Equinties - all hail the Hill

Gm Equinauts

We made a note of several horses yesterday - some who raced and some who we so close to racing, but denied last minute by Ludlow’s management.

As for the horses who raced, Skelton aired a couple of nice ones in debutants BOSSMAN JACK and QUEENS WISH.

As for tracked horses who didn’t get to race, we had a bumper bet which Ludlow cruelly deprived us of meaning we’ll watch out for an entry in the coming weeks.

The racing is on today though and it is top quality so let’s dive in.

HEADINE ROUND UP

ALL HAIL THE HILL

Let’s be honest, horse racing as a theme of conversation rarely transcends the digital confine of a whatsapp gambling group. It generally takes the ‘big’ names, the ‘hall of famer’s’, to make racing relevant beyond its tiny little bubble…and boy do they do it well.

Generational horses such as SHERGAR, DESSIE and FRANKEL became household names and had people with absolutely zero previous association to horse racing, boasting about where they were lucky enough to have seen them.

Those types of ticket-selling, relationship-creating horses wo vital for the sport are quite rare to come by on a historic timeline, so it cannot be overstated how lucky racing is for this generation to have CONSTITUTION HILL.

The wonder horse is set to reappear at Cheltenham for their Trials Day and you just know the meeting is set to have a record number crowd; a combination of flocking fans and unusual racegoers, all trying to catch a glimpse of the superstar so that one day they too can say ‘I saw CONSITUTION HILL’, a statement perhaps as part of a playful, top-trump style retort to a friend boasting they were there when ‘GALOPIN DES CHAMPS landed the Gold Cup three-timer’ or ‘Henry Cecil told me to have a bet on FRANKEL before he even stepped foot on a racecourse’.  Conversations horse racing so desperately needs more of.

Having previously stated that he might go straight to the Champion Hurdle, Nicky Henderson revealed in his Unibet blog that next week’s Unibet Hurdle is on the agenda for CONSTITUTION HILL.

This is an obvious statement, we know, but this is superb. Before Racing X gets on its high horse with the ‘we won’t learn anything’ argument, it’s a good thing that he is running here. Firstly because we know he’s still healthy and sound, and secondly because there is nothing quite like a race to prepare a horse. You can gallop them on racecourses all you like, but running a full race distance against other stables’ horses is the perfect prep for any big target.

Of course, CONSTITITION HILL is different - it almost feels like he has (or maybe had) this aura that he could pitch up to any Grade 1 whenever, win, and then go home, but, with everything that happened to him in 2024, why would you gamble on him being A1 for the Champion Hurdle after nearly three months away from the track?

Nico de Boinville is convinced he took a blow during the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton, so why not test that theory in an easier race (like the Unibet Hurdle) and keep him nicely simmering at 100% race fitness until the Champion Hurdle?

Anyway, this is what Hendo said in his blog: “The decision was quite easy because he has just been very well in himself, he looks great, and I really am delighted with how he has come through Kempton, so that is our plan.

“He doesn’t need to, but he will jump five hurdles between now and then, more so to amuse himself and Nico, because it’s certainly not amusing for me, it’s frightening watching him! Matty Gill, who rides him every day, says he feels great and from what I can see as well, I think this is the right decision.”

Who will he take on? Who knows. LOSSIEMOUTH won the race last year, but she is short odds to win the Irish Champion Hurdle next month. Maybe BURDETT ROAD? BRENTFORD HOPE is declared for Windsor today and GOLDEN ACE has the Betfair Hurdle in mind.

Hopefully, he at least has some rivals to take on!

WINDSOR

13.50 GRADE 2 LIGHTNING NOVICES’ CHASE

Just the four runners have been declared for the £75,000 Lightning Novices’ Chase, which is poor, but one would have to wonder if the positioning of the race in the calendar just comes at the wrong time. It’s 20-ish days after Christmas (Wayward Lad) and it’s a few weeks away from the Kingmaker Novices’ Chase at Warwick.

Anyway, CALDWELL POTTER heads the market, and he was a horse who had people laughing at Cheltenham last month.

Look, the performance at Cheltenham didn’t warrant his price tag, but it’s harsh to write off a horse on just his second run over fences. It was also the ninth run of his career and came just 12 days after his seasonal reappearance.

The drop back to two miles should work and softer ground at Windsor will be preferred to the quick ground at Cheltenham. He is still a worthy favourite and arguably a big price and 11/10 - the three horses he is up against are nice but aren’t expected to be the world beater Nicholls’ recruit was bought to be.

YOU WEAR IT WELL has disappointed slightly so far over fences and she was given plenty to do when third at Warwick behind CHERIE D’AM.

It was weird, and one can imagine she won’t be ridden like that again. CHERIE D’AM was well-beaten in the Towton on her next start, so the form has also taken a hit.

As we said earlier in the week, GIDLEIGH PARK is on a bit of a recovery mission. That is never a good position to be in when nearly four months of the season has already occurred. He had an issue after his last run when he pulled up at Kempton, so this is his first run for a long time.

His form of beating LUCKY PLACE at Cheltenham last season looks nice, but is he really a two-miler? Also, he may just need the run.

PERSONAL AMBITION battered the final fence at Ascot last month when looking like the winner which created this interesting photo of Ben Jones.

He should have won last time, but because he didn’t, he gets in here without a penalty. He’s a nice horse and he beat JANGO BAIE at Kelso in March which is good form. He’s of interest and this drop back in trip should work.

Verdict: Unless he’s affected by a routine flu jab (we aren’t sure), Nicholls’ fave CALDWELL POTTER really should be winning this.

15.00 2M4F CLASS 2 HURDLE

It may not be a Graded or Listed event, but the £100,000 2m4f hurdle pays like one!

Big drifter is BLUEKING D’OROUX who Paul Nicholls admitted didn’t truly stay three miles in the Long Walk Hurdle, so coming back in trip should work, but the market is selling him off in a big way! His run on seasonal reappearance behind LUCKY PLACE and GOLDEN ACE is good form and he’s improving so on paper you’d think he had a good chance but the market move would be a concern.

SALVER looked nice in his juvenile season on soft ground, and the ground is fairly key to him.

He showed promise in handicap company behind NAVAJO INDY on ground faster than he’d have liked at Newbury in November.

He didn’t get to see out his race last time when falling behind LUCKY PLACE in the Relkeel Hurdle – whether or not he was staying on before crashing out of the race is a sore subject between the butt-hurt punters who backed him and their girlfriends who too have eyes, but eyes unimpaired from the comfort of having not lost any money and unimpressed at the view of their partner making excuses.

His Triumph Hurdle form is solid, and the yard still have high hopes for him - that last time out form was arguably Cheltenham in March standard - but they perhaps would have liked more rain?

New favourite IBERICO LORD has some nice form with L’EAU DU SUD, a Grade 1 winner, when beating him in the Betfair Hurdle last season. Funnily enough, it was announced yesterday that the Betfair Hurdle will now be called the William Hill Hurdle from this season. These sponsor chances get rather confusing!

Nico de Boinville said chasing wasn’t really for him at this stage, so the return to hurdles is appreciated. It’s easy to forget that he was supplemented for the Champion Hurdle last season. Could he be better than his mark of 144? Quite probably.

LANGER DAN is a big talking horse, but the talk has surrounded his ability in the winter compared to spring.

It seems like Harry Skelton is fairly windy on his current ability, and it’s hard to see how he will turn around from his 28-length defeat on New Year’s Day.

NEMEAN LION completes the field, and he is no back marker! He was very good at Hereford in a winnable race last time out and he tried to make all in the Champion Hurdle last season. He should have a great chance, and he’ll like the ground. He’s unexposed and should be given a chance.

Verdict: Whether we be him or not is still being considered but we can’t neglect SALVER having been on him last time. His recent fall and the drying ground are two big punting concerns, but as far as hanging out hat on a name for previews sake, we have stick with him

RISK ON

One bet one winner yesterday in QUEENS WISH.

Of the preview, we like CADLWELL POTTER in 13.50 and SALVER in the 15.00. We don’t have to bet SALVER today but we kind of HAVE to because we’ll be devastated if he wins. So we’re going with him.

13.25 NOCTE VOLATUS

At 7/2 this looks a ridiculously dirty ew play - he’s bound to place top 3, if not win.

14.45 METALLO

Step up looks bang what he needs. He’s had two prep runs after a long break and should be cherry ripe for this. 9/1 ew.

19.00 MCKENNA

Looks and feels a gamble, so going with it 13/8.

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