Adam Houghton discusses the greatest two-mile hurdlers in the Timeform era and finds out more about some of the front-runners from those in the know.
The Champion Hurdle has thrown up some tremendous races over the years, but the ante-post betting for the 2023 renewal tells you that it’s expected to be an entirely one-sided affair as the unbeaten Constitution Hill tries to complete his ascent to the top of the two-mile hurdling tree.
In truth, few would argue that Constitution Hill isn’t there already and the fact he is as short as 3/1-on to make it six from six come the Cheltenham Festival, which is still nearly six weeks away, underlines that he is essentially head and shoulders above everything else in this division.
So too do the Timeform ratings which have Constitution Hill – who is rated 177p – 11 lb clear of State Man, his closest market rival after three straight Grade One wins in Ireland, and 12 lb clear of the dual winner Honeysuckle, who receives a 7 lb sex allowance to bring her at least a bit closer.
Honeysuckle and State Man are poised to clash in Sunday’s Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown and that ought to help clarify the pecking order among the best of the rest, but it’s worth putting Constitution Hill’s rating into some context to highlight just how high he’ll set the bar if they all line up at Cheltenham in March.
In short, only five hurdlers have bettered a rating of 177 in Timeform’s experience and just one in the last 25 years or so.
That horse was, of course, Istabraq, who memorably won three successive editions of the Champion Hurdle between 1998 and 2000, in the process becoming the fifth horse to achieve that feat after Hatton’s Grace (1949, 1950 and 1951), Sir Ken (1952, 1953 and 1954), Persian War (1968, 1969 and 1970) and See You Then (1985, 1986 and 1987).
With a Timeform rating of 180, Istabraq certainly belongs in the conversation when it comes to the greatest two-mile hurdlers of all time, but perhaps the best place to start that discussion is with a couple of those who lit up this division during the 1970s, widely regarded as the ‘golden era of hurdling’.
Night Nurse tops the rankings – for now at least
Night Nurse (1976 and 1977), Monksfield (1978 and 1979) and Sea Pigeon (1980 and 1981) are just three of the illustrious names from around that time and between them they shared six consecutive runnings of the Champion Hurdle, each winning it twice and finishing placed on at least one other occasion.
They had some unforgettable battles along the way and it was when Night Nurse dead-heated with Monksfield (who received 6 lb) in the 1977 Templegate Hurdle at Aintree that he earned the record Timeform rating of 182, the highest ever awarded to a hurdler.
It was races like that which left an indelible impression on Timeform’s Senior Horse Racing Analyst Phil Turner, who left no doubt where his allegiances lie when asked who he considers to be the greatest two-mile hurdler of all time.
Turner explained: “First things first, I must declare an interest here – Night Nurse is my favourite ever horse, so I was never going to vote for anyone else!
“That said, it isn’t just blind loyalty to suggest Night Nurse is the greatest two-mile hurdler of all time. Although there are plenty of possible candidates for that individual title, most experts would agree that the 1970s was by far the strongest era of hurdlers in National Hunt history.
“Indeed, the 1977 Champion Hurdle came at the height of this period, with all of the runners more or less at their peak that season, so the fact that Night Nurse came out on top amongst this vintage crop is a compelling argument for him being the all-time number one.”
Monksfield was forced to settle for the runner-up spot behind Night Nurse in the 1977 edition of the Champion Hurdle, but he wasn’t to be denied when he returned to Cheltenham for a second crack at the race in 1978, nor in 1979 when he fought off the strong-travelling Sea Pigeon in a thrilling contest described by John Oaksey as “a race so moving that it brought tears to the eyes”.
That was just one of the many great days trainer Des McDonogh enjoyed with Monksfield, who is ranked joint-second with Istabraq among the highest-rated hurdlers in the Timeform era. They all had their special qualities which set them apart from the rest and McDonogh was quick to point to one thing in particular when asked what Monksfield’s biggest strength was.
McDonogh said: “I suppose it was determination more than anything that made Monksfield as good as he was. He’d know from the outset on the morning of a race that he was getting ready to go. His outlook was unreal.
“He’d jump up onto the lorry like he couldn’t wait to get there and it was the same when he was going on the plane. We flew him over to Cheltenham every year and you’d have to keep ahead of him or he’d knock you down. He was that mad to get in and he just loved the whole aspect of travelling and racing.
“I think it would have been 13 years since Ireland had won the Champion Hurdle when he won it for the first time in 1978. We didn’t have the horsepower in those days and he’d have a big following from Ireland when he went over to Cheltenham.
“Then the 1979 Champion Hurdle was, as John Oaksey said, one of the best races you’d ever see. He looked beaten on the turn, but he just kept finding, kept finding. It had to be seen to be believed – like the dead-heat at Aintree with Night Nurse.
“They had some great races between them over a five-year period and we enjoyed every day at Cheltenham over those five years. I’d say him, Night Nurse and Sea Pigeon had many a chat at the start!”
Night Nurse’s stablemate Sea Pigeon had bragging rights after the 1980 Champion Hurdle when he finally won the race at the fourth attempt, with McDonogh believing that a change to the course layout made all the difference – the trip for the Champion Hurdle was reduced by 200 yards and it meant there was one less hill to climb.
With the emphasis less on stamina, Sea Pigeon simply proved too speedy for old rival Monksfield when they reopposed at Cheltenham in 1980, ultimately running out a clear-cut winner.
Though Sea Pigeon only had a peak Timeform rating of 175, he too had his fair share of admirers, including the eight-time champion jockey Peter Scudamore, who won the Champion Hurdle twice on Celtic Shot in 1988 and Granville Again in 1993.
Scudamore said: “If I look back at the different eras, I’m old enough to remember Night Nurse, Monksfield and Sea Pigeon. For me they put a marker down in those races during the 1970s and there were four or five fantastic hurdlers that really captured the imagination of the public.
“I think on his day Sea Pigeon was probably the best two-mile hurdler I’ve seen in my lifetime. He was just so fast and could pick up off any gallop and look quick.
“And there was another horse of Edward O’Grady’s called Golden Cygnet, who won the two-mile novice hurdle at Cheltenham in 1978. At the time I was around 20 and I’d never seen a horse coming to the second last at Cheltenham with his head going from side to side as Niall [Madden, jockey] was trying to hold him.
“The poor horse then got killed in the Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr and never got to fulfil his greatness.”
Golden Cygnet (176) raced over jumps for one season only and was the highest-rated novice hurdler in Timeform’s history until Constitution Hill came along and surpassed his figure with a sparkling 22-length victory in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at last year’s Cheltenham Festival.
Istabraq stars around the turn of the century
In the 44 years between the Cheltenham novice wins of Golden Cygnet and Constitution Hill, one of the few hurdlers to achieve a higher end-of-season Timeform rating than them both was the aforementioned Istabraq, who first announced himself on the big stage when battling to victory in the 1997 Royal SunAlliance Novices’ Hurdle.
However, for Charlie Swan – who rode Istabraq in every one of his 29 starts over hurdles – it was a few months earlier that he first recognised he might have something a bit special on his hands, with the fluent jumping that would become Istabraq’s trademark being evident right from the very start.
“I remember riding him in the Curragh the first day he schooled,” Swan recalled. “He was just a complete natural to jump. He never tried to run out, he was very straightforward and had a great technique. Even when he got in close to one, he still got out the same distance the other side.
“John Durkan [who was due to be Istabraq’s trainer before becoming ill] always thought he was good and I remember thinking he could be anything the way he jumped."
Under the watchful eye of trainer Aidan O’Brien, Istabraq went on to win 23 of his 29 starts over hurdles and proved to be the horse of a generation with his three victories in the Champion Hurdle – it probably would have been an unprecedented four had the 2001 Cheltenham Festival not been abandoned due to the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.
It’s the last of those three wins which is foremost in Swan’s memories – not least because of a late scare which threatened to put Istabraq’s participation in doubt – and he was clearly a man who thrived on the weight of expectation.
Swan added: "I suppose I’d have to say the third Champion Hurdle stands out because not too many of them have won three. And the night before there was a bit of a fright when they found blood down his nostril.
"We weren’t sure if he’d banged his head or what the story was, but J.P. [McManus, owner] put me totally at ease the next day and told me to ride him how I find him and to pull him up if he wasn’t going well. It’s a big help when you’re going for a Champion Hurdle and you get instructions like that.
"There was obviously a bit of pressure riding him, but I really enjoyed it and they were great times with J.P. and the family and Aidan and his family. He was an amazing horse and an easy ride – I was just privileged to be on him."
Cheltenham Festival-winning jockey Fran Berry never had the privilege of riding Istabraq on the racecourse, but he did have his own small part to play in the story.
Not only did Berry carry out pacemaking duties on Aerleon Pete when Istabraq won the 2001 Irish Champion Hurdle, but he was also involved in a covert operation one year as the build up to the Cheltenham Festival intensified, a fond memory for the rider to this day.
“I was lucky enough to school with Istabraq on a couple of occasions,” Berry explained. “I remember pre-Cheltenham one year – I don’t know which Champion Hurdle it was – I was basically told to meet Aidan and Charlie at the Curragh and to bring my riding-out gear.
“I got picked up and we went for a secret schooling session in Leopardstown. I rode Theatreworld and we led Charlie on Istabraq. Charlie joined me halfway down the back straight and we really stepped into it for the last six or seven furlongs, over the last four hurdles.
"To say I've never gone as quick is probably an exaggeration, but Charlie was getting Istabraq going from a long way out and pressing me. Theatreworld was a very sharp jumper as well, but I think it was his sharpness when getting from one side of a hurdle to another which set Istabraq apart.
“When he landed after a hurdle he was straight back on the bridle and in his comfort zone. He obviously had a big engine to do what he did, but to not miss a beat all the way round and be so accurate and sharp definitely had to help him."
Can Constitution Hill set a new benchmark?
That slick jumping technique has been a feature of Constitution Hill’s performances so far and the big question now is whether he has what it takes to topple Night Nurse, Istabraq and co at the top of the rankings to become the highest-rated hurdler in Timeform’s history.
Seemingly the complete package as a two-mile hurdler, Constitution Hill has already reached a rating of 177p having won his first five starts over hurdles by a cumulative margin of 77 lengths, with the small ‘p’ denoting that he is open to more improvement.
Just how much improvement is what we’re waiting to find out and the answer could come as soon as March when Constitution Hill will be given the perfect platform to hit a mark which has gone unequalled for 46 years – a bittersweet moment for some should it happen.
Turner summed up: “The fact Night Nurse was regularly winning easily against much stronger opposition than Constitution Hill has faced to date is the reason he still leads the way from a ratings viewpoint.
“That said, the latter already appeals as a worthy heir to the greatest hurdler title (even to this Night Nurse fanatic!) and, with the prospect of sterner competition emerging from across the Irish Sea, it wouldn’t be a surprise to him pushed into the 180+ bracket come Cheltenham in March.”
That competition from across the Irish Sea is likely to include Honeysuckle if she can prove that she retains most of her ability by winning Sunday’s Irish Champion Hurdle for the fourth year in a row.
In a 16-race winning streak to kick off her career under Rules, Honeysuckle also won back-to-back renewals of the Champion Hurdle in 2021 and 2022 (watch a replay of her second success below), but that crown now sits a bit more uneasily on her head following her first defeat in the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse in December, not to mention the emergence of Constitution Hill.
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Still, Honeysuckle’s achievements before this season were clearly those of a mare right out of the top drawer and Scudamore, in particular, is not yet prepared to write off the Champion Hurdle as the foregone conclusion that most other people have it down as.
He explained: "I was in the owner's area at Newbury when Constitution Hill won at Newcastle and I’ve rarely seen a round of applause like there was for him, even though we were just watching it on the television whilst everybody was eating.
"But he still has to go and do it. I’ve ridden lots of horses in trial races that look great, but the intensity of a Champion Hurdle is different, so let’s not call him great until he’s done it.
"I feel sometimes that Honeysuckle hasn’t been given the respect she deserves. She hadn’t been beaten until the other day and what she has done is quite extraordinary. In any sport to attain greatness you need a worthy opponent. It would be fantastic for the sport if Honeysuckle and Constitution Hill met at Cheltenham – that’s what it’s all about."
That excitement about a potential clash at the Festival was shared by Berry and Swan, both of whom were fulsome in their praise of Honeysuckle and her longevity at the top level with 16 wins over hurdles and 12 in Grade One company.
That longevity is perhaps the one thing that Constitution Hill still needs to demonstrate – he only made his debut in December 2021 – especially compared to the likes of Night Nurse (19 wins over hurdles), Istabraq (23) and Monksfield (14), all of whom were fixtures in the big two-mile hurdle races over the course of several years.
Constitution Hill will need to avoid all the associated risks of National Hunt racing if he’s going to follow in their footsteps and forge a long and illustrious career, but Berry was in no doubt that he has all the ability to secure a lasting legacy of his own if fortune is in his favour.
“The potential is there,” Berry confirmed when asked whether Constitution Hill might one day usurp Istabraq as the greatest two-mile hurdler he’s seen in his lifetime.
“He’s going to need a bit of luck as regards longevity, but what he’s done to date has been awesome and he’s with a master of his trade in Nicky Henderson, who trained See You Then and got him back to win three Champion Hurdles.
“He looks like he takes his racing extremely well, he travels unbelievably well and he jumps well – it’s very hard to pick any flaws in him. Hopefully, for the game and fans watching on, he can be a horse we can just really enjoy at the top level.”
And what about Swan? Does he really think that Constitution Hill could have put it up to Istabraq when that great ally was at his peak?
Understandably, Swan was reluctant to compare generations, but there was no hiding his admiration for the latest star of the two-mile hurdling scene as the big day at Cheltenham draws closer.
He summed up: “There have been some great champions since Istabraq, like Hurricane Fly and Honeysuckle, but it’s very hard to compare each year. Obviously, Constitution Hill has been outstanding in what he’s done and he just looks unbeatable. But I’m sure Istabraq looked unbeatable when he was running and so did Hurricane Fly.
"Constitution Hill has broken track records and he’s beaten good horses like Jonbon so easily. Jonbon has won a couple of Grade Ones since and Epatante won the other day as well, so his form has really held up.
"He’s going to be very hard to beat and he does look like a serious champion if he can stay sound. Obviously, you have to do it year in and year out and it’s all about keeping them sound and keeping them right. He has a great trainer in Nicky, so he couldn’t be in a better place – he’ll just need a bit of luck now."
NIGHT NURSE and SEA PIGEON
by Geoff Greetham, former publishing editor of the Timeform Annuals
Comparing champions of different generations is fraught with difficulties and claims can never be substantiated to everyone’s satisfaction. There can’t be much argument, though, that the so-called ‘golden age’, from the first of Persian War’s three Champion Hurdles in 1968 to the second of Sea Pigeon’s wins in 1981, is the place to begin.
The competition was strong throughout that era, with the 1977 Champion Hurdle, the second to be won by Night Nurse, probably the highest quality hurdle race in Cheltenham Festival history. Two subsequent dual champions, the entire Monksfield and Sea Pigeon, were in the frame that year (the pair share with Persian War the distinction of finishing in the first two in four Champion Hurdles).
For all his boundless potential, Constitution Hill is most unlikely ever to face a Champion Hurdle field with such strength in depth (Dramatist, Bird’s Nest, Beacon Light and Master Monday, all top-class performers, were also in the line-up).
Night Nurse ended the 1976/77 season with a Timeform rating of 182 which remains the highest achieved by a hurdler and, strictly on the form-book, it is hard to argue against him being worthy of top spot.
Night Nurse is buried alongside his former stablemate Sea Pigeon at Habton Grange Stables under an inscription ‘Legends in their lifetime’. Like Night Nurse, who went on to distinguish himself as a chaser, Sea Pigeon proved as versatile as he was durable, winning a string of big trophy handicaps on the Flat.
Desert Orchid and Kauto Star assembled nine and eight essays respectively in the ‘Chasers & Hurdlers’ annual, while the seven devoted to Yeats was a record for ‘Racehorses’. Sea Pigeon merited a Timeform essay on a record ten occasions, seven in ‘Chasers & Hurdlers’ and three in ‘Racehorses’. He was jumping’s Horse of the Year in both his Champion Hurdle-winning seasons and might well have won hurdling’s most prestigious championship on another two occasions had Cheltenham’s championship course been changed in 1978 instead of 1980.
The old loop beyond the winning post, which included a flight of hurdles at the top of the hill, was a testing part of the championship course and favoured runners – like Night Nurse and Monksfield – whose strong suit was stamina. When the loop was dispensed with in 1980, it shortened the distance of the Champion Hurdle by a furlong, suiting Sea Pigeon whose main asset was speed.
Sea Pigeon’s turn of foot was exceptional but he also had a tendency to idle once in front which made him a tricky ride. He contested five Champion Hurdles in all and was at the veteran stage when he won the first two editions after the course had been shortened.
Sea Pigeon filled the runner-up spot behind Monksfield in the last two run on the original course, going close on both occasions, Monksfield getting away the better from the last flight in the first of them and then edging out Sea Pigeon again on the second occasion, when Jonjo O’Neill admitted he had ‘gone too early’ on Sea Pigeon who hit the front for a few strides on the run-in. Trainer Peter Easterby blamed the horse’s owner who had ’a lot of money on’ and had told O’Neill in the paddock not to ‘leave it too late.’
Sea Pigeon and O’Neill turned the tables on Monksfield in 1980, brushing him aside as soon as Sea Pigeon was set alight after the last and going on to win by seven lengths. Sea Pigeon’s second Champion Hurdle victory, achieved at the age of eleven, came after John Francome, standing in for the injured O’Neill, delayed his challenge until halfway up the run-in, very late indeed in a Champion Hurdle.
The riding tactics that had to be employed on Sea Pigeon meant that he was most unlikely to record a Timeform rating to equal that of Night Nurse whose forceful, front-running style was much more likely to produce performances that revealed his full merit, something that also applies to Constitution Hill who is a straightforward ride.
Sea Pigeon’s highest Timeform rating was 175 but there was more to him than could be deduced simply from the bare results in the form-book. Champion jockeys O’Neill (who also rode Night Nurse) and Francome both affirmed that Sea Pigeon was the best they ever rode. He was a champion whose achievements in a golden generation of hurdlers turned him into a sporting legend.
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