Constitution Hill has actually been handed a main Flat rating of 101 by the BHA handicapper following his 2nd all-weather victory at Kempton last week.

The eight-time Grade 1-winning hurdler has switched effortlessly to the Flat this year in 2 1m4f newbie races on the all-weather.

On his launching at Southwell in February, the nine-year-old scored by 9 and a half lengths under Oisin Murphy and followed up with a two-length success at Kempton last Wednesday with Ryan Moore in the saddle.

BHA handicapper Adam Barnes stated: "Constitution Hill has actually been ranked 101, which is a high figure for a horse coming out of newbies. Potentially, it could turn out to be rather a lax figure for a horse like him with the capability we understand he's received from the jumps.

"He was such a classy hurdler and maintains lots of that capability. It will be fascinating to see how high he can enter the Flat sphere."

Trainer Nicky Henderson and owner Michael Buckley were eager for another perform at Kempton to get a handicap mark for Constitution Hill as they consider future targets. The recommendation has actually been the Group 3 John Porter Stakes at Newbury on April 18 - likewise over a mile and a half - could be a suitable next race.

After Kempton, Moore indicated that distance matches, saying: "I think he's very comfortable at 12 [furlongs]"

Major handicaps such as the Ebor at York in August, for which Constitution Hill is 12-1 preferred with sponsors Sky Bet, and the Melbourne Cup in November have been promoted as potential targets later.

Speaking on the BHA podcast, Barnes included: "Connections have pointed out the John Porter as the next target, which is a pretty well-established Group 3. Generally speaking, you 'd wish to be running to around 110-plus to get truly included in a race like that.

"I saw William Haggas mention that horses like Hamish or Al Aasy could go there and they're 117 and 115 horses, so that offers you a concept of the level Constitution Hill will need to be at to win a race like that. Whether he wins or not, they'll have a lot of choices, be they in Group races or good handicaps, in the season ahead."

In his Racing Post steady tour in Tuesday's edition, Karl Burke stated he was also thinking about the John Porter for in 2015's French Group 2 winner Convergent.

The four-year-old colt, who has an official score of 116, was a three-and-a-half-length 3rd behind subsequent Derby winner Lambourn in the Chester Vase and was likewise a close 2nd in the German Derby.

Hamish was rated 117 when winning the Newbury contest two years back, while last year Divina Grace won it off 100, although she had a 4lb mares' allowance.

Following his Kempton victory, William Hill made Constitution Hill an even-money opportunity to win a Group race on the Flat this year, which would consist of the John Porter, and 12-1 to land a Group 1. There is currently no market for the John Porter, entries for which close on April 13.

Constitution Hill has actually been assigned the very same 101 figure as proven staying handicappers such as Beylerbeyi, Stressfree and Paddy The Squire.

The six-year-old Beylerbeyi has that mark after winning in 2015's Cesarewitch, while the year-younger Stressfree has run consistently in Class 2 handicaps in between a mile and a quarter and a mile and 6 furlongs for the last 2 seasons.

Paddy The Squire, also aged 6, has probably a more progressive profile having had fewer starts. He won 3 of his 6 races last year, completing off his season with a 5th (Stressfree in third) in Haydock's Old Borough Cup

Analysis: 101 all however books Ebor place for Constitution Hill

Constitution Hill's opening Flat mark of 101 is high for a first score, if not distinctively so. You would routinely have actually horses ranked higher making their handicap launching in the Free Handicap, which was run for the last time in 2022.

More to the point, Constitution Hill has most likely scheduled his ticket to the Ebor if connections choose that route. In the last two years, the flooring on that race has been a BHA mark of 95 and 90, and in the last decade only two times would 101 not have sufficed.

As it stands, he requires to improve a fair bit to win that race. Constitution Hill's Racing Post Rating of 103 is just 2lb greater than his BHA mark. In 2025, running 2lb higher than your BHA figure would have won just 1.3 percent of Class 2 handicaps.

Constitution Hill needs to run once more on the Flat before he is eligible for any heritage handicap. That qualifying run appears most likely to be in the John Porter Stakes at Newbury.

Finishing close up because race could harm his Ebor possibilities. The BHA standard on the John Porter would put even a third-placed finisher someplace around the 110 mark in an average year. So even to complete where the marketplace would likely expect at Newbury would request for significant improvement from Constitution Hill.

If that race does not go to plan, the consolation would be his connections having four months to get him prepared. He would also have a mark that, while stiff on the face of it, would be really tempting on the basis of his imperious obstacles form.
Keith Melrose, betting editor

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