Three experts on whether Constitution Hill is the best hurdler they have seen

'That's the best I've seen over hurdles for a long time'

He could quite possibly be. That’s the best performance I’ve seen over hurdles for a long time. I remember when Hurricane Fly smashed subsequent Supreme winner Go Native by ten lengths as a novice, and what Constitution Hill did to Epatante at Newcastle was similarly awesome.

What’s so impressive is that he’s only five but already looks the finished article. He settles like a lamb and his jumping at Newcastle was excellent for a horse having just his fourth start.

It’s been a ridiculously long time since a Supreme winner followed up in the Champion Hurdle 12 months on (Bula in 1971), but I think that wait is about to come to an end.
James Hill, tipster

'It was a quite surreal performance'

Yes and by some way, although admittedly I have only watched racing closely for a decade. It seems ridiculous to answer that question so bullishly about a five-year-old who we have only seen run in four hurdle races.

However, this performance in the Fighting Fifth betters anything I've seen from a peak Faugheen, Honeysuckle or Annie Power. Beating a six-time Grade 1 winner in Epatante by 12 lengths at a track she relishes is a remarkable feat for a senior hurdler, let alone one so inexperienced.

If anything, the winning margin flattered Epatante. It could have been 25 lengths and Constitution Hill's capacity for improvement is frightening. There is little doubt he did exactly what most racing enthusiasts expected, but don't let that detract from a quite surreal performance at Newcastle.
Robbie Wilders, tipster

'Honeysuckle showdown will give us a fairer indication'

There is little doubt Constitution Hill is a rare and exceptional talent, but crowning him as the greatest hurdler of all time is premature.

In terms of pure ability, it's possible he could be every bit as good as the very best hurdlers we've seen – but raw talent is not the ultimate metric for determining champions in sport.

A deep CV and longevity are two key elements in establishing greatest-of-all-time status, and, while it is certainly not his fault, Constitution Hill has not yet been able to rack up a sequence of wins like Istabraq or demonstrate the constitution of Hurricane Fly. He has only run four times over hurdles.

It was an outstanding Fighting Fifth performance but evaluating whether or not he's the greatest of all hurdlers will have to wait. We should learn a whole lot more after a potential dust-up for the ages with Honeysuckle in March.
Mark Boylan, reporter

Read more . . .

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