Equinties - HE'S BACK!

Gm Equinauts

When one would normally be navigating their way through Christmas hangover, usually aided with the prescription more booze, even the worst of headaches would have gone blissfully unnoticed yesterday as punters’ brains were nothing else but overwhelmed by the thought of one thing and one thing only - the Christmas Hurdle and the return of CONSTITUTION HILL.

In our life time, we don’t think there’ll ever be greater excitement for a comeback ever again.

Unbeaten under rules, electric at Cheltenham but an enigma at home, CONSTITUTION HILL, the horse who carries national hunt racing, has suffered set back after set back, depriving the world of his presence for a full year.

We imagine when Nicky Henderson finally declared him to race on Boxing Day, he knew full well his performance had the potential to either ruin racing fans’ Christmas, or make it.

Well, 2024 will forever be known as year day Nicky Henderson took over the role as Father Christmas and turned up a day late to deliver the best Christmas present of all:

CONSTITUTION HILL stuffed LOSSIEMOUTH with ease yesterday, a monumental statement after such a long lay off. He stamped his authority on the hurdling division yet again and the Cheltenham ante-post market has all but placed the crown on his head as king champion hurdler.

We got what we wanted, more, racing got what it needed. BOOM.

Let’s dive in.

BIG RACE PREVIEWS

13.10 2M GRADE 1 PADDY’S REWARDS CLUB CHASE

The return of GAELIC WARRIOR. We’ve waited a fair amount of time to see him, and we would have wanted to see him in yesterday’s King George. Alas, he’s running over 2m1f at Leopardstown going left-handed.

Now, he’s clearly classy, but going this way around will put pressure on his jumping and the last time he came to Leopardstown, he fell having been thumped by FACT TO FILE. He’ll be interesting.

Although FOUND A FIFTY might lack the class of GAELIC WARRIOR, he might be more solid today. He likes Leopardstown having won a Grade 1 novice chase at the meeting last year and he’s race-fit.

He’s a hardy type, and although his win in the Racing Post Novice Chase last year was against beatable opponents, he actually wasn’t doing too much at the finish.

The rest of the field will need to step up, but they are still good animals. DINOBLUE has always shown good form and she won this last year, but it was a much easier race. She ran a fine race behind ENERGUMENE lto, but she does need to step up.

MARINE NATIONALE, on the other hand, needs to show he’s still got it!

He’s shown issues recently, notably when getting kicked out the way by QUILIXIOS on season reappearance but this is the first time for a long time he’s raced on quicker than soft - this could be ideal for him but it would take a lot to win this after his recent poor efforts.

It’s pretty mental to see a Champion Chase winner at 14/1 in this field, but it’s fairly justified for CAPTAIN GUINNESS. He’s 0/5 around here and the 2m1f test doesn’t really suit him. A sharp two miles around Cheltenham seems to get him working well and he doesn’t really save his best for this track. Tough to stick with.

Of the rest, it wouldn’t be a million to one to see BLUE LORD return to something decent here. He won this race in 2022 and he is a classy horse based on previous seasons, but he’s been a bit out of sorts recently. Still, he’s only had one run this season, so he’s well within his right to come on for it.

VERDICT: We have respect for GAELIC WARRIOR, but we’ve been harping on about FOUND A FIFTY for a fair while now and he could just catch him with conditions and race fitness on his side and looks the ideal ew.

13.45 2M GRADE 1 FUTURE CHAMPIONS NOVICE HURDLE

This isn’t a vintage race like recent years, but at least it’s competitive. ROMEO COOLIO disappointed plenty when losing lto at odds of 1/2, and TOUNSIVATOR (who beat him) isn’t exactly a proper Graded horse.

He does have Champion Bumper form, but we are fairly windy on that race right now and that race at Navan lto wasn’t vintage.

BLEU DE VASSY also comes from the Gordon Elliott yard, and he’s been pretty impressive on the eye. He bolted up in a Grade 3 lto and he did the same in a maiden hurdle before that. He’s fairly unexposed and could well be the best without showing it.

KARNIQUET is the other Gigginstown horse, but Willie Mullins is the trainer instead. He’s not the typical Gigginstown horse as he’s not a point-to-pointer. He raced in France before winning on his debut for Mullins.

DOWNMEXICOWAY, the second, has won since, so the form has worked and he is interesting. The other two of interest are the other two Mullins horses, KARAFON and SEA OF SANDS. The former won a maiden hurdle lto, but he was shoved out to do so and the second was priced at 66/1.

SEA OF SANDS had his hurdles debut lto when finishing third, though it’s notable that he was rated 97 on the Flat. He wouldn’t be for us in a field like this, but he’s worth watching.

VERDICT: It’s a tough race and ROMEO COOLIO could be the best if he puts that last run behind him but the final market will tell a lot with two yards (Gordon’s and Willie’s) holding most of the cards. KARNIQUET is the most unexposed with the pedigree of one that could be nice in time and could be the speccy blood based pick if you didn’t want to rely on the fave.

13.55 2M GRADE 2 WAYWARD LAD NOVICES’ CHASE

If the racing world was nervous with anticipation for the return of CONSTITUTION HILL, it’ll only be excited today for SIR GINO’s first go over fences.

Last seen smashing up a good field in the Fighting Fifth hard on the bridle (if you don’t count his racecourse gallop), SIR GINO is back to plan A, the intended route of a chasing campaign now the big man CONSTITUTION HILL is back firing! Both Hendo and Nico haven’t hidden the fact that he’s been electric schooling at home - hence chucking him straight into a Grade 1!

He might be a big price at 10/11 post-race, BALLYBURN is holding that up. Bar one blip long time ago when perhaps in need of the run, BALLYBURN’s been flawless and basically unbeaten! He’s got the chasing experience over SIR GINO having had an easy start last month.

This is really a case of who do you like more - SIR GINO or BALLYBURN, one of them will win it.

Verdict: Although it’s going to be a big old ask for a 4yo to take on his elders, we are still siding with SIR GINO.

14.30 2M GRADE 2 DESERT ORCHID CHASE

MARTATOR is strong favourite in this - he’s unbeaten this season, extending his impressive upward trajectory from his rise from through the ranks last year. His last time out form ahead of KOTMASK has been franked and his ceiling is yet to be reached. This will be his toughest test yet but he deserves his chance. Too short in the market for us though.

EDWARDSTONE takes a much needed drop in grade after getting beaten up a lot recently at the top level. He’s a brilliant horse on his day and this time doesn’t have JONBON’s arse to look at. The two F’s in his recent form would be a concern but if he puts it all together, 4’s is massive.

BOOTHILL finished in front of EDWARDSTONE last time out, arguably his best effort yet. Like EDWARDSTONE he’s fallen a couple of times but seems none the worst for it. He too needs this step down in grade.

EDITEUR DU GITE might have wanted more rain but he did win this race last year on good to soft. That performance seemingly came from no where though and we can’t see him repeating it.

SANS BRUIT, SOUL ICON and TRAPRAIN LAW shouldn’t be winning this and only here to make up numbers for a good old owners day out.

Verdict: EDWARDSTONE for us. He’s 10yo which is fine - he’s been there and done it versus the fave who has it all to prove he belongs in graded company.

RISK ON

We’ll be backing SIR GINO at 10/11 plus:

12.45 RISK IT ALL

A small play here to bet the pedigree potential. This lads pedigree is the best in the race, boosted by the fact Gary Moore targets the race. 2/1.