Last year’s winner Constitution Hill is the main attraction in a field of five for Saturday’s Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle.
13:55 Newcastle (W/O Constitution Hill)
Two-time Cheltenham Festival winner Constitution Hill has been declared for the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle. 2021 winner Not So Sleepy, Love Envoi, She Wears It Well and Benson comple the line-up. Here is a guide to the chances of each of the five confirmed runners.
Fighting Fifth Hurdle Runners & Riders
Benson
- Trainer: Sandy Thomson
- Jockey: Ryan Mania
- Form: 2211P4
- Odds: 100/1
The eight-year-old Benson, formerly trained by Nicky Henderson, did win a couple of good races earlier this year, including Kelso's £100,000 Morebattle Hurdle, where he defeated the elegant Colonel Mustard with plenty to spare.
However, winning that valuable pot gave him the opportunity to potentially earn a £100,000 bonus if, on his next start at the Cheltenham Festival, he could win either the Coral Cup or the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle.
For trainer Sandy Thomson, who only spent £7,000 on him at the Doncaster sales last year, it proved to be an amazing deal, come what may.
But it was not to be, as he was pulled up just before the final hurdle, having looked far from comfortable at any stage during the race. I have to acknowledge that the form of his Kelso win has not been well received either.
He has subsequently had a mediocre beginning to his career as a chaser on his return as well, finishing fourth in a far weaker field. Even though he is a very solid handicapper, he makes limited appeal up against the top hurdler in Britain at the highest level, and he is the outsider for a reason.
Constitution Hill
- Trainer: Nicky Henderson
- Jockey: Nico de Boinville
- Form: 111111
- Odds: 2/11
Constitution Hill needs no introduction; he is a superb hurdler with five Grade 1 victories under his belt who has defeated every opponent thrown in his path. His 22-length victory in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle two seasons ago earned him the highest-ever rating of 170 for a Novice Hurdler, and he has backed that up each and every time since.
Click here for Constitution Hill’s latest 2024 Cheltenham Festival odds.
The expectation was that, after an impeccable Novice campaign, he would carry over his elite form into open company, and he delivered in every aspect. He won twice by a wide margin over stable companion Epatante in this year's equivalent race at Kempton as well as the Christmas Hurdle.
Then came a nine-length victory in the Champion Hurdle in March, defeating the Willie Mullins-trained State Man, another multiple Grade 1 winner, who went on to win the Morgiana Hurdle upon his comeback.
The only time State Man has lost in his entire career over hurdles was to Nicky Henderson's star, and the way the latter defeated him in March was truly remarkable.
The last time we saw him compete was in the Aintree Hurdle, when stepping up in trip to defeat Sharjah, another multiple Grade One winner. This weekend, he will begin as a short-priced favourite in an attempt to continue his winning streak, and since the opposition appears to be weak, it will be shocking if he loses. His claims are clear for all to see.
Not So Sleepy
- Trainer: Hughie Morrison
- Jockey: Daryl Jacob
- Form: 155/355
- Odds: 20/1
Not So Sleepy is a small, quirky horse that is also very admirable and talented and has served trainer Hughie Morrison well over the years. His record in this race reads R13 from three starts, and he will enter the race for the fourth time after finishing a valiant seventh out of 31 in the Newmarket Cesarewitch Handicap.
The 11-year-old showed that age is nothing more than a number after dead-heating in the 2021 renewal when he split the spoils with Epatante. Regretfully, he faces a formidable challenge in trying to turn around his performance from last year, as the overwhelming favourite defeated him by almost 14 lengths when he could only manage third place.
Still, he ran with credit in defeat, and we can alleviate any ground concerns given he’s won under good, good-to-soft, soft, and heavy conditions. His versatility in both codes cannot be disputed, so while it is hard to imagine him coming out on top, he looks a shade overpriced for place purposes.
Nevertheless, he ran creditably to make the frame, and given he has succeeded in good, good-to-soft, soft, and heavy conditions, we can allay our worries about the ground.
It is difficult to see him winning, but he appears a little overpriced for the situation ahead, and his unquestionable versatility entitles him to respect, plus he is only rated 1Ib lower than second favourite Love Envoi.
Love Envoi
- Trainer: Harry Fry
- Jockey: Jonathan Burke
- Form: 121126
- Odds: 7/1
On paper, Harry Fry's really likeable mare, Love Envoi, poses the greatest threat to the defending champion, Constitution Hill. She has won eight of her 11 races under rules and has proven a valuable asset to connections over the last two seasons, winning several notable races, especially on soft ground.
In March 2022 at the Cheltenham Festival, she won her biggest race to date, the Grade 2 Dawn Run Mares' Novices' Hurdle. Then, in the David Nicholson Mares' Hurdle a year later, she forced the great Honeysuckle to fight all the way to the finish, coming in second.
Although she was sent off as the joint favourite in the Mares Champion Hurdle at Punchestown, she ultimately disappointed when she finished last of six. However, she had a difficult race at Cheltenham just six weeks prior, which may have affected her unusually poor performance.
Her form figures on home soil, which read 111111112, speak well of her chances this weekend. She rates the most likely participant to finish second, despite being rated 23Ib lower than the market leader. She will also not lack fitness because she is undefeated in three starts in her seasonal comeback.
You Wear It Well
- Trainer: Jamie Snowden
- Jockey: Gavin Sheehan
- Form: 121151
- Odds: 16/1
Jamie Snowden's quickly developing mare, You Wear It Well, hasn't done much wrong in her career. In March, she won the Dawn Run Mares' Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, at which Gavin Sheehan gave her a power-packed ride from the front, matching Love Envoi's feat, who landed the race twelve months earlier.
Perhaps more than I initially thought, her run at Cheltenham took a toll on her, and I believe that her final start of the campaign at Aintree was one too many. Before her run faded over the extra yardage when she stepped up in trip to 2m4f, she led for a considerable distance.
Despite this minor setback in her form, she ran creditably and made a successful reappearance with a commanding two-mile victory in the Listed race at Wetherby.
Given that Luccia, the runner-up, recently ran well to take third in the Greatwood Hurdle, the form has somewhat improved. She will need to make some more progress, though, because this is a much harder task, and based on collateral ratings, she has plenty to find with the top two in the betting.
Contrarily, the course should play to her strengths, conditions will not be of concern, and connections have pitched her into the deepest of waters this weekend, which adds intrigue to the field. She has also triumphed in five of her six starts over this distance, and trainer, Jamie Snowden, holds a 43% strike rate at this course.
Fighting Fifth Hurdle Tips & Prediction
This is a fascinating race that will surely centre on Constitution Hill's much-awaited comeback. He is predicted to follow a similar course to last year, with the Champion Hurdle in March acting as his main objective. If he returns at his best, he should outclass these.
Nevertheless, given his skinny odds, there’s always the alternative option to play a bet in the w/o Constitution Hill market, which would pay off if the horse finished first or second.
Though Love Envoi has a good record when fresh, she ended the previous season with a lacklustre display in Ireland. Instead, I am going to recommend backing YOU WEAR IT WELL (best price 5/2).
The six-year-old has a run under her belt and, in my opinion, doesn’t have as much to find with the second favourite as the ratings suggest.
She also ticks off a lot of the main trends, with the rating statistic being an exception. This mare's profile, with her pronounced upward curve in form, is very alluring. She has a lot of room for improvement and jumps very neatly.
Assuming the same positive tactics that have facilitated her ascent through the ranks will be applied, she could emerge as the second-best horse. With that latest return under her belt, which should prove pivotal in the context of this contest, she’s a solid alternative to the market leader.
