Hallelujah, he’s back. What we needed to take racing’s attention off the miseries of inadequate prize money, shrinking attendances and structural problems was a genuine superstar, and when Constitution Hill galloped elegantly and professionally to Boxing Day victory in Kempton Park’s Christmas Hurdle, over the formidable Irish mare Lossiemouth, that was precisely what we saw.
In the social-media age, every saloon bar grump’s six-pint mutterings seemingly qualify as expert opinion
Lossiemouth is trained by the legendary Willie Mullins. Her sex allowance gave her a 7lb advantage in the weights and she had already had a race to sharpen her up, while Nicky Henderson’s charge hadn’t run since he won the corresponding race the year before. In the social-media age, when every saloon bar grump’s six-pint mutterings seemingly qualify as expert opinion, Constitution Hill had been written off by many as a spent force in decline.
Like many of Henderson’s horses he hadn’t run at the 2024 Cheltenham Festival to defend his Champion Hurdle crown because the stable had been hit by a mystery bug. After a respiratory illness, he had undergone a wind operation. In the summer he had suffered from colic. After a lacklustre public gallop at Newbury, he had been pulled out of contesting Newcastle’s Fighting Fifth Hurdle, which he had won the year before, and two days later had walked out lame.
As good a judge as ex-jockey Paddy Brennan had publicly opined that Constitution Hill had no chance of beating the sleek, grey Lossiemouth. Some of us, though, had kept the faith. Two things had been forgotten: that Constitution Hill had never been beaten in nine races (eight of them Grade One contests), and that Nicky Henderson has won nine Champion Hurdles and that he collected three of those with See You Then.
Magazine articles are subscriber-only. Keep reading for just £1 a month
SUBSCRIBE TODAY- Free delivery of the magazine
- Unlimited website and app access
- Subscriber-only newsletters
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in