Constitution Hill: from jumping hurdles to measuring himself against the elite at Kempton

KEMPTON, England (Special for Turf Diario).— What began as an adventure is starting to take on far more serious proportions. Constitution Hill, one of the finest stars produced by British jump racing in recent times, will take his most demanding step since trading hurdles for flat racing this Saturday when he contests the William Hill September Stakes (G3) at Kempton.

At 9 years old, the superstar trained by Nicky Henderson will face six rivals over the exact same track and distance where he scored in his most recent outing back in March, though the caliber of opposition will now be entirely different. There will be no novices in opposition this time: it is a Group contest against horses with proven credentials at the highest level.

The intrigue surrounding Constitution Hill has been vividly mirrored in the betting markets. Available at 14-1 earlier in the week, strong backing drove his price down to around 4-1, establishing him as the third choice.

It will also mark a new partnership in the saddle, as Billy Loughnane hops aboard the son of Blue Bresil for the first time. In his two prior starts on the flat, he was guided first by Oisin Murphy and subsequently by Ryan Moore.

The withdrawal of Bay City Roller (New Bay), whose connections opted instead for ParisLongchamp, alleviated the difficulty to a degree, though the September Stakes remains anything but a simple task.

Gethin (Ghaiyyath) looms as the main opponent. The Wathnan Racing colorbearer, trained by Owen Burrows, has already captured a Listed stakes at Kempton and arrives off a fifth-place effort in the Coral-Eclipse (G1). His class is further underscored by his autumn entries, holding nominations for both the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) and the Champion Stakes (G1) at Ascot.

The other major benchmark will be Tornado Alert (Too Darn Hot), one of two contenders representing Godolphin. Trained by Saeed bin Suroor, he will feature Oisin Murphy, who knows Constitution Hill intimate after guiding him in his flat debut. Godolphin will additionally field Dubai Future (Dubawi).

The lineup is completed by Warrant Holder (Frankel), racing for the Royal Family; the G2 winner Pride of Arras; and Almeric (Study of Man), assembling a field small in quantity but possessing more than enough quality to define just how far Constitution Hill can travel in this second athletic career.

Because that, above all, is what the September Stakes represents. Beyond the final result, it will serve as the first true measuring stick to reveal whether that victory in March was merely a quirky chapter authored by an extraordinary jumper, or the launching pad toward something vastly more ambitious.

Constitution Hill needs no further proof of what he achieved over hurdles. Over those obstacles he forged his legend and cemented his status as one of the true titans of the discipline.

Now, he attempts something altogether different. At age nine, and following several months away from the races, he returns to Kempton to discover if he can also hold his own among the elite flat specialists. This Saturday, the first definitive answer arrives.