Trainer Nicky Henderson has confirmed that 2023 Champion Hurdle winner Constitution Hill will continue to be campaigned on the flat.
The horse finished fourth in Saturday’s Group 3 September Stakes at Kempton, which was an improvement in form following two easy wins in novice events earlier this year.
The handicapper hit Constitution Hill with a 7lb rise in the rankings, which pushed his official rating to a mark of 108. That limits the horse’s future options.
Henderson surprised by Constitution Hill’s new mark
The nine-year-old now cannot run in 0-105 handicaps, but the November Handicap at Doncaster on November 7 does allow runners rated higher than 105.
The Melbourne Cup at Flemington Racecourse had been touted as a potential target, but that is off the table after the horse failed to finish in the first three at Kempton.
Henderson says that it is ‘probably the right thing’ not to go to Australia, despite the horse being handed a handicap mark off which he would have got in.
“The handicapper is saying what happened, and that is that he’s run a hell of a race,” Henderson said. “It shows how much they rate the performance.
“It probably eliminates handicaps for us. We’ll have a good look at the options, but it’ll be in races between a mile and a half and a mile and six. We’d also like to go back on turf with him.
“We knew he’d go up in the ratings, but my initial reaction was that he’d go up three or four pounds. In most of those handicaps, a mark of 105 is the highest.
“He can run in one, but it’s going to be mighty competitive with where he’s gone now.”
Pundits urge Henderson to call it a day with Constitution Hill
Horse racing pundits were divided about what the future should hold for Constitution Hill after he finished fourth behind Pride of Arras at Kempton.
Broadcaster Matt Chapman believes that the horse should continue to be campaigned on the flat, but former jockey Hayley Turner urged connections to call it a day.
Turner said it would be ‘nice to see him bow out nicely’ rather than keep running. Adele Mulrennan, whose husband Paul is a flat jockey, agreed with her views.
“I want to remember what he did over hurdles, he was fantastic,” Mulrennan said. “We loved watching him. Do I really want to see him running around on the flat getting beaten in handicaps? Probably not.
“He just looked like he lacked a little bit of speed against those horses today so I suppose they will look to step him up in trip and see how he gets on.
“If he doesn’t win next time out in a handicap, do I really want to see him run again and again, watching him get beaten?”
History against Constitution Hill in the November Handicap
The November Handicap is one of the biggest betting races of the year in the United Kingdom. It is also a hugely competitive event.
For punters, that competitiveness makes the race particularly interesting from a betting perspective. Rather than simply looking at which horse has the strongest reputation, the November Handicap requires attention to factors such as the weight carried, recent form, going and the likely strength of the field. Comparing the available odds across a race can also give a clearer picture of how bookmakers assess each runner before the action gets underway.
There have only been three winning favourites in this race since 1995 – Open Eagle (2014), Farhan (2021) and Castle Cove (2025).
No nine-year-old has ever won the race, while top-weights rarely emerge victorious. The most successful weight range is just under nine stone.
Yavana’s Pace (1998) and Litigant (2015) both carried 9st 10lbs to victory, the highest winning weight in the November Handicap in modern times.
For anyone assessing the betting market, those historical trends provide useful context rather than a definitive answer. A horse’s odds that horse betting platforms offer reflect the market’s view of its chances, while the eventual result can still defy the statistics. That is particularly relevant in a race as competitive as the November Handicap, where relatively small differences in price can attract attention.
Constitution Hill demonstrated a decent level of form at Kempton, but carrying a welter burden to victory in the November Handicap may prove to be beyond him.
