"We’re all hoping for the rain" - Henderson on weather watch ahead of Constitution Hill's return at Windsor
Constitution Hill, trained by Nicky Henderson, is poised to make a return to Flat racing at Windsor, pending suitable ground conditions. If the ground is too firm, he may instead head to Kempton’s September Stakes. Several options for the autumn include prestigious races at Ascot, Newbury, and potentially abroad, with the team set to monitor his performance before finalizing further plans. The horse is reported to be in excellent shape after a summer break, with Henderson carefully mapping his Flat campaign.
- Constitution Hill may race at Windsor this Saturday, pending ground conditions.
- Trainer Nicky Henderson has autumn Flat targets at Kempton, Ascot, and Newbury.
- The horse is reported fit and ready after a summer break—performance at Windsor/Kempton will guide future plans.
Constitution Hill looks set to make his third start on the Flat in Saturday's feature at Windsor, providing Nicky Henderson is happy with the ground.
Undoubtedly the most popular horse in training, Nicky Henderson pulled the plug on jumping with Constitution Hill last season and decided to focus on the Flat. Oisin Murphy's mount raised the roof at Southwell when bolting up on his Flat debut last February, before winning a second novice under Ryan Moore at Kempton.
Henderson then put his nine-year-old away for the summer, ahead of what he hoped would be a productive autumn. Constitution Hill is entered in the August Stakes at Windsor, where he could face defending champion Arabian Crown, plus William Haggas' pair of Tenability and Al Aasy.
Most bookmakers installed Constitution Hill as the favourite for that 11-and-a-half-furlong Listed race when the entries were revealed. However, Henderson has since said that there would have to be some juice in the ground, otherwise Constitution Hill would wait for the September Stakes at Kempton.
"All these races are going to be very competitive, I’m sure. I think quite a few are waiting for some rain and I can see what will happen because if it doesn’t rain, you’ll probably find we’ll all be in the Kempton race as well."
"He’s in very good shape, we couldn’t be happier. It will be his first run in a while, he’s had a good break."
"He’s ready to start, his campaign starts here (Windsor or Kempton) and we’ll see where we go afterwards."
"You’re going into a different game. He’s run in two novice races, let’s face it, and that told us he can run quite fast over a mile and a half, but that’s all he had to do on those occasions."
"This will be different altogether – it will be a very stiff test, but it will tell us where we are.
"We’re all hoping for the rain, but we’ll just have to see what happens. The good thing is you’ve got Kempton as a back-up there and he’s got to have a run now.
"He’s ready to run to get us ready for whatever we’re going to do next, but I’ve no idea what that is."
Autumn Options for Constitution Hill
| Date | Title | Track |
|---|---|---|
| September 5th | September Stakes (Group 3) | Kempton |
| September 19th | Autumn Cup Handicap | Newbury |
| October 3rd | Cumberland Lodge Stakes (Group 3) | Ascot |
| October 24th | St Simon Stakes (Group 3) | Newbury |
| November 7th | November Handicap | Doncaster |
| November 7th | Grosser Preis von Bayern (Group 1) | Munich |
There would be two fairly obvious options for Constitution Hill in October, should he come through his return to action unscathed. The Cumberland Lodge Stakes at Ascot would present Henderson and owner Michael Buckley with a winning opportunity, as would the St Simon Stakes held at Henderson's local track, Newbury. Newbury also stages the Autumn Cup Handicap during September, if the team fancied a step up in trip.
If Constitution Hill came up short at either Windsor or Kempton, then Henderson would have to lower his sights. Kempton hosts two Listed races run over a mile-and-a-half during November, the Floodlit and Wild Flower Stakes. Returning to Southwell for the Churchill Stakes would also be a viable option.
With a tilt at the Group One Prix Royal-Oak (run over two miles) unlikely, the Grosser Preis von Bayern could be an option if connections want to try and win a Group One. However, taking on rivals rated between 115 and 120 might be a bit too much of a stretch.
The November Handicap at Doncaster could also be a realistic target. Constitution Hill would sit near the top of the weights for that contest off a triple-figure mark, but he'd almost certainly find ground conditions in his favour, and horses with National Hunt experience have often done well in that 12-furlong slog.
Top Betting Sites
Betting offers
Upcoming Events
25 August 2026
- NAP Of The Day -
- Horse Racing
29 August 2026
- 2026 Celebration Mile -
- Horse Racing
05 September 2026
- 2026 Sprint Cup -
- Horse Racing
Load More
