Constitution Hill - balloted out?

"How about Murphy to ride him at Cheltenham"......well if I owned him I would probably be thinking about an alternative jockey for him for the champion hurdle. Misplaced loyalty has it's limits. Not sure who that should be, but Henderson and the owner have a difficult decision to make, and I truly hope it will be the right one for the horse.

He'll have to borrow John Wayne's saddle.

Settle down lads its only banter ffs i had my tongue in my cheek most of the time.....Chuffed tay bits fo the horse.

It was great to see but when the dust settles and perspective takes over I think theyll realize the Ascot Gold Cup is an absolute non starter, he was coming to the end of his stamina over 20f crawling around Aintree, I don't see how 20f on likely quick ground against Group 1 horses is going to end well.

Buckley said it himself about quick ground through the Summer not really being his thing so it's limited as to what he can really achieve on the flat, he ran to about a 110 horse so yeah the John Porter while there's still juice in the ground, but that's a bit of an anti climax.

I hope they roll the dice and run in the CH as the alternative, although seemingly tempting after tonight, when put into practice will end up a bit of a damp squib IMO

The horse obviously enjoyed the experience with a different rider on board….

Champion Hurdle with a complete change of rider,someone outside the stable…..a new face.

You would be looking at 1/2 favourite….

What happens if he falls again ?

Same for any horse tbh…..

Cheltenham for me….

^^ Oh no! It's not the same. CH is not "any horse". He was a champion hurdler - unbeatable. He fell 3x, and jumped very badly once in his last 4 hurdle races. Another fall resulting in fatality or injury is just unforgivable for connections esp at Cheltenham.

How many more falls before connections learn from his inadequacy in jumping hurdles safely?

Rico-Dangleflaps20 Feb 26 21:15J
elated it pi$$ed up..a truly spectacular horse when on song...if it jumped well in the champion hurdle its a steering job...but,if it ran and it went awry,hendo would get slaughtered so im not sure it will be risked.

already sed that yfdsc.

Will it be 5/2 lined up at the start ?

I understand the dilemma with him falling again in Ch but were do we then draw the line,should sir gino be retired now in case something happens if he comes back after what he has gone through,last years gold cup winner has looked well out of sorts with the game this year what happens if he runs in this years gold cup and something tragic happens

One poor run/fall is one of those things. Three is a very big red flag. Both horse and rider will be apprehensive after last year. If they wish to persevere go to Aintree where he will have good memories.

Whoops. I forgot that he fell there as well.

What happens if he falls again ?

Same for any horse tbh…..

Cheltenham for me….

a level of naivety rarely seen

His form figures over the jumps read 1FF8F could well read FFF8F and people still want the horse to go back hurdling. Ridiculous! The horse is literally telling us he doesn't want to go jumping anymore. As for the going concerns, he could have a Spring/Autumn campaign with the stayers race on Champions Day being the ultimate aim with soft going virtually guaranteed.

*FFF5F

WP is spot on.If he were mine he`d never see a hurdle race again. This summer racing chat is going over the top . he`s never ran during the summer anyway!  Hit the flat during the spring and bring him back during Autumn for the end of turf/AW (Winter Derby). Plenty of Grp 3`s ran on soft during these times. I think he`d even win something like the Brigadier Gerrard over 1m 2f at Sandown on soft.

The BHA should take the decision out of connections hands IMO

Well done  Constitution Hill.

Even if he doesn't win a G1, he's still winning very nice races on the Turf as long as it's not lightening quick going

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zONgMNLlQfM

at the races analysis - recommended

Gordon63 21 Feb 26 11:29 
What happens if he falls again ?

Same for any horse tbh…..

Cheltenham for me….

a level of naivety rarely seen

Most could think that of their horse tbh…..what if ?

According to Mick the horse is schooling well at home…

Run it…..

Just watched it Gordon and I'm in complete agreement.... it's an obligation for him to run in Flat races now

CH is not Sir Gino - end of; CH is not Ino...either. There's no comparison at all. Sir Gino has a recurring injury. The injury took a long time to heal. And, Sir Gino is only 6 yrs old thus has time on his hand.
If he comes back, and the same injury recurs I'm fairly certain connections will consider retirement for him. Or only runs on the Flat if the injury repeatedly recurs over jumps.

As for CH safety is the key. Hitting the deck 3x is ample warning no connection can ignore.

Btw, Shader is a lovely horse!

Gordon63 21 Feb 26 11:29
What happens if he falls again ?

Same for any horse tbh…..

Cheltenham for me….

a level of naivety rarely seen

Most could think that of their horse tbh…..what if ?

How many horses in the past 20 years have had this profile AND an increasingly vocal animal welfare lobby?  I can remember Dessie having a few crunching falls, Istabraq and Moscow Flyer both fell several times, Kauto fell, but here we have the best known horse in training in UK, having fell 3 times in last 4 runs, on the back of ONE run already above average on the flat, and some believe it's worth taking the chance of injury or worse to do something that he's already done??

NO other set of connections have this dilemma - so the what if applies BUT in a completely different stratosphere

Going on the interview immediately after the race with NJH and MB I'd be flabbergasted if you ever see him jump again,a hugely emotional NJH saying it's something we should have done a few years ago-run on the flat.

Hendo should have at least once. Mr Mullins did with one of Ricci's in Aussieland, then sold to run permanently there too.

NJH saying it's something we should have done a few years ago-run on the flat.

With the benefit of hindsight after the falls, but not otherwise.

Are we to believe that after that brilliant Supreme demolition he in fact regrets not upping stumps and sending him to the flat?

I’ve said my piece,i would go champion hurdle all day…..

Connections will probably go flat campaign…..

Retire in one piece and get spoiled,hopefully.

Like every animal.

My gut feeling on the flat he is a group 3 winner, group 2 placed and group 1 unplaced. (1m4f to 2m)

Prob a rating 110-115ish

Is a tough call re the champ hurdle, and not going to criticise any decision or any out come that may happen by the connections.

Was great to see him back out and run so well.

Got to go for the Champion Hurdle . If he falls , he can then go for the flat . This is what sport is all about . Taking chances .

Considering he is a NH performer not many would disagree tbh….

The connections are hell bent on the individual in the saddle…..Brian Hughes can present a horse at a hurdle far better than the current…..imv.

Doesn't the mere fact that they haven't decided what to do with him yet suggest that they favour running him in the CH.

The reasons for not running him over hurdles again were all known the moment he hit the deck for the third time in four races, i.e. welfare of the horse and the damage to the sport, that decision could have been made pretty much immediately, time isn't going to change those facts and concerns.

Also the fact that they have schooled him suggests that the general concerns held by many aren't shared by connections to the degree where they won't even ask him to jump a hurdle under any circumstances.

Doesn't the indecision show us that they are looking for a reason to run him in the CH rather than not to.

Owner Michael Buckley on Luck On Sunday this morning at 9am. but will he tell us the plan?

Thought Henderson said all depends on a schooling session this Thursday.

he has.

Henderson said he changes his mind every Day......To much to lose he wont run.

when did he say that?

On his Interview on Friday he said he changes his mind every Day.....I am saying he wont run.

acey deucy 17 Feb 26 21:44
Best Hurdler in my Lifetime but dem Days long gawn ffs.
I really hope he runs but the horse is a shadow of his former self ffs.......You people getting excited aboUt fack all....Proper Mugs the lot of ye lmfaro.

slickster 18 Feb 26 23:13
Horse won't know what hit him. This race is all wrong for him on so many fronts.


slickster 19 Feb 26 10:28
The race is tomorrow frico not today. Plenty of time to decide how to play it. Mr Henderson and Buckley should retire him. Too old for the flat.

acey deucy 20 Feb 26 09:17
He would lap this lot in his Pomp but like i have said he is a shadow of his former self....Lay like yer life depends oan it lads and dont forget tay thank me.

acey deucy 20 Feb 26 12:20
Drifted to 9-4.....Acey moves Markets.....Keep hittin that lay button lads

Rico's lays of the day 5:15
Rico-Dangleflaps
Rico-Dangleflaps04 Jul 24 17:07Joined: 07 Sep 18 | Topic/replies: 33,369 | Blogger: Rico-Dangleflaps's blog
Lay (Bet Against)
Backer's odds Backer's stake
Payout
Liability
Searchingtheblues
110.00
£6.32
£688.88
Total stake:
£6.32

i wont usher thissin in Mischief Wink

I just wish Hendo would shut-up for once. Just say nothing until a decision has been made. All this waffle is only good for his sponsor ie the bookies.

That statement tells you all you need to know.Not a hope in hell of running in The Champion Hurdle.

Only small money to run up to 6/1 here. I'll lay on the day for 2 reasons eg his price will be much shorter. If he wins, I'd be happy to lose; if he hits the deck (he'll win if he stays up), I'd profit.

There's tons of options for him on the Flat in the UK/Ireland/France. Duffy has already been completely wrong on the horse so he might as well continue to be so!

Btw, I think the Melbourne Cup idea is a terrible one!

WP,

Give us a flavour of the targets on the flat for him for the coming season?

kings stand

Anyway, it doesn't need to be either or, if they did decide to run him at the festival, any flat campaign is still there for him if they choose, providing there are no mishaps of course.

I doubt very much CH will run over hurdles again this season, ... hopefully never!
They said he doesn`t want summer flat ground then mention the Melbourne Cup! WTF.
Constitution Hill (9 yrs old r106+) v Hamish (9 yrs old r115) in the soft ground Group races should be a good match up this year!

I could literally map out a number of routes he could take. Of course, we'd have to sidestep lighting quick going along the way

As many have already suggested, the John Porter looks the right first "port" of call for him

Melbourne cups can be wet plenty of years, but travelling half way round the world hoping for rain would be a fools errand.

I wouldn't even consider that race if he were mine, Paul. The Irish St Leger/Long Distance Cup would be the main targets if he were mine

Agree with the Irish St Leger as it can be a weaker long distance group 1 run on better ground and it is a usual stepping stone to the MC if they so choose.Think he'd struggle on Champions day but they could target it of course.

I told Hendeson Years ago on here he  was wasted over Jumps and the big flat races were his oyster.Look it up if you dont believe me.But a 9 Year old ffs what were they thinking of leaving it that late.

What is his flat rating after beating that mob ?

Total over reaction , you would think Frankel had returned ,may not win another race

who,s ever trained a horse,targeted THE JOHN PORTER STAKES, what's it even worth these days,might as well target  THE ZETLAND GOLD CUP at redcar ,
what won THE JOHN PORTER last yr with googling ?

Musselburgh Easter Saturday £80k Listed Galileo (formerly the Nottingham Further Flight)

acey deucy 22 Feb 26 22:37 
I told Hendeson Years ago on here he  was wasted over Jumps and the big flat races were his oyster.Look it up if you dont believe me.

also sed ewe would leave the forum if ewe were wrong about 12 times..ya full of sh1te ydc.

Now CH may be going to the Melbourne Cup - his owner seriously considering it. He wins a maiden getting weight from the only other semi-decent horse in the race. Probable rating around 90/95 - and the owner thinks he can safely compete in the Melbourne Cup after all the travel. The furthest he has travelled is Punchestown - and we know what happened there. A load of RP baloney and Aussie PR.  He will never pass the vet tests.

106P T.Form rating.

Owner is chock full of it.

Feb 22, 2026 -- 11:35PM, the old nanny ;-) wrote:

What is his flat rating after beating that mob ?

the raw performance figs are 92 CH 85 SN 83 gamb
all 3 likely improvers on that but if sticking to the flat I'd aim for the gordon richards run on the watered hurdles course for whitbread weekend & take it from there
newbury you'd be taking a chance the elements produce jumping ground for the flat course
melbourne cup is 100/1 to pass the vet wondered if it was april 1st

maybe the BHA could create a conditions race for him @ heathrow as a prep for flemington

'acey', Hendo is well past it. His judgement on CH has been opened to question several times. He refused to run him at Punchestown when he was in pink health and top form after winning the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham. Then (only a fool would) he ran him there after a tumble at Cheltenham and Aintree. Absolutely bizarre!

Get a top horseman and watch it destroy the field at Cheltenham…..owner is itching to go…..

The current one could be responsible for the horse losing confidence at the hurdle….

Bet John Francome thinks the same tbh….

Over jumps is too risky in my opinion. The horse owes nobody anything - not even the owners.

if he wasn't going to CH why would they not have said by now?

^^Typical of Hendo. He loves the attention, and ambiguity.

wondersobright 23 Feb 26 15:35 
the raw performance figs are 92 CH 85 SN 83 gamb

beats necker 10L on snaff getting 5lb and you rate that a 7lb better horse?

SN beaten 9.5l that's approx 14lb beating over 12f
carrying 5lb less hence 9lb beating
effectively 7lb when 4yo allowance factored in to account for immaturity

interested to hear your figures for the 1st 3 home...

He'll be rated nearer 100 than 90.Was still tanking while they were
at it.

def - he'd be a great bet in a 12f hcap with 92, even though if gambino's rating is correct, that is its mark. There was a low class 12f hcap earlier on the card. The 75 rated winner carried 2lbs more that CH and ran nearly 5 secs slower.

talking about the raw figure he ran to, not what he'll get factoring in ease of victory

it's anybody's guess how much more there was if fully extended

dave1357 • February 23, 2026 5:58 PM GMT
def - he'd be a great bet in a 12f hcap with 92

agree but that wouldn't be his mark even if he had qualified for a mark

thought he would get a mark for winning on flat debut?

Winning on Debut: If a horse wins its very first race (a maiden or novice event), the handicapper will assess that performance and assign an official rating immediately, allowing it to enter handicaps thereafter.

not sure where you have got that from because my understanding is it's 3 flat runs usually qualifies for a mark
unless a horse wins in which case 2 runs is usually sufficient

wins on either or both of 1st 2 starts

Always like, from a betting prospective, when a horse wins like CH did on Friday.
Most people will think he is capable of much more, meaning he will be over-bet wherever he runs next

sorry, yes, it is two runs, google AI wrong again, said it was one if debut winner "according to BHA"

from neckers 1st 2 runs i thort could easily be near a 100 horse..obv easy to be blindsided as its no where near.

Used to be any winner got a mark but the change is for the better. Hence thr number of Novice races for the second run. Bear in mind that Constitution Hill was getting weight from the placed horses on Friday.

sq n  85 and gambino 83 on todays revisions as i read it unless i'm losing the plot

yes gambino 83 unchanged SN allocated 85

you look pretty much spot on wonders

101 rating.

We know it isn't an exact science, but I am not sure he is better than mid 90's. He was race fit compared to the runner up, who was the only realistic opposition, and it is hard to believe that one was anywhere near the best of Balding.

101 seems high based on what he's actually done (though can understand the handicapper wanting to be cautious).

Horses must run three times on the Flat in order to qualify for a rating. However, a horse that wins on its debut is eligible for a handicap mark after its second start. Also, a horse that wins on its second start is eligible for a handicap rating to run in a Class 5 or 6 Handicap if the handicapper is prepared to allot a rating of 77 or below.