Constitution Hill handed Italian Job in the Gran Premio del Jockey Club
Nicky Henderson and Michael Buckley have announced plans to send Constitution Hill to the prestigious Gran Premio del Jockey Club in Milan next month. Despite a recent defeat at Kempton and an increased Flat rating, the connections are excited about this new overseas challenge. Henderson believes Italian conditions will suit the horse better than the alternatives at home. The trainer emphasized this won't be Constitution Hill's final race and promises more to come in future campaigns. The Italian Group 2 race is historically significant, attracting strong international contenders.
- Constitution Hill to race in Italy's Gran Premio del Jockey Club next month
- Recent Kempton defeat and ratings boost led connections to target Milan
- Trainer Henderson assures fans this won't be the horse's final race
Nicky Henderson and owner Michael Buckley plan to send Constitution Hill to Italy next month, where he'll challenge for the Gran Premio del Jockey Club.
Constitution Hill suffered the first defeat of his new Flat racing career at Kempton earlier this month. Oisin Murphy's mount travelled into the September Stakes well but was tapped for toe a little as Pride Of Arras and Gethin set off for home, eventually passing the post five lengths behind the winner in fourth.
Despite a fairly comprehensive defeat at Kempton, Constitution Hill's Flat mark was increased by seven pounds to a fresh figure of 108. This rise in the weights ruled out any ideas of a tilt at a big handicap, and connections have been mulling over their next Flat venture ever since.
On Monday, Constitution Hill was taken out of Saturday's Bengough Stakes at Ascot. The St Simon Stakes at Nicky Henderson's local track, Newbury, seemed like the most likely objective. However, speaking to the press on Tuesday, Henderson revealed that he and Buckley have come up with a globetrotting masterplan.
"We're thinking about going to Milan with him," Henderson said. "We weren't going to run him at Ascot this weekend because of the ground, and we think we might get his ground out there for him."
"It's where Michael and I would like to go. We've always said we'd like to travel and that he'd take us to places we might never go. I've always said it would be fun and it's a far better idea than Australia."
"It's a Group 2, and with that amount of prize-money on offer, it's not going to be missed by many. The St Simon Stakes at Newbury is on the same weekend, but Milan is the one we're going for."
"It makes me feel a bit of a heel. Everybody's been so brilliant about him here, and they might think, 'Oh, they're going to take him off somewhere else,' but because everybody's been so fantastic, he seems to have his disciples, and so we'll have to take them with us."
"This doesn't mean it's going to be his last race. We have every intention of being back for all sorts of fun things next year – and we'll be back in the spring, but this needn't be his last race of this campaign, either."
The Gran Premio del Jockey Club was first run at San Siro in 1981. Jumps fans will be familiar with the names of previous winners Shantou and Shirocco, who went on to become top National Hunt sires once their time on the track had finished.
Plenty of British and Irish trainers have enjoyed success in this contest, with the likes of John Dunlop, John Gosden, Richard Hannon and Marcus Tregoning featuring on the roll of honour. Aidan O'Brien even saddled the winner in 2002, with Black Sam Bellamy scoring on Italian soil.
Andrew Balding followed in the footsteps of his father, Ian, by winning last year's Gran Premio del Jockey Club with Eydon. Balding's seven-year-old will likely return to Italy to try and defend his title. Constitution Hill will come up against a raft of home contenders, as well as a strong challenge from Germany, whose raiders have won this valuable contest in four of the last seven seasons.
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