Constitution Hill takes the next step on his Flat journey at Kempton – with new elite ally Ryan Moore key to plotting future
constitution hill runs in the 1m4f novice at Kempton this Wednesday at 7: 30 PM ET as his connections seek clarity on his Flat future. The nine-year-old, winner at Southwell on his Flat debut, carries fresh interest with Ryan Moore replacing the suspended Oisin Murphy. Trainer Nicky Henderson says the outing will inform whether a handicap mark or something bigger is the next move.
Expanding details
The immediate headline is simple: constitution hill returned to the Flat with a dominant Southwell display and now steps up to the Virgin Bet Novice Stakes at Kempton over 1m4f at 7: 30 PM ET on Wednesday. Henderson has kept training routines largely unchanged and highlighted the horse’s familiarity with Kempton’s Polytrack from previous gallops and multiple wins at the track over hurdles. The switch of rider—Ryan Moore in place of the suspended Oisin Murphy—is framed as a tactical decision to gain further top-level feedback to plot future targets.
Henderson has emphasised that the main objective for now is to find out what the horse can do on the level and to secure a Flat handicap mark. Crowd interest has surged for the evening meeting, with attendances and ticket sales boosted as racing fans turn out to see the 2023 Champion Hurdle winner tackle a new code. The short-priced expectations underline that this is a step rather than a finale; on known form constitution hill is expected to dominate, but connections stress the outing’s diagnostic value.
Constitution Hill: Immediate reactions
“He’s in great form and it’s all gone well since Southwell, ” said Nicky Henderson, trainer at Seven Barrows. “We haven’t changed much at all with his training. The only difference is the starting stalls and he went through them again on Monday. ”
Henderson added: “The whole point of these races is to find out what to do next. This will tell us more and how the rest of the year will pan out. There’s no point thinking too far ahead at this stage. ”
Ryan Moore, jockey, commented on the task ahead: “He was very impressive that day (at Southwell) and he’s a very talented horse so I look forward to riding him on Wednesday. ” The suspended Oisin Murphy, who rode constitution hill at Southwell, will not be available, prompting the switch to Moore for this run.
Quick context
constitution hill was the 2023 Champion Hurdle winner and has notable form over Kempton in hurdle races, including Christmas Hurdle successes at the track. His Southwell Flat debut produced a wide-margin victory that prompted the current plan to test his level rating and next targets.
What’s next
The immediate outcome at Kempton will be used to map out the rest of the year for constitution hill: a clean run may secure a Flat handicap mark and open options, while any deficiencies will shift planning back to other targets. Expect connections and Moore to assess the ride closely after the 7: 30 PM ET race and for Henderson’s team to outline next steps once they have that feedback.
