Equinties - Guineas weekend

Gm Equinauts

2000 Guineas today, the Kentucky Derby tonight and the 1000 Guineas tomorrow.

This weekend is for the flat.

Let’s dive in.

HEADLINE ROUND UP

BIG HILL TO CLIMB

Yesterday’s Punchestown Champion Hurdle created more questions than it answered.

The ever consistent STATE MAN won his 12th (11th in open company) very impressively, and CONSTITUTION HILL was, well, the complete opposite of impressive. Disastrous, to be exact.

His constitution in previous years in terms of pure ability, speed, power and attitude has shocked racing fans but sadly now looks nothing more than a beaten horse out of love with racing.

So, STATE MAN. What a horse he is, and we truly mean that. We’ve always called him the underappreciated horse as he’s been doing things in CONNY’s shadow. But not anymore.

There were question marks over STATE MAN at the start of the season when he got left out of sight, you’d be forgiven for thinking that he was done, but then just like that (and clearly part of Mullins’ master plan) he ran a huge race at Cheltenham before winning his third Punchestown Champion Hurdle. He is brilliant race horse.

12 Grade 1s, 14 races running to an RPR of 160+, and an endless list of Grade 1 horses who have finished behind him at some stage during his career.

SHARJAH, VAUBAN, HONEYSUCKLE, ECHOES IN RAIN, IMPAIRE ET PASSE, BOB OLINGER, IRISH POINT, GOLDEN ACE, BRIGHTERDAYSAHEAD, and, most importantly, CONSTITUTION HILL.

STATE MAN - legend.

Right, so where do we start with CONSTITUTION HILL?

He’s either no where near the same horse as he was two years ago or he’s knackered and done from the season. Of it the former you then colic, wind and falling have derailed his career, and that is nothing but a sad shame.

Hope in the champ shouldn’t be lost. He was bad yesterday, but he was still going well at Aintree before falling and Hendo said before that race ‘he was back’. There is a case to suggest that he was just on an off day yesterday. Believe it or not, that is a possibility!

Calls for him to retire are a bit ludicrous. The horse is no longer an unbeaten champion who should be wrapped in cotton wool – he is mortal, and that might actually be a bit of a gift.

There will be less pressure around him, and a bit less worry. He should have a summer off and then come into next season as a fresh horse with a point to prove. If he fails, then yes, he’s done, but whilst he is still living and breathing under Hendo’s tutelage he can return to his former glory.

There is a hypothetical future where CONSTITUTION HILL goes off favourite for the Champion Hurdle next year, which is much shorter than his 14/1 price. Say he wins the Fighting Fifth, Christmas Hurdle, and Unibet Hurdle, what price does he go off? Odds on again?

He might be able to do an ENVOI ALLEN. He lost his unbeaten record when falling so heavily at 8yo and every one was worried he was finished after pulling up. He came back and won 4x Grade 1’s after much nurturing by de Bromhead. Okay, ENVOI ALLEN didn’t have colic (as far as we know) but he did change yards after the Cheveley Park x Gordon fall out and that would have really disrupted his routine.

Hendo could they go chasing with him too. He was over careful over his hurdles yesterday (we would too after hitting the deck twice) and he’s jumped small fences at home. He’s only eight, so he has a few years to try something new, and why shouldn’t that be fences?

It’s all a bit upsetting surrounding CONSTITUTION HILL now, and it will continue to be like this until he next runs. Let’s hope Hendo can bring him back.

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