Timeform analysis of Nicky Henderson's Constitution Hill
By Tony McFadden
19:11 · MON December 06, 2021
Timeform's Tony McFadden highlights the state of play in the novice hurdle division following a significant weekend of action.
It was a clean sweep for the Irish novice hurdlers at last season's Cheltenham Festival but the raiders are likely to meet a sterner home defence this time around as Nicky Henderson has already introduced three exciting prospects who have earned the Timeform Large P symbol that indicates they are capable of much better form.
The ante-post betting for the Sky Bet Supreme is headed at 7/2 by Henderson's Jonbon (Timeform rating 132P), but, for all he has serious untapped potential, his status as market leader is arguably influenced by his £570,000 sales price and the fact he is a full brother to Douvan as much as his exploits on the track. True, Jonbon has barely had to come off the bridle to win a bumper or a novice hurdle at Newbury and we are nowhere near establishing his limit, but there's been little depth to the steadily-run races he's won.
Stablemate Constitution Hill (142P), on the other hand, slammed a decent prospect by 14 lengths on his debut under Rules at Sandown on Saturday, clocking a good timefigure that backs up the excellent visual impression. It's no surprise that he's now closing in on Jonbon at the head of the betting for the Supreme.
That Sandown success was the best performance posted by a two-mile novice hurdler so far this season, and you get the feeling it didn't come as a surprise to connections as Constitution Hill was heavily backed in a race Henderson likes to target - he was winning the race for the seventh time in 11 years.
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The performance of Balco Coastal (126P) at Huntingdon on Sunday didn't create as many waves in ante-post markets but it was still a notable effort from a talented type. Balco Coastal had been disappointing when sent off favourite for the Grade 2 bumper at Aintree in April but it's worth remembering he had looked something out of the ordinary when running to a big figure for a debutant at Kempton.
That bumper division last season was headed by the Willie Mullins-trained Kilcruit, who was turned over at 1/14 on his debut over hurdles at Cork on Sunday.
It was clearly surprising to see Kilcruit (127p) meet with a ten-length defeat and it is expected he will improve for the run, but, rather than dwelling on the upset, it's best to take a positive view of the winner Largy Debut (138p), who had won his only start in a point and shaped with clear promise when third on his bumper debut for Stuart Crawford 21 months ago. Now with Henry de Bromhead, Largy Debut looks like making up for lost time and rates a useful prospect.
Things went to plan for Mullins in division two of the maiden as Dysart Dynamo (131p), a winner on both outings in bumpers, made a successful start over hurdles with the minimum of fuss, registering a 19-length victory, albeit in a slower time than Largy Debut clocked.
Much of the key novice hurdle action at the weekend concerned the two-milers but there were notable performances from a couple of promising stayers.
Ginto, a near £400,000 purchase after winning a point, is an imposing type who is still not the finished article, but it was encouraging how strong he was at the finish of the Navan Novice Hurdle. He won that Grade 2 prize by 11 lengths in the style of a horse who will have no problem stepping up in trip to beyond two and a half miles.
Ginto's rating of 139p puts him towards the top of the division but the current standard is set by Lossiemouth (143), who completed a hat-trick in style in the Grade 2 Winter Novices' Hurdle at Sandown on Friday. Lossiemouth made it to the track only once last season, when he was down the field in a jumpers' bumper, but whatever kept him on the sidelines is clearly a thing of the past as he is thriving now and had no issue making a successful leap from handicap company. He will be worth a shot at Grade 1s like the Challow Hurdle, though rivals with less experience are open to more progress.
Timeform's highest-rated novice hurdlers
143 Lossiemouth 142P Constitution Hill 141p Blazing Khal 141 Colonel Mustard 139p Ginto 139p Mighty Potter
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