Constitution Hill has been handed a main Flat rating of 101 by the BHA handicapper following his 2nd all-weather triumph at Kempton last week.

The eight-time Grade 1-winning hurdler has switched flawlessly to the Flat this year in two 1m4f newbie races on the all-weather.

On his debut at Southwell in February, the nine-year-old scored by nine and a half lengths under Oisin Murphy and followed up with a two-length success at Kempton last Wednesday with Ryan Moore in the saddle.

BHA handicapper Adam Barnes said: "Constitution Hill has been ranked 101, which is a high figure for a horse coming out of novices. Potentially, it could turn out to be quite a lenient figure for a horse like him with the ability we know he's got from the dives.

"He was such a high-class hurdler and retains plenty of that capability. It will be intriguing to see how high he can go in the Flat sphere."

Trainer Nicky Henderson and owner Michael Buckley were eager for another run at Kempton to get a handicap mark for Constitution Hill as they ponder future targets. The recommendation has actually been the Group 3 John Porter Stakes at Newbury on April 18 - also over a mile and a half - could be an appropriate next race.

After Kempton, Moore indicated that range matches, stating: "I think he's really comfy at 12 [furlongs]"

Major handicaps such as the Ebor at York in August, for which Constitution Hill is 12-1 preferred with sponsors Sky Bet, and the Melbourne Cup in November have been touted as prospective targets later.

Speaking on the BHA podcast, Barnes added: "Connections have actually discussed the John Porter as the next target, which is a quite reputable Group 3. Generally speaking, you 'd desire to be running to around 110-plus to get truly involved in a race like that.

"I saw William Haggas mention that horses like Hamish or Al Aasy could go there and they're 117 and 115 horses, so that provides you a concept of the level Constitution Hill will require to be at to win a race like that. Whether he wins or not, they'll have plenty of options, be they in Group races or excellent handicaps, in the season ahead."

In his Racing Post steady tour in Tuesday's edition, Karl Burke said he was also thinking about the John Porter for last year's French Group 2 winner Convergent.

The four-year-old colt, who has an official ranking of 116, was a three-and-a-half-length third behind subsequent Derby winner Lambourn in the Chester Vase and was also a close 2nd in the German Derby.

Hamish was rated 117 when winning the Newbury contest two years earlier, while last year Divina Grace won it off 100, although she had a 4lb mares' allowance.

Following his Kempton victory, William Hill made Constitution Hill an even-money possibility to win a Group race on the Flat this year, which would consist of the John Porter, and 12-1 to land a Group 1. There is presently no market for the John Porter, entries for which close on April 13.

Constitution Hill has actually been allocated the very same 101 figure as tested staying handicappers such as Beylerbeyi, Stressfree and Paddy The Squire.

The six-year-old Beylerbeyi has that mark after winning last year's Cesarewitch, while the year-younger Stressfree has actually run regularly in Class 2 handicaps in between a mile and a quarter and a mile and 6 furlongs for the last two seasons.

Paddy The Squire, also aged 6, has probably a more progressive profile having had less starts. He won 3 of his six races last year, rounding off his season with a fifth (Stressfree in third) in Haydock's Old Borough Cup

Analysis: 101 all but books Ebor place for Constitution Hill

Constitution Hill's opening Flat mark of 101 is high for a first ranking, if not distinctively so. You would frequently have horses ranked greater making their handicap debut in the Free Handicap, which was run for the last time in 2022.

More to the point, Constitution Hill has probably scheduled his ticket to the Ebor if connections choose for that path. In the last two years, the floor on that race has been a BHA mark of 95 and 90, and in the last decade only twice would 101 not have been enough.

As it stands, he needs to improve a fair bit to win that race. Constitution Hill's Racing Post Rating of 103 is simply 2lb greater than his BHA mark. In 2025, running 2lb greater than your BHA figure would have won just 1.3 per cent of Class 2 handicaps.

Constitution Hill needs to run as soon as more on the Flat before he is qualified for any heritage handicap. That qualifying run seems likely to be in the John Porter Stakes at Newbury.

Finishing close up in that race might harm his Ebor chances. The BHA standard on the John Porter would put even a third-placed finisher someplace around the 110 mark in an average year. So even to end up where the marketplace would likely expect at Newbury would request notable improvement from Constitution Hill.

If that race does not go to plan, the consolation would be his connections having four months to get him . He would also have a mark that, while stiff on the face of it, would be very tempting on the basis of his imperious difficulties form.

Keith Melrose, wagering editor

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