Constitution Hill poised for second Flat outing at Kempton

Constitution Hill is all set for Kempton Park on Wednesday as he prepares to have his second outing on the Flat, with Ryan Moore poised to be in the saddle.

Nicky Henderson’s nine-year-old is one of 10 possibles in the Virgin Bet Novice Stakes at 7.30pm, alongside Harry Eustace’s Melrose fourth Sea Of Kings.

Winner of the 2023 Champion Hurdle, Constitution Hill fell in three of his last four outings over timber, meaning connections took the difficult decision to end his time in the National Hunt sphere.

His new career could hardly have got off to a better start at Southwell last month, winning by nine and a half lengths in an eyecatching time under champion jockey Oisin Murphy.

Murphy will not be available next week, however, as he is suspended.

Henderson told the Press Association: “Obviously Oisin is suspended, but there are plenty of good jockeys around, I know that.

“Of course it would have helped if he could have ridden him because he knows him, but it’s one of those unfortunate things.

“We’re not running him for experience or anything like that, he doesn’t need experience. The crux of it is we probably need to get him a handicap mark and so this is the second leg.

“Whatever we decide to do next, we’ve talked about the John Porter (Newbury on April 18), that is three and half weeks after Kempton, we could possibly do that and then he’s had his three runs and then he’s got a mark which opens up all avenues.

“We’ve no idea what he is, nobody knows what rating he’ll get, you can’t judge it after one run and nor can I.

“Let’s see what he can do again. Nico (de Boinville) came and sat on him this morning, only because he’s ridden him in all his gallops and knows him very well so I asked him to sit on him and he said he felt in good form.”

Later on Thursday, Moore’s name appeared alongside Constitution Hill on the British Horseracing Authority racing administration site.