Alex Hammond reflects on the decision to stay on the level with Constitution Hill before look ahead to what's to come at Doncaster, Newbury and Kelso this weekend.
How did last Friday night make you feel and what’s your take on the big Constitution Hill decision made since then?
It was one of those occasions that you wish you were there, so to be honest I was suffering from a bit of FOMO. Southwell put on a show and Constitution Hill read the script. The atmosphere was electric.
This horse isn’t short of X-factor and his display on the track was impressive. It stands up to scrutiny, and it was a privilege to see what a top-class hurdler can do on the flat. I think it’s an easy trap to fall into, to think that these top two-milers are hurdling because they don’t have the class or speed to hold their own on the flat and it’s a rarity to see them show what they can do. He ran to a rating of 100+, not bad for a slow old hurdler!
I’m relieved that he is going to stick to the level. The jeopardy of running him over hurdles was too high as sadly his jumping technique had become flawed. Top-class hurdlers have a jumping style that is millimetres from disaster. To be brilliant over a hurdle is to jump them almost like they aren’t there - fast and low. He had started to take too many liberties, and I don’t think it’s an issue you can confidently eradicate.
Nicky Henderson and owner Michael Buckley have made the right call in my opinion. Henderson is a hugely respected and liked trainer and if the worst had happened because of running Constitution Hill in the Champion Hurdle it would have been a tragedy and Henderson’s legacy would have been tainted. It must have been an agonising decision, but I’m relieved they have erred on the side of caution. I’m excited for Constitution Hill’s journey on the flat and even at the age of nine, he has more to give.
Have you had the opportunity to peruse the weights for the Cheltenham Festival handicaps yet after the weights came out this week? If so, give us a name or two to watch.
Libberty Hunter is a horse I have a soft spot for and a return to handicap company could be just the tonic for him having fallen short in Grade 1 and Grade 2 company since his last victory, which came in a Cheltenham handicap in December 2024. While he’s entered in the Champion Chase, he also has the option of the Plate and the Grand Annual, the latter a race he was runner-up in two years ago. A return to handicaps could be quite libberating!
I mentioned this horse last week but wherever No Ordinary Joe goes, I will follow. He holds entries in the County Hurdle and Martin Pipe. He has finished 2nd, 7th and 12th in the Martin Pipe in the last three seasons but he would run off the lowest rating to date in he lines up this year.
Who wins the Grimthorpe at Doncaster and Newbury’s big betting race, the Greatwood Gold Cup?
Trainer Kim Bailey has won Doncaster’s Grimthorpe Handicap Chase twice since 2016 and runs (with training partner Mat Nicholls) Destroytheevidence this time around, so warrants plenty of respect. The horse has plenty of weight to carry but that hasn’t stopped those two previous winners, one of which carried top weight. Unusually for a horse from that stable he has only won one of his nine starts over fences, and that came on his chasing debut in October 2024. However, he beat Haiti Couleurs at Chepstow that day, showing huge promise. He’s been a hard horse to follow subsequently but he’ll be double figure odds, so offers each way appeal in an open race.
At shorter odds I’ll be paying close attention to the Anthony Honeyball-trained duo of Dartmoor Pirate and Jasmin Du Grugy. The former won the Great Yorkshire Chase here last time out and I think he’ll appreciate the extra distance on Saturday.
The Greatwood Gold Cup is the feature at Newbury and I’m heading there for Sky Sports Racing. Blow Your Wad enjoys his trips to the Berkshire track and has an easier task than when facing Jonbon and Pic D’Orhy in the Grade 1 Ascot Chase last time out. That was his first start for Gary and Josh Moore and for a horse that has been called quirky in the past, the change of stable may have relit his touchpaper. It wasn’t a bad effort at Ascot.
Vincenzo was runner-up in this race 12 months ago but he’s 8lbs worse off in the weights and rider Dylan Johnston is also minus the 3lbs claim he could use last year. That’s not to say he won’t run well for trainer Sam Thomas who is still operating at a seasonal strike rate of 32%.
Issam is one of a clutch of others worthy of a mention for in-form trainer Tom Symonds. He has a lumpy rise in the weights to overcome though for his comfortable Kempton success earlier this month.
What is your pick for the bet365 Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso?
I’m all in with Cracking Rhapsody who has won this for the past two years. If he were to win on Saturday, he wouldn’t be the most successful horse in this contest though because the Gordon Richards trained Jinxy Jack won the race on four consecutive years at the beginning of the 90s.
He’s now 1lbs lower in the handicap than when successful in last April’s Scottish Champion Hurdle and his trainer Ewan Whillans has his team firing on all cylinders.
Published at 13:50 GMT on 26/02/26
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