30.11.2025
SUNDAY TIMES
It’s over. Constitution Hill, as good a hurdler as we have ever seen, crashed out at the just the second flight of this Fighting Fifth Hurdle and will surely never run over obstacles again. There was the tightest of collective gasps. All the hopes, all the patient re-training to repair last season’s shattered nerve all gone in one ghastly belief-shredded somersault.
Mercifully Constitution Hill got up to gallop away and after some pain wracked moments on the Tyneside turf so too did jockey Nico de Boinville. If that was not drama enough, a circuit later, at what was now the second last, The New Lion, just ahead in a three way battle with Anzadam and Golden Ace, also turned over, thankfully with the same result for both him and rider Harry Skelton.
In shock, there was hardly bandwidth to register the glorious unsung virtues of Golden Ace, the mare from Exmoor who fought off the attentions of Anzadam to run out a 22-1 winner with almost as much immediate credit as she got when taking the Champion Hurdle at 25-1 following the capsize of favourite State Man in the same yellow Donnelly silks now sported by Anzadam.
Beforehand there was a quite extraordinary sense of expectation. Five runners but just one huge issue above them. Would the Constitution Hill whose Cheltenham performances in 2022 and 2023 took the breath away with their brilliance, re-emerge from the disasters that beset him last season? Twice his nerve had betrayed him on take-off before he finally ran up the white flag at Punchestown.
Nicky Henderson is the most skilful of trainers. A decade ago he nursed Sprinter Sacre back from a heart condition to Cheltenham wonder. Constitution Hill had been put through every veterinary and conditioning check and on a visit to Seven Barrows last month it was clear that everyone was convinced that the 8 year old was physically and it seemed mentally in better shape than ever.
But as in all sport, it is only what happens when the whistle blows that counts. And when this whistle went none of the four rivals was there without talents to press. The New Lion, first into the pre-parade, all elegance and with paterfamilias Nick Skelton there to support his sons. Unbeaten Anzadam, the massive, black-hooded Mullins contender over from Ireland and on the boil. Golden Ace, slighter, but with the sweet face of honesty; and then Nemean Lion, 40-1 but the pride of Wales with 8 wins already under his belt.
Uninvolved jockeys had come down to the paddock. So had almost everyone from the grandstand. Nico De Boinville has been through the mincer before. He was chatty enough as he readied owner Michael Buckley and his team but the dark goggles were on as he cantered easily to the start.
Five hours earlier Constitution Hill and his lead horse Night Ride Home had limbered up on the all-weather track in front of no more company than me and a brace of pheasants. Now there was a massive crowd and a truly throat-tightening focus in the knowledge that while the body might be sound the mind might not.
He led, ears pricked, to the first and soared over. Maybe all was well but then, no, it absolutely wasn’t. It had happened again. Constitution Hill had somehow panicked into no jump at all and terrible thoughts raced as he cartwheeled and Nico lay groaning.
This dream was over. It was hard to concentrate. Back in the race The New Lion led Golden Ace and the Nemean Lion with Anzadam stalking. As they ran to the second last The New Lion was in for a battle. Then encore disaster but encore reprieve.
It is not always thus. 42 years ago star hurdler Ekbalco crashed fatally at this very hurdle and two years later Browne’s Gazette inexplicably keeled over on the flat. Yesterday no bones were broken but this dream has died.
Yet what now for a superb equine athlete with speed to pray for? Michael Buckley and Nico de Boinville were too shocked and too sensible to say anything afterwards. Nicky Down at Newbury Nicky Henderson was able to be more sanguine. After watching Hyland finish 7th in the Coral Gold Cup behind the Skelton’s runaway winner Panic Attack was able to be more sanguine and joke that maybe a little flat race at Lingfield should be the new target.
But there can be happiness in jest. Constitution Hill could be a real contender in the Northumberland Plate back here on the flat next summer. And have rather more than me and a brace of pheasants for company.