Social media and certain pundits may have “retired” Constitution Hill twice this autumn but Nicky Henderson’s outstanding seven-year-old proved he is still the one to beat by winning – and led his jockey to call out some who had got it so wrong. The pundit in the spotlight was former Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning jockey Paddy Brennan, who declared on Sky Sports Racing that: “I can’t see him [Constitution Hill] coming back to a peak. No, just no.
I think it’s impossible to beat something like Lossiemouth the way things stand today.” That prediction was made to look foolish as guided his charge to a comprehensive victory, before the jockey made his point in blunt fashion. “He felt fantastic,” he said.
“He’s going to improve an awful lot. There is still a bit of ring rustiness after a year or so. I think all the credit has to go to the guv’nor because that is some training performance.
It’s been a long time coming and definitely worth the wait.” He paused and then added: “And one more thing. Paddy Brennan, you can shove that where the sun don’t shine!” That just underlined what a win this was for a horse who had not raced for exactly a year after a series of unfortunate events including a cough, mild colic, and a poor racecourse gallop at Newbury in November.
Now, though, make no mistake – Constitution Hill is back sprinkling star dust over the two-mile hurdle division. His big rival, the Irish mare Lossiemouth, was getting a 7lb mares’ weig.