Horse racing news: Constitution Hill rating remains unchanged despite ‘highly striking’ performance

Constitution Hill’s rating remains unchanged after his latest success on the Flat at Kempton, beating a more promising rival than he had at Southwell again with ease.

Given it was a steadily-run race, the form can’t be rated too highly, so Nicky Henderson’s star remains on a Timeform rating of 106P.

The Timeform large ‘P’ indicates Constitution Hill’s potential for significant improvement after only two starts on the Flat.

Plenty more to come

Constitution Hill’s ability to travel and quicken marks him out as a natural in this sphere, with Ryan Moore just having to push him out under a hands-and-heels ride and he was possibly idling once he entered the lead.

A step up to pattern class will tell us more next time, the strong suspicion remaining that there’s still plenty more to come from him, and it is worth remembering the ease with which he’d beaten recent facile Champion Hurdle winner Lossiemouth in last season's Christmas Hurdle.

Timeform’s handicapper Rory King said: “Constitution Hill’s second Flat start might have been more clinical than explosive, but that needs viewing through the prism of a more patient ride in a more steadily-run race, and the way he quickened past a very promising rival was still highly striking in its own right.

“His rating remains unchanged with us, and while 106 will likely leave him with plenty to find should he run in something like the John Porter next as mooted, the large P on his rating indicates that we suspect he’s very capable of finding the improvement required to compete with any smart rival that lines up against him.”

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