Constitution Hill, British racing’s poster horse, faces a date with destiny at the home of Irish National Hunt racing on Friday.
The task for Nicky Henderson‘s star is to redeem his reputation as one of the sport’s modern greats when lining up in Punchestown’s Boodles Champion Hurdle.
It will be just Constitution Hill’s second contest in Ireland, four years and a week since beaten in a point-to-point in Tipperary during the Covid-19 pandemic.
A subsequent unbeaten run of 10 races, including the 2023 Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, had him officially rated among the great jumping names. He still hasn’t been beaten when standing up. But falls at Cheltenham and Aintree this spring have dented that prestige.
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The argument that Constitution Hill is too good a jumper of hurdles – that his pinpoint accuracy always makes it a thin line between brilliance and disaster – will hardly survive a third tumble.
Neither will renown, as the horse that’s largely carried British jump racing’s battered morale in recent years in the face of overwhelming Irish dominance attempts to survive defeat on Friday.
What’s already in the credit account, though, is the pluck shown by Henderson and owner Michale Buckley in not only persevering after two crushing setbacks but rolling the dice by coming to Ireland.
It’s been a dozen years since Henderson brought his great champion chaser Sprinter Sacre to the Punchestown festival to win on his sole ever Irish start. Constitution Hill is of such popular interest that his eagerly anticipated appearance has been the festival’s focal point this week.
Nico De Boinville’s injury means James Bowen comes in for the hottest of racing hot seats, riding Constitution Hill for the first time. Coming just 11 days after Bowen’s brother James rode Irish Grand National winner Haiti Des Couleurs, it could spark a notable big-race family double.
De Boinville’s spin on Constitution Hill at Aintree was hardly his finest tactical hour, although the penultimate flight fall was all down to the horse.
The same applies to State Man, who, following Constitution Hill’s Cheltenham exit, looked to have another Champion Hurdle within his grasp, only to take a dramatic spill at the last.
If the main emotion was relief that he emerged unscathed from a notably nasty fall, it was accompanied by a sense of a championship left behind.
Quite what impact that tumble has had on State Man won’t fully be known until 6.40pm on Friday’s bumper Ladies Day programme. Willie Mullins’s stalwart is chasing three in a row in the €300,000 feature and a 12th career Grade One victory. Five of them have been at Punchestown, underlining how this is his home turf.
In all this, an appearance by the actual Champion Hurdle winner has been overlooked.
Golden Ace took advantage of all the chaos at Cheltenham to spring a shock result. Pluck and ambition got magnificently rewarded there, but the scale of her task is reflected in an official rating still 23lbs shy of Constitution Hill at his best.
Honeysuckle (twice) and Vroum Vroum Mag have been successful mares in this race over the last decade. Even with a 7lbs sex allowance, though, it’s hard to see Golden Ace emerging on top in any straightforward context.
Presuming on that has meant presuming too much this season. The prospect of a peak Constitution Hill in full flight will generate considerable excitement and if he delivers it will be a momentous occasion. State Man mightn’t generate the same excitement but around here he’s usually the most reliable option of all.
Friday’s other Grade One, the Alanna Novice Hurdle, also has a pair of British challengers, although they’re coming up against a brace of home top-notchers in The Yellow Clay and Final Demand.
They filled the placings behind The New Lion at Cheltenham and boast far more substantial CVs than an unexposed type such as Lovely Hurling. Ground conditions look likely to favour The Yellow Clay more.
Dinoblue secured her Cheltenham festival victory in some style seven weeks ago, and despite topweight looks the one to beat in the Grade Two Mares Chase. Another JP McManus mare, Nara, hasn’t raced since January but could relish ground conditions in the €100,000 novice handicap chase.
