Constitution Hill could switch to Flat full-time after Southwell debut romp
constitution hill turned his belated Flat debut into a procession at Southwell on Friday, winning the SBK Road To Cheltenham Novice Stakes by nine and a half lengths under Oisin Murphy and prompting talk that he could be switched to racing on the Flat full-time. The 2023 Champion Hurdle winner’s performance has left connections weighing options and opened new potential paths for a horse who has suffered recent setbacks over obstacles.
constitution hill could switch to Flat
Trainer Nicky Henderson said the result leaves connections with a major decision to make. He described the victory as unexpected and said: "We will have to think long and hard about his future" while adding that the performance "opens up a lot of doors. " The nine-year-old was sent off at 6-4 after drifting in the betting earlier in the week and benefitted from a late rush of money.
The run itself was emphatic. With Oisin Murphy largely motionless in the saddle, the winner quickened on the turn for home and pulled clear to finish some nine and a half lengths in front of the runner-up. The race was over well before the line, and the ease of the win fuelled immediate talk about his future surface and programme.
Owner Michael Buckley reflected on a difficult period for the horse, noting the setbacks that followed a fall at the fifth at Cheltenham and a fall in Newcastle’s Fighting Fifth Hurdle. Buckley said he had always believed the horse was special and that Friday’s result was an emotional vindication after a year of disappointment.
Constitution Hill's Southwell romp raises questions
The Southwell display produced both excitement and uncertainty. Crowds for the evening fixture swelled to 3, 520, up from 320 at the same meeting a year earlier, and the race’s £40, 000 prize for novices — created after a suggestion that the horse could benefit from a Flat spin — proved enough to attract a competitive entry.
Commentary after the race noted that the result simultaneously clarified and complicated the picture: the performance confirmed the horse’s class on the level but also made the choice between a renewed hurdles campaign and a Flat programme less straightforward. One view expressed was that an impressive Flat debut could nudge a Flat plan ahead of a return to top-level hurdling; another suggested the Champion Hurdle remains a live option for the connections.
What comes next for connections
No firm decision has been announced. Murphy, who rode the winner, said the feel on the Flat was very encouraging and suggested that if Constitution Hill continued on the level he would likely face tougher, black-type assignments. Henderson and Buckley acknowledged the emotion of the night and said they had "lots to look forward to and lots of decisions to make. "
Recent commentary has listed potential Flat targets and longer-range possibilities as possibilities if hurdling is shelved, while also noting the horse’s age as a factor in any long-term campaign. Observables that will shape the choice include the emphatic winning margin on the Flat, the late betting move that made him favourite, the larger crowd reaction, and the fact that the horse has struggled with confidence over obstacles in the past year.
The immediate outlook is straightforward: connections will confer and consider the full set of options. If they pursue a Flat programme, the expectation is that future assignments would be tougher and aimed at black-type. If they revert to hurdling, any target would depend on restoring confidence and fitness over obstacles. At this stage, the next race and long-term plan remain unclear.
