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

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

On his debut at Southwell in February, the nine-year-old scored by nine 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 said: „Constitution Hill has been rated 101, which is a high figure for a horse coming out of amateurs. Potentially, it could end up being rather a lenient figure for a horse like him with the ability we understand he’s obtained from the dives.

„He was such a high-class hurdler and retains plenty of that ability. It will be interesting to see how high he can enter the Flat sphere.“

Trainer Nicky Henderson and owner Michael Buckley were eager for another run at Kempton to get a handicap mark for Constitution Hill as they contemplate future targets. The suggestion 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 suggested that distance suits, saying: „I believe he’s really comfy at 12 [furlongs]“

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

Speaking on the BHA podcast, Barnes included: „Connections have actually discussed the John Porter as the next target, which is a pretty reputable Group 3. Generally speaking, you ‘d wish to be going to around 110-plus to get really associated with a race like that.

„I saw William Haggas discuss that horses like Hamish or Al Aasy might go there and they’re 117 and 115 horses, so that provides you an idea of the level Constitution Hill will require to be at to win a race like that. Whether he wins or not, they’ll have a lot of options, be they in Group races or excellent handicaps, in the season ahead.“

In his Racing Post stable trip in Tuesday’s edition, Karl Burke stated he was also thinking about the John Porter for last year’s French Group 2 winner Convergent.

The four-year-old colt, who has a main ranking 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 earlier, while last year Divina Grace won it off 100, although she had a 4lb mares’ allowance.

Following his Kempton triumph, William Hill made Constitution Hill an even-money possibility 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 presently no market for the John Porter, entries for which close on April 13.

Constitution Hill has been allocated the exact same 101 figure as tested 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 actually 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, likewise aged 6, has arguably a more progressive profile having had less starts. He won 3 of his 6 races last year, ending up off his season with a 5th (Stressfree in 3rd) in Haydock’s Old Borough Cup

Analysis: 101 all but books Ebor place for Constitution Hill

Constitution Hill’s opening Flat mark of 101 is high for a very first ranking, if not uniquely so. You would frequently have horses rated greater 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 go with that route. In the last two years, the floor on that race has actually been a BHA mark of 95 and 90, and in the last decade just twice would 101 not have been enough.

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 higher than his BHA mark. In 2025, running 2lb greater than your BHA figure would have won only 1.3 percent of Class 2 handicaps.

Constitution Hill requires to run again on the Flat before he is eligible for any . That certifying run promises to be in the John Porter Stakes at Newbury.

Finishing close up in that race might hurt his Ebor opportunities. The BHA standard on the John Porter would put even a third-placed finisher somewhere around the 110 mark in an average year. So even to finish where the marketplace would likely expect at Newbury would ask for significant improvement from Constitution Hill.

If that race does not go to strategy, the alleviation would be his connections having 4 months to get him ready. He would likewise have a mark that, while stiff on the face of it, would be really appealing on the basis of his imperious obstacles form.
Keith Melrose, wagering editor

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