In a dramatic career pivot, the brilliant but recently fall-prone hurdler Constitution Hill is set for a debut on the Flat next month, with his owner expressing confidence in the gelding's ability to succeed on the level.
A Bizarre Turn of Events for a Champion
The nine-year-old, trained by Nicky Henderson, saw a spectacular career over hurdles – crowned by a stunning Champion Hurdle victory in 2023 – derailed by jumping errors. He has suffered heavy falls in three of his last four starts, prompting connections to seek a new challenge.
Owner Michael Buckley described the situation as "a bizarre state of affairs," acknowledging the horse's past brilliance and subsequent troubles. "He's an exceptional animal," Buckley stated, "so I'm looking forward to it."
The Road to Southwell
The new venture will begin on Friday, February 20, on Southwell's Friday Night Live Card. Constitution Hill is slated to run in a £40,000 novice race over a mile and a half on the all-weather surface, a contest that will equal the record for the most valuable novice ever run on the all-weather.
Buckley, a veteran owner, remains optimistic about the code switch. "The horse has only had a dozen races in his life and he's in great shape," he said. "I don't think he'll have any trouble at all racing on the Flat, personally – I've seen him work and seen what he can do."
His main concern was delivered with a touch of humour: "He needs to do something and at the moment he seems reluctant to jump more than one hurdle – hopefully he will not find a reason to fall over at Southwell!"
Preparations and Jockey Speculation
In preparation for the unique challenge, Constitution Hill will have starting stalls practice this week. Henderson will take the gelding to the Lambourn yard of Flat trainer Charlie Hills.
Speculation is now mounting over who will take the ride for this high-profile debut. Names in the frame include top jockeys such as Ryan Moore, Rob Hornby, Dan Muscutt, and Oisin Murphy.
The race, sponsored by SBK bookmakers, will mark Constitution Hill's first appearance on a racecourse since his early fall in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle in November. All eyes will be on Southwell next month to see if this champion jumper can reinvent himself on the Flat.
