The two-mile hurdlers with a higher Timeform rating than Constitution Hill
Constitution Hill returns in Saturday's Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle as the outstanding horse in the division with a Timeform rating of 177p, a figure that has been bettered by only five two-mile hurdlers. Read about their achievements below.
Night Nurse (Timeform rating 182)
Night Nurse holds the strongest claims to the title of 'greatest hurdler' as the Timeform rating of 182 he achieved at his peak remains the highest ever awarded to a hurdler, whilst his second Champion Hurdle win in 1977 came at the height of what is widely regarded as the ‘golden era of hurdling’. Indeed, that second Cheltenham win came in the classiest-ever field assembled for the Champion Hurdle, and the fact that runner-up Monksfield and fourth-placed Sea Pigeon went on to win the next four renewals between them underlined that strength in depth.
Night Nurse drew a blank as a two-year-old in 1973, whilst an all-the-way win in a nine-furlong maiden at Ripon the following summer proved to be the highlight of a largely undistinguished Flat career. He made an instant impact over jumps in the 1974/75 season, however, winning a summer juvenile at Market Rasen on his hurdling debut and gaining a further four wins before disappointing in the Triumph Hurdle on barely raceable ground.
Night Nurse bounced back and dominated in the 1975/76 season, winning all eight starts, including the Fighting Fifth Hurdle, in which he beat the previous season's Champion Hurdle winner Comedy of Errors (albeit in receipt of 9 lb). He also landed the Champion Hurdle itself, in which he beat the up-and-coming Bird's Nest in a race that represented a changing of the guard in the division.
It was during the following campaign, the 1976/77 season, that Night Nurse earned the highest rating ever awarded to a hurdler when dead-heating with Monksfield (giving him 6lb) in the Templegate Hurdle at Aintree. Prior to that he had won his second Champion Hurdle, rallying bravely to beat Monksfield with Dramatist in third and Sea Pigeon in fourth in a top-class renewal.
Night Nurse wasn't so good during the 1977/78 season – his speed had been blunted and he tended to get outpaced – though he was still third behind Monksfield and Sea Pigeon in the Champion Hurdle. The remarkable Night Nurse would also go on to show top-class form over fences. He held every chance when unseating at the final fence in the 1980 King George – which was won by his regular sparring partner Silver Buck – and he then put in a spectacular round of jumping when finishing a courageous runner-up behind Little Owl in the 1981 Cheltenham Gold Cup.
After being retired during the 1982/83 season Night Nurse enjoyed a long retirement at trainer Peter Easterby's Great Habton stables, where he is buried alongside old rival Sea Pigeon.
Only five two-mile hurdlers have been rated higher than Constitution Hill in Timeform's history. pic.twitter.com/iKg4izbdZr
— Timeform (@Timeform) November 26, 2022
Istabraq (180)
Istabraq registered a record-equalling three Champion Hurdle victories – and he may well have secured a fourth in a row had the 2001 Festival not been cancelled because of the foot-and-mouth outbreak.
Istabraq, a fairly useful sort on the Flat for John Gosden, was due to be trained over jumps by John Durkan, who had spotted Istabraq's talent early during his time as assistant to Gosden, describing him as "no soft Flat horse". However, when Durkan became ill – he would tragically die of leukaemia two years later at the age of just 31 – he recommended that Istabraq be sent into training with Aidan O'Brien.
Istabraq may have ended his career regarded as one of the greats, but he had to settle for second on his first start over hurdles, finishing behind the more experienced Noble Thyne in a novice hurdle at Punchestown in November 1996. He benefitted enormously from the experience, however, and gained revenge in the Grade 1 Royal Bond at Fairyhouse, a success that heralded a streak of ten wins on the bounce.
During that winning streak Istabraq justified good support in the 1997 Sun Alliance Novices' Hurdle on his first trip to the Cheltenham Festival, and, having dominated in Ireland, he posted a hugely impressive display in the 1998 Champion Hurdle, putting up a top-class performance as he scooted 12 lengths clear.
Istabraq met with a surprise defeat under much more testing conditions on his next outing in the Aintree Hurdle – he was edged out by Pridwell who received an inspired ride by Tony McCoy – but normal service resumed the following campaign and he went through the 1998/99 season unbeaten, having little trouble adding a second Champion Hurdle to his tally.
He suffered a shock defeat at odds of 1/7 when trying to give 5 lb to an enterprisingly ridden Limestone Lad in stamina-sapping conditions in the 1999 Hatton's Grace Hurdle, but that was still a top-class performance under the circumstances and he was soon back to winning ways at Leopardstown, landing the Festival Hurdle and A.I.G Europe Champion Hurdle, and he again proved a class of his own in the Champion Hurdle, quickly settling matters after jumping to the front at the final flight.
The three-time Champion Hurdle winner was not seen again until one of his regular stopping-off points – the December Festival Hurdle at Leopardstown. However, Istabraq, who already looked booked for second or third at best behind Moscow Flyer, took a crashing fall at the last. A positive bulletin emerged soon after that there was “not a bother on him” and he was soon back on track, landing the A.I.G. Europe Champion Hurdle for the fourth straight year, but his bid for a fourth Champion Hurdle was scuppered by the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease which meant the 2001 Cheltenham Festival was cancelled.
Istabraq had to wait until 2002 for his crack at a record-breaking fourth Champion Hurdle but, in the event, it turned into an anti-climax as he was pulled up after just two flights having suffered a tendon injury. It did, however, give the packed stands a chance to salute a champion who had towered above his contemporaries.
Monksfield (180)
Although his strike rate may not have been quite so impressive as many of the hurdling greats, it would be wrong to underestimate the ultra-tough Monksfield’s achievements during the 'golden era of hurdling', and his supremely game displays earned him plenty of fans on both sides of the Irish Sea.
Handicaps were quickly on the agenda for Monksfield over hurdles and he contested no fewer than seven of them during his juvenile campaign in 1975/76, winning twice (at Navan and Fairyhouse) to add to his two wins in juveniles which had kicked off the season. The highlight of his juvenile campaign, however, was his runner-up finish in the Triumph Hurdle, and many thought he was unlucky not to win after being hampered in the latter stages.
During the winter of the 1976/77 season it looked like Monksfield would be a minor player in the major races. He was duly sent off 15/1, seventh choice in the market in a vintage edition of the Champion Hurdle, but he proved to be the main challenger to Night Nurse, going down by two lengths after making a mistake at the last. He would never lose to Night Nurse again, though he did have to settle for a share of the spoils with that top-class rival when dead-heating in the Templegate Hurdle at Aintree (Monksfield was in receipt of 6 lb).
A couple of disappointing displays at the start of the 1977/78 season signalled that something was seriously wrong with Monksfield and necessitated a mid-season lay-off as he was treated for an infection. That meant Monksfield arrived at Cheltenham on Champion Hurdle day without a win since that famous dead-heat at Aintree, but he'd been working his way back to full fitness and, with a couple of comeback runs under his belt, produced a top-class display to go one better than 12 months earlier. Outright success in the Templegate Hurdle was to follow as Monksfield gave weight and a beating to old rival Night Nurse. He then put up arguably an even better effort in defeat when runner-up in the inaugural edition of the very valuable Royal Doulton Hurdle at Haydock, failing by just three-quarters of a length to concede 28 lb to the winner Royal Gaye – Night Nurse (again receiving 5 lb) was two-and-a-half lengths away in third, whilst Sea Pigeon and fellow leading hurdlers Bird's Nest and Beacon Light finished down the field
Monksfield's battling qualities were seen to maximum effect in the 1979 Champion Hurdle when he knuckled down courageously to fend off Sea Pigeon after looking like a sitting duck when that top-class rival loomed up travelling strongly. Monksfield's campaign may not have started according to plan – he ran several honourable races in defeat when attempting to give away lumps of weight – but it ended in sparkling form with wins in the Champion Hurdle, the Templegate Hurdle at Aintree (run as the Colt Sigma Hurdle) and the Welsh Champion Hurdle at Chepstow.
Like with his old rival Night Nurse, Monskfield proved past his best when bidding to win a third Champion Hurdle and he had to settle for second behind Sea Pigeon in the 1980 edition. He was also below his best when bidding for a fourth straight win at Aintree later that season and when down the field in the Royal Doulton Hurdle at Haydock. He was subsequently retired to stud, where he enjoyed moderate success as a jumps stallion before his death in 1989.
Persian War (179)
Persian War, the best hurdler to race in the era prior to Timeform's Chasers & Hurdlers annuals (first published in 1975/76), became just the third horse to win the Champion Hurdle three times, and the fact that his first two titles came on firm and then heavy ground underlined just what a durable performer he was.
Persian War hailed from a good Flat family – he had siblings who made the frame in the Derby at Epsom and Gold Cup at Royal Ascot – but his own Flat career was nothing to write home about. He took exceptionally well to hurdling, though, and enjoyed a stellar juvenile campaign in the 1966/67 season, registering notable victories in the Challow Hurdle (then a two-miler for juveniles), the Victor Ludorum and the Triumph Hurdle (then held at Cheltenham's April meeting).
It took Persian War a few starts to regain the winning thread after being moved to Colin Davies from Brian Swift by enigmatic owner Henry Alper, but he put up some notable efforts in defeat under big weights and then landed the valuable Schweppes Gold Trophy (now the Betfair Hurdle) under 11st 13lb. This made him a leading fancy for the 1968 Champion Hurdle and he ran out a convincing winner in a field that contained previous winners Saucy Kit and Salmon Spray.
A freak fall between hurdles at Worcester meant that Persian War was on the easy list for several months in the 1968/69 season, but he returned better than ever in the new year, putting up one of his finest performances when defying 12st 7lb to win the Lonsdale Handicap Hurdle at Kempton. He may have warmed up for Cheltenham with a shock defeat in the Kingwell Hurdle after suffering a fraught preparation, but he was back on song on Champion Hurdle day and gamely retained his crown to justify favouritism.
Punters also kept the faith with Persian War in 1970 when he was sent off 5/4 favourite to bag a third consecutive Champion Hurdle, despite arriving winless in five starts in a troubled campaign that had seen him experience a problem with his wind. Davies was confident he had Persian War back to his best, however, citing a sparkling piece of work, and Persian War produced a typically game display to register a famous hat-trick.
Persian War, who joined Arthur Pitt after Davies asked Alper to remove his horses from the yard, proved rather in-and-out during the 1970/71 season as he struggled with his wind, but he did register a notable success in the Irish Sweeps Hurdle and found only Bula too strong when denied a fourth Champion Hurdle back at Cheltenham. He carried on for another couple of seasons, moving yards again, though wasn't the force of old and was retired after picking up a leg injury. He lived at Alper's Genesis Green Stud in Newmarket until his death aged 21 in 1984.
Comedy of Errors (178)
Comedy of Errors made history in 1975 when becoming the first horse to regain his Champion Hurdle crown and he had the distinction of being dubbed "the best horse we ever had at Kinnersley" by Fred Rimell. His two Champion Hurdle wins are all the more meritorious as those closely associated with the horse felt he was unsuited by the track at Cheltenham.
Comedy of Errors, a useful middle-distance performer on the Flat, had suffered an acrimonious defeat in the 1972 Gloucestershire Hurdle (now the Supreme Novices' Hurdle) when Rimell felt long-time stable jockey Terry Biddlecombe had kicked for home too soon, but he would end the following season as the undisputed new star of the two-mile hurdling scene.
Comedy of Errors had finished a distant third in the Cheltenham Trial Hurdle behind Bula and was runner-up to Captain Christy in the Sweeps Hurdle, but he went through the remainder of the 72/73 campaign unbeaten, notably winning a high-quality renewal of the Champion Hurdle back at Cheltenham. Bula, an odds-on shot seeking a hat-trick in the race, and Captain Christy dominated the betting but, in the end, 8/1 shot Comedy of Errors was pushed closest by northern raider Easby Abbey, who had also chased him home when they had filled the same placings in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle much earlier in the season. Comedy of Errors cemented his position as the division leader with another comprehensive defeat of Bula (who was receiving 6 lb) in the Welsh Champion Hurdle at Chepstow on his final start.
With Bula now chasing, Fred Winter unearthed another challenger to Comedy of Errors in Lanzarote and this was to prove an even more enduring rivalry. Their first meeting came in the 1974 Champion Hurdle, where Comedy of Errors was sent off 4/6 favourite ahead of 7/4-shot Lanzarote, who had gone through the campaign unbeaten.
Comedy of Errors' campaign hadn’t been too shabby either, with the highlights being a second Fighting Fifth win and an imperious display in the Sweeps Hurdle at Leopardstown, but he couldn’t reproduce that form at Cheltenham and was beaten three lengths by the front-running Lanzarote, who Comedy of Errors' connections felt had stolen first run. Comedy of Errors' rider Bill Smith thought the horse simply hadn't been right, and events in the 1974/75 season rather vindicated that view as Comedy of Errors bounced back in style and enjoyed a tremendous campaign, albeit with Smith no longer in the saddle.
Comedy of Errors and Ken White went unbeaten in six completed starts in the 1974/75 season, including a third straight Fighting Fifth win and defeats of Lanzarote in the Cheltenham Trial and Sweeps Hurdle. The Champion Hurdle market was dominated by Comedy of Errors (11/8) and Lanzarote (2/1) again, but it proved a very one-sided affair – seventh-placed Lanzarote got bogged down in the very testing conditions, whereas Comedy of Error powered eight lengths clear of runner-up Flash Imp to reclaim his crown. He rounded off the campaign with victory in the Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr.
He found wins harder to come by in 1975/76, though that was largely due to the emergence of a talented crop of younger hurdlers, such as Night Nurse and Sea Pigeon, than a significant decline on his part and he still bagged a few major prizes, including the Templegate Hurdle at Aintree, for all he came up short in fourth in the 1976 Champion Hurdle. Following his retirement after the 1977/78 season, during which he was tried once over fences, Comedy of Errors spent the remainder of his days as Mercy Rimell's hack.
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