STORM Éowyn might have been the most searched term on Google in Ireland this year but, in racing circles, Constitution Hill has likely given it a run for the money.
The often quoted definition of insanity is ‘doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.’ That’s not suggesting Nicky Henderson is guilty of such but he has a major problem with his top hurdler, Constitution Hill, who is doing just that. Four times now, and three crashing falls, he has made exactly the same error taking off at a hurdle. Trying to jump it off a long stride, but changing his mind in mid-air.
Maybe not insanity but definitely stupidity. You come to the conclusion, is he just a bit of a dumb horse?
All the talk early in his career of how laid back he was, nothing bothered him. Is this the problem? He’s just not clued in enough to cop on what he’s doing, heading off to the second at Newcastle with his ears pricked, only to fall again? A horse who doesn’t learn from his mistakes? Many racing professionals have commented and dissected the falls over the last week.
Barry Geraghty said on RTÉ: “He was taking a chance earlier in his career but, as soon as he got the fall, I think that has created indecision in his own mind. He didn’t pick up desperately long at that hurdle, but halfway through he thought, ‘oh, I’m not sure about this’, and he tried to drop a leg on the hurdle.
“You can school at home, jump perfectly in a relaxed environment, but you go to the racecourse... that energy, that tension, and boom, he takes a chance. It’s a really difficult thing to un-train out of a horse.”
On Road to Cheltenham on Racing TV, Ruby Walsh also questioned the horse’s intelligence. “A fall will bring a bit of self preservation, it puts a bit of caution in them. I can’t get over, why isn’t he backing off?”
Writing in The Guardian, racing correspondent Greg Wood said: ”This is a horse that should not be asked to jump a hurdle in public again.” But A.P. McCoy said he would persevere.
Jockey Alan Johns said on X: “You can teach horses not to take off from as far away, thus removing the need to stretch and reach. However, I personally think CH has lost his confidence to such an extent that he won’t (and probably can’t) be fixed.”
Paddy Flood went deeper on Irish Racing’s podcast, hinting it could be rider not horse.“For me…it’s Nico’s body shape that is probably the problem here. If you go back to every single run Constitution Hill has had, he has always done this: he has thrown himself at a hurdle, and he has taken long strides.
“When he won the Champion Hurdle, the difference then was that Nico was going with him. With Nico, at that last second, you’ll see a bit of panic. He pushed his hands into the horse’s neck, and the horse thought, ‘Do you want me or don’t you?’ That’s how you get a step.” Ruby Walsh dismissed this idea.
So what now? Would a different rider help? It looks as though it’s Kempton next but it’s difficult to be confident of a clear round, especially when he is making these mistakes, even before he comes under pressure and has to jump faster.
Fences
Even last season, I did think that perhaps a switch to fences might make him think more and not go so long at a larger obstacle, using a different jumping technique. Nicky Henderson seemed to rule that out on the Nick Luck Daily podcast on Monday. Though surely it’s not that hard to adapt? Didn’t Centreofattention run in a two-mile novice chase at Punchestown (mistakenly ran instead of Don’t Tell Jack) when he had only run twice over hurdles but still managed to jump the nine fences presumably without much schooling over fences!
And, to those who say Constitution Hill is too old, remember the great dual champion hurdler Night Nurse was sent over fences after he became careless at his hurdles and fell at Aintree.
As a 10-year-old in 1981, he just failed to become the first horse to complete the Champion Hurdle-Gold Cup double when he finished second in the Gold Cup. Another Champion Hurdle winner more recently, Faugheen, went novice chasing at the age of 11, and didn’t do too badly either, winning a Grade 1 at the age of 12.
It’s very concerning for a future jumping career and a terrible shame that such a top class hurdler might now not be enjoyed and celebrated.
WE are often told the more data we have the better, to use in dissecting races and form. Some say we don’t have enough of it in Britain and Ireland, compared to other jurisdictions.
Having the weight of a horse displayed at the tracks before each run, to help gauge fitness, is one such piece of data that Japanese fans are always provided with. However, it was interesting reading Francis Graffard’s comments after Calanagan had won the Japan Cup last week.
Even with the data provided, we must know how to interpret it. Would punters come to know what it might indicate? Or learn what is a good racing weight for a particular horse? Would comparisons really give us clues?
Graffard said of his star horse: “He was weighing 10 kilos more than before Dubai, so we knew the horse had improved through the season and we were very happy with it.”
So it was a bigger, heavier Calandagan in Japan? Would that not be a negative if we just looked at the figures? You’d not send your star striker, top boxer or athlete out 10lbs heavier?
I also remember both Aidan O’Brien and John Oxx saying that their great horses, Giant’s Causeway and Sea The Stars put on weight during their three-year-old campaigns as they developed.
Yes, having such details available might be interesting, but actually making good use of it could be more nuanced than some would suggest.
NICKY Henderson didn’t hesitate to criticise the new padded hurdles now in use at most tracks in Britain and Ireland after Constitution Hill’s fall at Newcastle.
“Out of all the people ringing up, by far the most common thing they have said is they should get rid of those hurdles and I couldn’t agree with them more,” he said on Nick Luck Daily podcast. Yes, they look ugly to those who grew up with the old birch ones, but BHA statistics are in their favour.
It’s worth noting that, over the last two Cheltenham Festivals where races are run at a high tempo, there were no fallers in 2024 or 2025 in any of the three all-aged novice hurdles nor the Triumph or Mares’ Novice. That must surely say something about how safe they are? Perhaps it’s just the ‘oldies’, horses and humans, not liking the look of them?
Alan Marron@almarron
Following on from yesterday just wanted to say you can’t compliment @Fairyhouse
enough for what they put on, Fan Zone with Paul & Harry and then Rachael signing her book. The racing was class but the little things made it a superb day. Other tracks could learn plenty from this.
Alan Johns@alanjohnsy
You can’t teach a horse to “tuck”, as such but you can teach horses not to take off from as far away, thus removing the need to stretch and reach. However, I personally think CH has lost his confidence to such an extent that he won’t (& probably can’t) be fixed.
Joe McNally@steeplechasing
Jack Kennedy’s ride on Romeo Coolio a masterclass. Left the horse alone until 2 out to find all sorts of ways of getting over a fence. Will stand him in brilliant stead.