Constitution Hill can bounce back to winning ways at Punchestown

Irish Examiner

02-05-2025

The once imperious and seemingly unbeatable Constitution Hill blotted his copybook on his last two outings, but he can bounce back in the Grade One Boodles Champion Hurdle, the feature of Friday's card in Punchestown.
The former Champion Hurdler may still be unbeaten in completed starts inside the rails, but he has enjoyed little luck over the course of the last two seasons. When winning the 2022 Supreme Novices' Hurdle, he had the jumping world at his feet, and success in the 2023 Champion Hurdle was confirmation of same.
However, things have been on a downward spiral since, and after missing the 2024 Champion Hurdle, he went into this year's renewal on a retrieval mission, only to fall four from home. Looking for compensation at Aintree, the same fate befell him, and he comes here on the verge of completing an ignominious treble.
Surely that won't happen, and we will get to see the real Constitution Hill. At his best, he is an electric jumper of hurdles, not unlike the great Istabraq and Moscow Flyer, both of which were superb jumpers but, also due to their exuberance, prone to take a tumble.
Just to complicate matters, Constitution Hill has had wind issues, but this track and ground should help him run to his best, and he can prove too sprightly for the 2023 Champion Hurdler, State Man, who was five lengths clear when falling at the last flight in his defence of that title.
He, too, has had his issues and consequent doubters, but he was in fine form at Cheltenham and if that fall hasn't dented his confidence, we are in for a special race.
Add in Golden Ace, who was on hand to take advantage of State Man's departure in the Champion Hurdle. A year earlier, she accounted for Brighterdaysahead in the Mares' Novice, and there is certainly the danger she is being underestimated. While State Man was five clear at the time of his fall, she was finishing fast and who knows how close she may have finished. She is not a bit-part player despite her lowly rating of 152 suggesting so.
If The Yellow Clay turns up here in the same form as he did at Cheltenham, he will get straight back to winning ways in the Grade One Alanna Homes Champion Novice Hurdle.
Gordon Elliott's horse went to Cheltenham on the back of four straight wins over hurdles, and a late plunge pushed him into 5-2 for the Turners Novices' Hurdle. That confidence was almost rewarded but, in a pulsating finish, he was touched off by the unbeaten The New Lion.
That huge effort came off a two-month absence and if he is in the same form this afternoon, it will take a huge performance to lower his colours.
The one most likely to challenge him in the market and on the track is Final Demand, who finished a place behind him at Cheltenham. Sent off favourite that day, Willie Mullins' six-year-old was unable to match the front pair in the closing stages.
A slightly shorter trip and quicker ground don't seem like the ideal conditions to bring out the best in him, but he is trained by a man who is dominating the meeting, so it would be folly to dismiss him.
At bigger prices, Mr Percy and Queensbury Boy make most each-way appeal. The former won a Grade Two last time out, at Fairyhouse, and given how well the runner-up, Fleur In The Park, ran in the Grade One three-mile novice hurdle here on Wednesday, a good run would be no surprise.
Joseph O'Brien enjoyed a double on Thursday and Naturally Nimble can earn him another winner's enclosure trip. The four-year-old contests the Uniquely Novice Hurdle and is potentially a class above his rivals.
A useful sort on the Flat, he was disappointing on his first start over hurdles but won a Grade Three on his second outing. He was far from disgraced when fourth to Hello Neighbour on his next start but fell when contesting a Grade One at the Aintree festival.
This race represents a huge drop in grade and if he can put in a decent round of jumping, on ground he should appreciate, he will take a great deal of beating.
The most interesting of his rivals is the Nicky Henderson-trained Khrisma, who has plenty of form in France and made a promising start to life at Seven Barrows when third behind Jubilee Alpha.
Twice a winner in bumpers, that was his first start in almost 14 months, and he has had more than three months off since that effort. A positive market move would make him very interesting.