Former champion hurdler Constitution Hill has received a stark assessment from leading ratings experts Timeform, who have officially labelled him a 'poor jumper' following his latest fall at Newcastle.
A Stuttering Career Since Cheltenham Fall
The horse, once considered a potential all-time great after winning the 2023 Champion Hurdle, has now fallen in three of his last four races. His unbeaten run of ten victories under rules came to a dramatic end at the Cheltenham Festival in March, where he fell as the 1-2 favourite with four hurdles still to jump.
Hopes of a swift recovery were dashed with another fall at Aintree and a subdued fifth-place finish at Punchestown. After a summer break and what trainer Nicky Henderson described as a thorough 'MOT', Constitution Hill returned for the BetMGM Fighting Fifth Hurdle on Saturday, only to clip the top of the second hurdle and fall once more.
Timeform's Damning Verdict
In response, Timeform has attached the symbol 'x' to his rating, a notation that denotes a horse with jumping deficiencies. Phil Turner of Timeform stated that while top hurdlers can fall occasionally, 'three falls in four starts' points to deeper, ingrained issues, especially as two occurred before the races were truly in the balance.
Turner contrasted Constitution Hill's record with other legends. Sea Pigeon fell three times in his career, but sporadically, while late-career falls for Istabraq suggested waning powers. For Constitution Hill, the pattern is more concerning.
Fading Hopes of Legendary Status
The analysis casts serious doubt on whether the horse will ever fulfil the immense promise he once showed. At his peak, Constitution Hill achieved a Timeform rating of 177, placing him 1lb below Comedy of Errors and 2lb ahead of Sea Pigeon's best.
Many had believed he would surpass Night Nurse's record rating of 182. Timeform now concludes that this is 'most unlikely to happen now'. The verdict marks a dramatic and disappointing turn for a horse whose future once seemed limitless, leaving connections and fans to ponder what might have been.
