CONSTITUTION TO LIGHT UP DECEMBER

Paul Ferguson is looking forward to seeing a hurdling superstar at Newcastle

- Paul Ferguson

While he won’t be a betting proposition by any means, Champion Hurdle winner Constitution Hill can be expected to make a sparkling return to action in early December at Newcastle (Saturday 2). Winner of the race last year, the six-year-old is now seven from seven over hurdles and put up a stunning display in the Fighting Fifth of 2022, and it will be a huge shock – given the entries and lack of Irish representation – if he doesn’t win even more emphatically this time around.

On the same day, Newbury stages the much more competitive Coral Gold Cup (formerly the ‘Hennessy’) in which Complete Unknown looks sure to run well for the Champion Trainer, Paul Nicholls. He progressed nicely as a novice last term, running well against Gerri Colombe in the Mildmay at Aintree, which followed a comprehensive handicap success at Kempton. He only beat nine rivals there, but having won a 17-runner EBF Final as a hurdler, we know he handles a big field and set up a crack at this with a comfortable victory at Newton Abbot.

The seven-year-old looks to have an ideal profile for the race and at double-figure odds (correct at the time of writing), is a must for any shortlist, whilst both Mahler Mission and Midnight Legend both appear to have had good preparations for Newbury, running well in defeat recently.