Fighting Fifth day at Newcastle at the end of last month was meant to be the start of a redemption arc for Constitution Hill.
The legendary hurdler has been a shadow of his former self since suffering life-threatening colic back in 2023.
Despite a couple of falls last season, combined with a lacklustre showing in Ireland, he returned with high expectations for the Fighting Fifth.
Although facing younger, promising opposition in the form of The New Lion and Irish raider Anzadam, Constitution Hill was well-backed on betting exchange sites like BETDAQ.
Newcastle racecourse and those watching around the country held their breath as the field set off for the two-mile trip.
However, it wasn’t long before Constitution Hill was back on the floor—falling at the second hurdle after yet another indecisive jump.
Gasps could be heard around the nation, and the immediate aftermath sparked debate about what is next for the horse.
Unsurprisingly, there was not much veteran Henderson could say in the immediate aftermath other than that Constitution Hill’s seasonal plans were put on hold.
There have been developments since, though, so let’s take a look at what the future could hold for who was once billed to have the potential to be the greatest hurdler of all time.
Retirement
There have been calls from punters and pundits alike to retire Constitution Hill for a while now, but Henderson is standing firm.
A couple of days after the dust had settled on the Fighting Fifth, the Seven Barrows handler came out and categorically ruled out retiring the nine-year-old.
“We’ve got to be very careful what we’re doing, but we’re not giving up, that’s for sure, and retirement is out of the question as far as I’m concerned, and I think Michael [Buckley] would agree.”
Chasing
Another popular suggestion from armchair fans was to send Constitution Hill chasing. But switching to the larger obstacles has also since been ruled out by Henderson.
“He won’t run over fences, that I can tell you,” the veteran trainer added.
“He has not had a fall [at home] over a fence, a hurdle or anything else. But we have tried him over little fences. That is not the right route, I can assure everybody. That will not solve the problem.”
Hurdles
Moving on to the more likely scenarios, Constitution Hill’s recent performances don’t appear to have put Henderson off jumping hurdles.
Three falls in four races is a huge concern for any horse, let alone for one who used to have one of the best techniques in the modern era.
He looks scarily unsure when he approaches the smaller obstacles, and he looked like he got a bit confused with his legs when in the air at the second at Newcastle, which resulted in the fall.
“There’s no point giving up. You’ve got an eight-year-old who is in his prime, and there are other things we can do,” Henderson said.
“I’m certainly not going to promise you he’ll never jump a hurdle again because that’s not the case, he will. And we’ll be working on it, as we have been for the last six months.”
Flat
Constitution Hill’s name has been tossed up in the conversations surrounding the Ascot Gold Cup for the last couple of years, but could 2026 be the year we finally see him lining up at the iconic royal meeting?
The Gold Cup might be a pipe dream. After all, he’s yet to even run in that sphere. But if he’s still working like a machine and jumping is the only issue, then who’s to say something like the Gold Cup or the Ebor isn’t entirely out of the question?
“The one thing I wouldn’t rule out is giving him a run on the Flat,” Henderson added.
“He’s such a high-class horse that you might find there are crazy things he could do under the other code. It’s a possibility and among the many different options.”
