Handicapper’s Blog: Constitution Hill achieves provisional rating of 175

Constitution Hill has been given a provisional rating of 175 – a rise of 2 lb – following a dominant success in the Champion Hurdle, writes Andrew Mealor.

Unlike his superlative effort at last year’s Festival, there were no heroics on the clock this time around from Nicky Henderson’s charge, with the Champion Hurdle time only around a length quicker than the Supreme won earlier on the card by Marine Nationale. The form stacks up fine on paper, however. The previous levels this season of State Man and Vauban, and Zanahiyr getting back to last season’s best (which included a third in this race), suggest a mid-170s figure for Constitution Hill, especially once factoring in the ease of his success. The Champion Hurdle is obviously a very well established race and historical standards also underpin that sort of level.

The ratings will be finalised in the end-of-season Anglo-Irish Classifications but that provisional figure of 175 puts Constitution Hill behind only Istabraq and Faugheen (176) and on a par with Hurricane Fly among the top hurdlers since the classifications were founded in 1999-2000. Constitution Hill is clearly an exceptional talent having reached a very high level already after just six career starts and he will hopefully have plenty of opportunities to rate even higher in due course.

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