Constitution Hill is set to make his third start on the Flat in the Listed Weatherbys Digital Solutions August Stakes at Windsor on August 29, with connections believing a victory could edge him a step closer to an audacious tilt at the Lexus Melbourne Cup.
Having run out of time to qualify for the Sky Bet Ebor, Nicky Henderson has instead targeted the Windsor contest for the former superstar hurdler.
The nine-year-old has taken impressively to Flat racing, winning on his debut under Oisin Murphy at Southwell in February before following up under Ryan Moore at Kempton the following month.
Those performances have sparked thoughts of an even bigger challenge. Henderson and owner Michael Buckley have upgraded the Melbourne Cup from an “impossible dream” to more of a “pipedream” after receiving some encouraging feedback from Racing Victoria’s head of racing, Paul Bloodworth, on Monday.
Henderson said.
“Michael and I both think the Windsor race is a good starting point. It will be a prep race for what comes next, and I do think he should be up to winning a Listed race, but we also know that by having a third run he would become eligible for the big handicaps.
“The only other race we would think about at the moment is the Prix Kergorlay, which Ryan [Moore] thought would be a good option for him. That’s a Group 2, though, and it probably makes more sense to start at Listed level.”
Melbourne Cup Door Open
The Prix Kergorlay, which closes for entries on Wednesday, offers its winner a direct route into the Melbourne Cup, although a trip to Deauville on August 23 is now looking increasingly unlikely.
Should they bypass France, Constitution Hill still has a defined path to qualification.
To satisfy the Flemington ballot conditions, he must either win a Listed race over at least 2,300 metres – the Windsor race is just beyond that distance – or finish in the first three of a Group race run over the same trip or further.
Henderson, who retired Constitution Hill from hurdling after a difficult spell that saw him fall three times in his last four starts, admitted he was surprised by the level of interest from Racing Victoria.
“We had a visit yesterday from Racing Victoria, which was unusual, because they wouldn’t normally find a Melbourne Cup possibility lurking in Seven Barrows. I think they would be very keen for us to try and do it, and I agree it would be a tremendous thing to do, but there are several reasons why it almost certainly can’t happen.
“One is that, as things stand now, he wouldn’t get in the race. They tell me the bottom weight is normally rated around 108, and we’re currently on 101, so we have to go up 7lb for a start. I suspect he would need to be mightily impressive at Windsor for the handicapper to raise him by 7lb.
“That said, there is probably time to get in a second run in September and my assistant George Daly has been scouring the European programme book. He has been looking at Ireland, France and Germany. The only thing we’ve taken off the agenda is the ice in Switzerland.”
For Henderson, though, the most important thing is enjoying the journey with a horse who has already provided so many unforgettable moments.
“If we thought he was going to get into the Melbourne Cup, would we do it?
Well, it would certainly be fun, and that’s what we now want to have with the horse. If he happened to qualify in all departments, you would have to think about it, but I don’t think we can say any more than that at the moment.”
