Marten Julian’s Weekly Roundup 6 May 2025

There have been plenty of highlights over the last few days at Punchestown, Newmarket and in America, but I would like to focus here on one outcome that did not go according to plan.

That is the performance of Constitution Hill, who was beaten 27 lengths in the Boodles Champion Hurdle at Punchestown on Friday.

Nicky Henderson has been remarkably open in sharing the journey he and his team have been on with the horse this season … I have never known a trainer of a top-class performer be more open, approachable and forthcoming … but he must be glad the season has come to an end in the light of recent events.

Sadly I have never seen Constitution Hill in the flesh, but Nicky says he is a very relaxed horse who takes everything in his stride.

He did, though, notice something out of character on Friday when the horse put his head to one side when he was standing away from the other runners before the start.

Now as Nicky has said, for all the work done by horse whisperers, you cannot truly get inside a horse’s mind, but if you know your horse then you will quickly notice when they do something out of character.

For example, sweating before a race is generally considered a matter of concern but there are plenty of cases when it is consistent and in keeping with a horse’s behaviour.

To Nicky’s highly experienced eye Constitution Hill was ill at ease before the start at Punchestown. If that is the case, was the horse anxious and remembering his two tumbles or is there another reason for his demeanour?

Many years ago, in my teens, I was at a lunch with England cricketer David Sheppard who had played with the great Ted Dexter, and he told me that the game came so naturally to Dexter that he had never really had to work at it. Towards the end of his career when his game began to wain he struggled because he did not have the disciplined groundwork to call upon.

The same analogy could be ascribed to Ronnie O’Sullivan, who said in an interview last weekend that snooker came so naturally to him that he never bothered that much with the discipline of learning the fundamental principles, and that was something that he now regretted.

Nicky would say that the horse had gone through the full schooling process, but the horse’s extraordinary talent may have meant that he didn’t need to focus on it. Having twice hit the deck he has been challenged for the first time in his life.

It may now be too late in the day to take the horse back to the beginning but a summer break may allow him the time and an opportunity to rekindle his spirit.

Bye for now

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