Constitution Hill’s latest fall in the Fighting Fifth didn’t shock anyone — and that’s the worrying part. Once the smoothest, most natural hurdler of his generation, he’s now fallen three times in his last four starts. That’s no blip. That’s a trend. A horse who used to breeze through races on instinct now looks caught between strides, second-guessing himself at the worst possible moments.
So where does he go from here?
The Rhythm Has Gone Missing
Today told the same story we’ve seen before: clean first hurdle, then a hesitation into the second. A late lead change, balance lost, and suddenly he’s on the deck. These aren’t “bad jumps” in the old-fashioned sense — they’re breaks in fluency. A horse who once trusted his own stride now looks unsure in that split second before take-off.
And when confidence slips, hurdles start arriving quicker than the brain can process.
The Bigger Picture: This Didn’t Start Today
One clean run. Three falls. Same pattern each time — a tiny interruption in rhythm that snowballs. You can’t call it misfortune anymore. You have to call it what it is: a horse who has lost his natural jumping confidence.
Would a Change of Scene Help?
It’s a question people whisper but rarely say out loud: would he benefit from a move?
Sometimes a new environment, a different system, or a fresh set of eyes can help a horse mentally reset. Trainers like Skelton or Mullins run big, structured yards where horses live in a machine-like routine. Some thrive on that. Others don’t. Constitution Hill has spent his whole career in a small, hands-on, intimate setup. A switch wouldn’t be about ability — it would be about mindset.
Would a new stable guarantee improvement? Absolutely not.
Could it spark a reset? Possibly.
Is it a conversation his connections might now have to at least consider? Yes.
Should He Go Chasing?
Not yet. If a horse is uncertain over small hurdles, the last thing you do is put him at bigger fences requiring more precision. And connections remain unconvinced he’d stay a Gold Cup-type trip anyway.
What About the Flat?
Fun to say, wrong in practice. Too big, too rangy, too much of a rhythm horse. It wouldn’t solve anything.
Where the Logic Points Now
1. Confidence rebuilding — proper, structured, patient
Schooling until the old rhythm returns.
2. A confidence-boosting race
Not a Grade 1. Just a clean round where he can breathe and enjoy it.
3. A full physical check
Even tiny aches cause those mid-air lead changes.
4. A serious look at environment
Does he need a different training rhythm?
Different gallops?
Different jumping coach?
Different yard energy?
These are fair questions now — not criticisms.
The Crossroads
Constitution Hill isn’t finished, but he’s clearly not himself. Today didn’t create the problem; it confirmed the pattern. He needs rebuilding from the ground up — mentally, physically, rhythmically. Whether that happens where he is or somewhere new is part of the challenge facing his team now.
Handle this right, and the old magic might yet return.
Handle it wrong, and this could be the moment we realise we’ve already seen his best.