Rarely away from the headlines during his spectacular career, the Nick Henderson-trained runner Constitution Hill was once again the focus of the racing world last week. The Friday Night Live card at Southwell was the unlikely destination for the Grade 1-winning hurdler, as he sought to get his career back on track following a string of falls. Elsewhere, Anglers Crag achieved a rare feat at Newcastle, and the 2025 Grand National third suggested he may be ready to go a couple of places better in 2026.
Constitution Demolition Opens Doors to Flat Career
The latest chapter in one of racing’s most dramatic tales unfolded at Southwell on Friday evening. Having scaled the heights of eight Grade 1 victories, including the 2023 edition of the Champion Hurdle, Constitution Hill appeared to be in freefall. Ending the 2024/25 season with two falls and a pulled-up effort, the downward trend continued with another tumble on his seasonal return in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle. That mishap led Henderson to suggest a run on the flat may be in order, if a suitable race could be found.
That race arrived in the shape of the SBK Road To Cheltenham Novice Stakes on night two of the Friday Night Live series. To the delight of the meeting’s organisers, Constitution Hill’s presence attracted a bumper crowd to the track, all hoping to see the nine-year-old display something like his old sparkle.
Not about to let his fans down, Constitution Hill responded with a dazzling display. Doing his best impression of a seasoned flat performer, rather than a horse who had never raced on the level, the mount of Oisin Murphy cruised around just off the pace, hit the front off the home turn, and roared clear for a 9½-length success.
This sparkling effort left Henderson pondering what to do next with the sport’s most famous horse. A tilt at the Champion Hurdle remains on the table, with this success seeing his odds for the Day 1 feature contract from a best price of 4/1 to as short as 7/4. However, given his recent errors, connections may wonder if it is worth risking a return to jumps. If sticking to the flat, Henderson and owner Michael Buckley could plot a course through the season, which may end in Australia for the 2026 edition of the Melbourne Cup. Constitution Hill is available to back at 25/1 for the “Race that stops a Nation”.
An announcement on the next steps for Constitution Hill is expected by the end of February.
Anglers at the Double in Newcastle Feature
With racing still awash in the glow of Constitution Hill’s performance, Saturday saw attention turn to the scene of his latest fall. After the Fighting Fifth Hurdle, the Eider Chase is the biggest jumps contest of the year at Newcastle, as a field of stamina-laden stars tackle the marathon 4m1½f trip.
A difficult race to win once, history has shown it is even tougher to come home in front for a second time. Ahead of the 2026 edition, only Wyndburgh (1957, 1958) and Highland Wedding (1966, 1967 and 1969) had landed the prize more than once. We now have a third name to add to that list.
Eider Handicap Chase 2026
| Pos | Horse | SP | Trainer | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Anglers Crag | 4/1 | Nicky Richards | Danny McMenamin |
| 2nd | Only The Bold | 18/1 | Jamie Snowden | Jonathan Burke |
| 3rd | Red Delta | 15/2 | Fiona Needham | Charlie Maggs |
Something about a change of scenery seems to spark Anglers Crag into life. A 2023 switch from the yard of David Pipe to that of Brian Ellison saw the horse end a six-race run of defeats to win four on the spin. The last of those successes saw him hand Newcastle native Ellison a second Eider Chase victory. With his work done, Anglers Crag appeared to put his feet up, rarely troubling the judge in six subsequent outings for Ellison.
That dip in form triggered a move to the Nicky Richards yard, and it appears that Anglers Crag is intent on impressing his new handler. Kicking off his time in Cumbria with a nine-length success at Carlisle, he returned to Newcastle with the task of regaining his Eider Chase crown. Sent off as the 4/1 joint-favourite, the mount of Danny McMenamin put his best foot forward to post an impressive five-length success. In this sort of form, the 11-year-old would be a major player in the Midlands Grand National and Scottish Grand National. However, only Anglers Crag knows how long he plans to maintain this level.
West the Best in Bobbyjo Chase
In the week in which the Grand National weights were announced, one of the key trials for the Aintree showpiece took place in Ireland on Saturday afternoon. First run in 2003 and named in honour of the 1999 Grand National winner, the Bobbyjo Chase regularly provides useful pointers ahead of the Merseyside marvel in April.
Heading into 2026, the Bobbyjo Chase found itself on a hot streak, with 2024 winner I Am Maximus and 2025 champ Nick Rockett both following up in the main event at Aintree. The common denominator with those two runners is, of course, Willie Mullins, who spectacularly saddled the 1-2-3 in the 2025 Grand National.
Bobbyjo Chase 2026
| Pos | Horse | SP | Trainer | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Grangeclare West | 7/2 | Willie Mullins | Paul Townend |
| 2nd | Gerri Colombe | 8/1 | Gordon Elliott | Jordan Gainford |
| 3rd | Stellar Story | 12/1 | Gordon Elliott | Danny Gilligan |
Given that record, the four Mullins entries understandably attracted much of the attention ahead of the 2026 Bobbyjo Chase. Of that quartet, Paul Townend chose to partner with Grangeclare West. That proved to be a shrewd decision. Travelling much the best in the closing stages, the Cheveley Park runner overcame a juddering error at the last to forge clear for a 5½-length success. Having finished third off a mark of 163 in the 2025 Grand National, a new rating of 166 gives him every chance of being involved in the finish once again. Priced at odds of 20/1 before the Bobbyjo Chase, Grangeclare West is now as short as 10/1 for Grand National glory.
