to see how he stands at that level.

14, WSB

Smoky Hill, Palladium was moved to the Gosdens for a Flat campaign, so you may be correct if they do go down that route, but Henderson did win a Cesarewitch with Buzz in the not-too-distant past, and perhaps he'll be inspired to have a crack at it having seen Mullins win a Breeders' Cup.

I'd like to see him have a season on the flat but I wonder if the owner would consider it a climb down, and I don't think he's a flat man is he?

I'd like to see him transferred to Ralph Becket and give it a go.   Incidentally, Becket won the Prix Exbury with a 9yo gelding called Air Pilot in 2018, and lots of old geldings have won that race.
Still, I can't see them taking this route.

my view was 20 george so in same ballpark

Buckley has flat horses, remember he had a horse trained by Jamie Osborne just beaten in the breeders cup classic.  Toast of New York

Deciding meeting this morning apparently

Hendo is blaming the "padded" hurdles. I'm not convinced. I think it's more than merely the padded hurdles.

it took off 6ft too early ffs..what diff dies the hurdle make..

Exactly

How do we know if it Jumped round it would win anyway , Horse has gone imo , was useless at punchestown

One of them NH JOCKEY RACES AT NEWCASTLE Ideal starting point IMO

kempton could put a lovely jumpers bumper on

If we get a load of meetings abandoned through the winter they could bring back one of those bumpers for jumpers for him, that's about the height of optimism as far as a flat race you could see for him.

Hendo saying ace being gifted races, Yesterday

ACE has beat it last 3 times  ,Hill, Fell devoid fell form lines

the old nanny ;-) • November 30, 2025 3:02 PM GMT
Hendo saying ace being gifted races, Yesterday

crass

best just stfu imo

someone should remind him they need to jump 8 hurdles and then see out the trip, she has

More than a little churlish.  He has schooling facilities too.  Should use them better.
Well done Scott and Williams!

Hendo worked miracles with Sprinter was great to see , sadly I dont think we will see anything like the same with Hill .

The horse is 9 in a couple of months Retire and let us Keep the great times in Mind

great time in mind

All said and done is great little mare Jumps stays  and as game as they Come , Not sure what going on Previous Outing

Sums the sport up TBH

NH has mentioned only one flat race to date and it is over 2 miles, never named it. Seems a lot of selective editing of his comments or just taken out of context to have a go at him imo.

Lucky place  another of Hendos that appears to have gone into reverse gear

Lucky Place had a dirty scope post Ascot so a bit premature to say gone into reverse?

He said orses were being gifted races because Hill was falling Toby , there was no gifting at punch , it was very poor ,IMO  he shpould have tried a new Jockey Yesterday ,it was an all or Nothing Run

Not blaming Nico  , But I doubt he was sitting on top in a state of High Confidence ,Its like driving a motor when you know it has an Issue you are expecting the Worse

He said horses were being gifted races when CH fell and not winning them e.g State Man, he never mentioned Punchestown, what I meant when I mentioned context btw!!

Astonishingly, the Racing-hating BBC highlighted his fall on their early morning News.  Then, I wondered which fall they had spliced in! 

tobymug stiffened cons hill yest with his pension money on.

At least it wasn't at 1/50 x 2 like you shafter and I never said the mare could not win like you!! lol

2 targets....Irish leger and then the stayers race at Ascot (guessing an early summer campaign might get ground too good).Work backwards from there

Still we are hyping this horse.  Who’s to say it’s mental problem won’t prevail/surface on the flat?

9 years old next year  March

Will Nico be in the sweat box to take part in these flat events ?

Better Rico than Nico

If only Rico wore a special bit.

He has blinkers

if cons wins a gr1 aged 9 i'll go full trans.

he's only 3/4 trans now

fodc

she looks like a hairy type.

Absolutely no chance he would win a decent flat race..his brain's gone

Walofs

A race like the one they just ran at Wolverhampton (5.00) would be an ideal starting point for him

would ensure a full stadium..

It certainly would, Rico

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Problem is now NH or Flat

Whoever rides it is going to be nervous about the horse

.....and the horse will pick that up

https://www.garywitheford.co.uk/

If I was Michael Buckley I'd give him to Sir Mark.  He'd then lob him into a few 6 furlong maidens and get a rating of 67, when he's probably worth 115, pitch him into 12f h/caps and end up winning the Ebor before going into Group company.

If I was Michael Buckley I'd give him to Sir Mark.  He'd then lob him into a few 6 furlong maidens and get a rating of 67, when he's probably worth 115, pitch him into 12f h/caps and end up winning the Ebor before going into Group company.

People need to let go of this horse really, most of all connections.  He's had his day and I'd like to see him retired, but as they're contemplating the flat and seemingly intent on doing so, it will be interesting to see what transpires.

I still think he would be best suited to France.  On his dams side it goes back to non thoroughbred, but sire Blue Bresil was quite useful on the flat in France to gr.3/2 level, and finished down the field in Zarkava's Arc.  There's also King's Theatre in there, so all is not lost.

Perhaps they will be picky and choose just a couple of high profile races in the summer, but if they wanted to start soon, and he's fit, hardly had a race, then perhaps the upcoming listed race at Lingfield a.w. on 31st Dec, called The Midnite Quebec Stakes over 10f, might be somewhere to start him off.  Lingfield would be bursting.

I honestly believe we shouldn't give up on him. Nicky has said he's worked better than he's ever done and after watching his gallop at Newbury I wouldn't doubt him on this. So one of the best, if no the best Champion Hurdler we've ever seen has been working better than ever and he should be retired? Absolutely not!

Personally I'd like to see him start off at more galloping AW track and put a top class jockey up who could then tell connections if a season on the Flat would be worth pursuing

The only issue I have with the last two posts is the all-weather suggestion.  It would add another imponderable to any failure of performance but you make a good point about the attraction of the horse and the likely boost to attendance.  Just look at the number of threads he has inspired on here.

The surface he runs on does not come into it, only courses with obstacles eg hurdles that could hurt him possibly very badly.

Ryan Moore might be available.

You know it wouldn't surprise me if they gave him another chance in the hurdle at Kempton, I bet they're itching to have another go.  Those hurdles were more upright, looking at last year's race.  Those at Newcastle had a severe oblique which traps a horse like this who tends to dive at them.  I think he reached his pinnacle at a time when the hurdles have undergone a dramatic change here, both in appearance and function, and do not suit his style of jumping.

I'd like to see them make a decision so everyone knows where they are. If it's the flat, then get on with it.

He's fallen at Cheltenham, he's fallen at Aintree, he's fallen at Newcastle and he balloons the hurdles at Punchestown. And, Hendo is adamant fences are not an option either.

As such, what is the point of running him in National Hunt races? The intelligence of Einstein is not needed where he runs next (if he runs).

It's now going to turn into some sort of freak show if he ends up on the flat with connections trying to create a kind of frankensteins monster out of him whlst we all look on, the irony being that now that he's broken he becomes an even bigger addiction to the viewer than when he was at his best over hurdles.

If he runs on the flat the fascination for that first race will be as big as his Supreme or Champion Hurdle runs IMO. The things that end up going wrong in life are always more enthralling than the good stuff, melodrama aside, this is one of those instances.

off topic slightly but i had a quick look and i don't think the sire has ever had a flat winner, only a handful ever even tried

Absolutely on a hiding to nothing watching him run in a lowly maiden on the flat, it would be akin to Kauto prancing about in the dressage arena as they desperately scramble around clinging on for dear life, heaven forbid he trails in well beat, what an absolutely desperate state of affairs, retirement would be more appealing IMO.

It wasnt the hurdles

watch Nico , he was nervous going to that second fence and the horse read it

elise,

In France, he's sired a very few flat winners, all at lowly provincial tracks.  Glaneuse a filly won 4 times, and more Bubble Blue won over a mile 5 fur at Pompadour. A couple of others even more obscure, one at Cagnes sur Mer.

A far cry from even listed class.   Let's hope he goes in the stalls..lol

why retire a fit and healthy top hurdler at 8yrs old? pointless