Who is taking on Constitution Hill at Kempton?

Constitution Hill latest: September Stakes rivals assessed, who are the biggest dangers?

Horse Racing

Wed September 02, 2026 · 13h ago

Well, one thing is for certain. We’ll get a good gauge as to where Constitution Hill’s ceiling on the Flat lies at around 14:55 on Saturday.

The William Hill September Stakes at Kempton seems to have been Plan C for the nine-year-old’s third run on the level.

We were told the sights were set on the Sky Bet Ebor only for connections to run out of time to get a third and final qualifying run under his belt in the spring. Ironically, the wet week at York meant the ground would have been fine for him on the final day had he rolled into town.

As it would at Windsor last Saturday where the Weatherbys August Stakes was the original Plan B but the Seven Barrows team wanted to make a quick decision on his participation and voted no early in race-week. The Listed race was won by Tenability who ran to a Timeform rating of 118 in beating Silawi on soft ground.

Constitution Hill currently sits on 106P – the large P doing a lot of heavy lifting as it signifies a horse capable of much better form. And he’ll need to deliver on that at Kempton – because he’s the lowest rated horse on Timeform master ratings going into the race.

So who lies in wait at the weekend?

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THE BIG TWO

BAY CITY ROLLER (Timeform master rating 126)

We last saw George Scott’s charge running out a remarkable and wide-margin winner of the Betfred Coronation Cup on that Derby afternoon at Epsom. He revelled in the testing ground unlike some others in the race but don’t file it away as a fluke, his winning figure of 126 was only three higher than the number he achieved in chasing home Almaqam in the Tattersalls Gold Cup the time before. He has a 7lb penalty to contend with on Saturday but stablemate Watch My Tracer in there to offer him a helping hoof or four.

GETHIN (120)

A Listed winner over ten furlongs here in April, he gave Ombudsman an almighty scare in the Brigadier Gerard at Sandown before seemingly being caught out by the quick ground when fifth behind Constitution River in the Coral-Eclipse. There remains a sneaking feeling there’s a bigger performance in him somewhere down the line and he escapes a penalty at the weekend.

Bay City Roller is out on his own in the Coronation Cup

TEAM GODOLPHIN

TORNADO ALERT (116)

One of two in the race for Saeed bin Suroor and his current stable star. He tasted Group One glory in Munich last July and wasn’t far short of that level on his first run since when fourth behind Tifffany in the Grosser Preis Von Berlin in early August. And…

DUBAI FUTURE (114)

…a place in front of him that day was this stablemate. He’s firmly in the veteran stage himself now, at the age of ten, but is a seasoned international gunslinger and as well as the big run in Germany, he came out on top in a tactical race for the Henry II Stakes at Sandown back in May.

ARABIAN CROWN (114)

He looked so promising when winning the Sandown Classic Trial in the spring of 2024 but, following an injury that summer, has only added a Listed win at Windsor to his CV since. He did go well from the front when used as a pacemaker for Rebel’s Romance in the Princess Of Wales’s Stakes on the July Course last time though.

BY THE BOOK (110)

Charlie Appleby’s other entry and he has run to a Timeform figure of 110 on both his starts this term when second to Al Aasy at Beverley and the tenacious Midak at Chester.

Warrant Holder at York

TEAM GOSDEN

WARRANT HOLDER (118)

He started the season brightly by winning a handicap at the Dante meeting and going down all guns blazing when second to Opportunity in the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes at Royal Ascot. He wasn’t quite in the same form in the John Smith’s Cup next time but met with trouble in running there and is the sort to bounce back quickly.

LION'S PRIDE (112)

He looked very exciting when thumping Isle Of Jura by seven lengths in the Godolphin Stakes last autumn but was nowhere near that level in two domestic starts this spring. The fact he’s not been seen since suggests he may have had an issue but he’s one that needs to bounce back.

ON A RETRIEVAL MISSION

PRIDE OF ARRAS (117)

Last season’s Sky Bet Great Voltigeur winner who had a unhappy return to the meeting when withdrawn from the Juddmonte International this time around after getting upset in the stalls. He has a big chance on Saturday if that proves to be only a temporary blip as he was right back to form the time before when second to Item in the Sky Bet York Stakes.

Pride Of Arras back on song at York

REST OF THE FIELD

ALMERIC (114)

His best form is on soft ground and connections are now giving an artificial surface a try for the first time after he’s failed to match the level he reached when forging clear in the Doonside Cup at Ayr in the autumn so far this term. He wasn’t far off it when three lengths adrift of Gethin in the Brigadier Gerard mind.

PADDY THE SQUIRE (111)

A fantastic servant to his team and he never recovered from being boxed in just as the tempo was increasing in the Sky Bet Ebor last time. He was third to the York winner Daiquiri Bay at Royal Ascot and second to a thriving Sportingsilvermine in the Old Newton Cup at Newmarket before that. He’ll run his race.

SMALL FRY (110)

One of a plethora of Joseph O’Brien-trained horses in the Melbourne Cup and, like so many in the yard, is in the form of his life this season. He arrives here off the back of a big run at Goodwood and win at York although this would be a first venture into pattern company and the trip is right at the bottom end of his stamina requirements.

WATCH MY TRACER (103)

Looks to be in here to offer a helping hand to Bay City Roller and we haven’t seen him since finishing sixth in a Milan Group Three last October.

Constitution Hill latest: September Stakes rivals assessed, who are the biggest dangers?

THE BIG TWO