How does Constitution Hill compare with previous winners of the Champion Hurdle?

Comparing racehorses from different generations is often a divisive and, some say, futile exercise. However, Constitution Hill is clearly exceptional and, if he stays sound, has the potential to become of the greats of the modern era so, like it or not, comparisons are almost inevitable. The same applies in many areas of life, you may have a favourite slots game at kingjohnnie real money online pokies for instance!

Still only a six-year-old, Constitution Hill has carried all before him over hurdles, winning all seven starts, the last six of which have been at Grade 1 level, without being seriously challenged. In 2022, on just his third start under Rules, the son of Blue Bresil annihilated hitherto unbeaten stable companion Jonbon by 22 lengths in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and, although eased down in the closing stages, still beat the previous track record, set by Annie Power in the 2016 Champion Hurdle.

In 2023, Constitution Hill became just the second horse in history to win the so-called ‘Triple Crown of Hurdling’, that is, the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle, the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton Park and the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, but did so by an aggregrate of 38 lengths. Prior to his impressive, 9-length victory over State Man – who, in a ‘normal’ year, would have started a warm favourite – in the Champion Hurdle, trainer Nicky Henderson said, ‘Constitution Hill is doing freakish things, but…you have to remember it is very early days in his career.’

Early days it may be but, according to Timeform, Constitution Hill is already the joint seventh highest rated hurdler since the first National Hunt issue of ‘The Black Book’ was published in 1962. As far as previous winners of the Champion Hurdle are concerned, his Timeform Annual Rating of 177 is equivalent to that achieved by the 1974 winner, Lanzarote, and inferior, by 5lb or less, to that achieved by five horses, who won the two-mile hurdling championship nine times between them. Those horses were, in order of preference, Night Nurse (182), Istabraq and Monksfield (180), Persian War (179) and Comedy Of Errors (178).