Constitution Hill was the centre of attention once again last week as the most talked-about horse in training returned at Kempton. To the disappointment of most in attendance, the Group 3 September Stakes proved a bridge too far, leaving connections pondering the next step for the much-loved star.
Elsewhere on Saturday afternoon, Almeraq bounced right back to form with a stunning display in the Haydock Sprint Cup. The focus then switched to France on Sunday as Longchamp staged the official Arc Trials Day. While a couple of bubbles were burst in Paris, the current Arc favourite only enhanced his claims.
September Stakes Too Tough for Constitution Hill
| Pos | Horse | SP | Trainer | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Pride Of Arras | 11/2 | Ralph Beckett | Rossa Ryan |
| 2nd | Gethin | 4/6 | Owen Burrows | Callum Rodriguez |
| 3rd | Warrant Holder | 8/1 | John & Thady Gosden | Benoit De La Sayette |
| 4th | Constitution Hill | 9/2 | Nicky Henderson | Billy Loughnane |
| 5th | Dubai Future | 20/1 | Saeed bin Suroor | Jack Mitchell |
All eyes turned to Kempton on Saturday, as Constitution Hill put his unbeaten Flat record on the line in the September Stakes. An eight-time Grade 1 winner over hurdles, the Nicky Henderson star was undoubtedly top class in the National Hunt sphere. How would he fare stepping into a Group event on the Flat for the first time?
With Group winners Pride Of Arras and Dubai Future among the opposition and a red-hot favourite in the shape of Gethin, this was a significantly tougher task than his two previous wins in novice company. Starting as the 9/2 second favourite, punters were keeping the faith with Constitution Hill. His trainer wasn’t so confident, with Nicky Henderson describing the September Stakes as “a race he can’t win.”
In the end, Henderson was correct. Constitution Hill travelled well throughout and loomed up ominously at the two-furlong pole. However, when push came to shove on the run to the line, he lacked the gears of his younger, Group-race-proven rivals. As Pride Of Arras forged ahead to score by a length, Constitution Hill faded to finish fourth of five, more than five lengths behind the winner.
While it was easy to get swept up in the hype before the race, Constitution Hill ran about as well as could be expected. Arriving as the lowest-rated runner in the field, fully 13 pounds below Pride Of Arras and 16 pounds below Gethin – he produced a perfectly respectable performance. A Listed or Group 3 contest on slower ground may not be beyond him, while, depending on how the assessor reacts, valuable handicaps could be on the agenda. Whatever the case, the Constitution Hill story isn’t over just yet. Looking ahead, Henderson stated:
“We’ll find a nice race for him somewhere, and he’s not finished yet, I promise you.”
Almeraq Blows Rivals Away at Haydock
Less than an hour after Constitution Hill’s bubble burst at Kempton, the runners and riders went under starters’ orders for the big Group 1 at Haydock. Held over the six-furlong trip and offering just short of £400,000 in prize money, the Haydock Sprint Cup took top billing on the Merseyside card.
Michael Easterby’s Big Mojo arrived to defend his crown, while 2024 and 2025 runner-up Kind Of Blue attempted to go one better for Wathnan Racing. Hungerford Stakes winner Coppull and Andrew Balding’s Marvelman were others to note in what looked like a competitive renewal.
Competitive on paper, but not in practice, as one of the stars of Royal Ascot left his rivals trailing. Having announced himself on the big stage with a last-gasp 25/1 success in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, Almeraq arrived on the comeback trail following a disappointing showing in the July Cup. Sent off as the 9/4 favourite, the William Haggas runner was expected to leave that Newmarket run behind him. Those who lent their backing to the market leader were rewarded with one of the most impressive sprint performances of the season to date.
Patiently ridden by Tom Marquand, Almeraq moved effortlessly through the field at the two-furlong pole, hit the front with a furlong to go, and quickened away in supreme style for an impressive victory by just over four lengths. This win came almost a year to the day after the horse suffered a terrible fall at York, which ultimately ended Jim Crowley’s career.
In a division lacking a standout star, Almeraq boasts compelling claims to be the king of the current crop of sprinters. His next step will likely take him back to Ascot for the British Champions Sprint Stakes – a race for which he is now the clear favourite.
Daryz the Star Turn on Trials Day
On Sunday afternoon, the reigning Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe champion took the next step towards the defence of his title. So far in 2026, Daryz had enjoyed a mixed time, with wins in the Prix Ganay and Prix d’Ispahan followed by an underwhelming third in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes.
Returning to home soil, the Francis-Henri Graffard-trained runner looked to face a straightforward task in the Prix Foy, as a starting price of 1/5 implied. With Uhtred and Quest For Magic out of their depth on all known form, the only feasible threat was the George Scott-trained Bay City Roller. However, with the good-to-firm ground against the British raider, Daryz proved a class apart.
Cruising around in what appeared to be little more than a routine piece of work, the Aga Khan Studs runner crossed the line a length and a quarter to the good. Now a seven-time winner at Longchamp, Daryz is the clear favourite for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at a general price of 9/4.
On a good afternoon for Graffard and the Aga Khan Studs, Varandir advertised his own Arc claims when setting a new record time in the Prix Niel. The big disappointment of that race was Irish Derby winner Benvenuto Cellini. Sent off at odds of 2/5, the Aidan O’Brien runner could manage only a laboured fifth-place finish, seeing his Arc odds drift to as big as 40/1. Varandir moved in the other direction and is now the sixth choice of the Arc market at a general 16/1.
With Gstaad also turned over at odds-on in the Prix Moulin, the only bright spot for the British and Irish raiders arrived in the Prix Vermeille. Almost two years after claiming a breakout Group 1 win in the Prix de l’Opera, Friendly Soul once again displayed a liking for the Grande Piste. Positively ridden on her first crack at 1m4f, the John and Thady Gosden mare showed real guts in the straight to fend off the late challenges of Pink Panthera and the slightly unlucky Sunly.
This win earns Friendly Soul a spot in the Arc field should connections decide to take up that option. However, the daughter of Kingman, who only recently returned from an injury-enforced 594-day absence, also holds an entry in the Prix de l’Opera and the Champion Stakes.
