The Life And Times of Constitution Hill

A look back at the biggest performances, headlines and moments that shaped the past week in horse racing.

A true great of the modern era, Constitution Hill was the most exciting, exhilarating, troubled and flawed hurdler that anyone has ever seen. One minute, he was mentioned in the same breath as Hurricane Fly, Persian War and Istabraq, and the next, he shocked the public by falling and causing heartbreak.

On Wednesday, both Nicky Henderson and Michael Buckley concluded that, after his magical and spellbinding performance at Southwell last Friday, he would not try to regain his Champion Hurdle crown and would not be seen in the National Hunt game again.

With many eyes trained on the white and black jacket throughout a five-year racing career, let’s look back at what AP McCoy described as the “horse of a generation.” Constitution Hill was beaten by a head on his first career start in a Tipperary point-to-point, by Anyharminasking, who Jonjo O’Neill subsequently trained, winning three times over hurdles and achieving a top rating of 137.

Nicky Henderson then bought Constitution Hill for £120,000, and all eyes were trained on Sandown Park for his debut. He duly hacked up, winning under a hands-and-heels ride, to score by 14L. The Racing Post assessed him to be an “impressive winner, looks potentially top class, arguably best novice seen so far.” A 12L victory in the Tolworth Novices’ Hurdle in heavy conditions affirmed his top-level aspirations and provided him with the first of his eight Grade One victories.

Then came Cheltenham, with the Prestbury crowd expectant and waiting. He delivered to some tune, winning on the bridle and producing a display that will be forever etched in the memory of not just the Cheltenham Festival, but the National Hunt game overall. From there came six consecutive Grade One victories, including his sole Champion Hurdle success, beating State Man by nine lengths. Two-and-a-half miles was no problem either when winning at Aintree.

However, in the Grade 2 International Hurdle, his prep race for last year’s Champion Hurdle attempt, he almost came tumbling down at the last flight, yet managed to stay up and continued his unbeaten run. Some treated this as a one-off, but no one could have predicted his fall in the 2025 Champion Hurdle. When all looked sound, he stood off the fifth flight at the top of the hill and came crashing down in a tumultuous renewal. Then the same thing happened at Aintree, and his confidence looked shot to bits around Punchestown, finishing a very below-par fifth. A shadow of his former self.

During the Summer, Henderson reported that he’d been seen by a specialist optician and said his work was never better. But that work was seemingly undone at the second flight at Newcastle in the Fighting Fifth when suffering another crashing fall. Retirement was staring Constitution Hill right in the face, and many were starting to see his stardom wear off, but then came an idea as bright as the floodlights at Southwell.

An unusual prep for the Champion Hurdle became a rebirth, as champion jockey Oisin Murphy partnered with the nine-year-old to win easily and impressively and shot back into the limelight, as we saw at Sandown all those years ago. His debut on the Flat was so impressive that it was decided it made more sense to keep him on the Flat, rather than ask him to continue to do something he is no longer confident doing. Jumping once defined what made Constitution Hill so great, but his greatest asset has turned into his greatest weakness.

So, a fond farewell to the National Hunt game for Constitution Hill, but his wide array of fans can look forward to a rejuvenated horse now racing on the Flat. Who knows where or when he will turn up, but we shall all be watching a horse who has captured the imagination of a nation.