Fighting Fifth Hurdle – Can Constitution Hill comeback vs The New Lion?

Constitution Hill is set for his highly anticipated seasonal debut on Saturday in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle.

And trainer Nicky Henderson was delighted with his prep work for this Grade 1 race his first since a disappointing string of runs that saw him fall twice, but can he back to his best?

talkSPORT BET Betting Offer – Get up to £35 in Free Bets! – CLAIM HERE*

Last year it was a similar story though, where there were concerns from punters that Constitution Hill didn’t look at his best.

He went on to win twice despite having to bypass last year’s Fighting Fifth Hurdle due to soreness from the Newbury gallops and still recovering in general from setbacks that saw him also miss the 2024 Cheltenham Festival.

Those wins though did almost show glimpses to foreshadow what was to come later on though.

A mistake at the last at Cheltenham in the International Hurdle in January caused a few gasps but he still cantered home.

But sure enough while also being keen in the Champion Hurdle, shockingly fell at the fourth hurdle from home at odds of 1/2.

Punters and connections hoped for a quick return to form at Aintree in the Aintree Hurdle, but yet again he fell, heavily this time two from home.

Henderson admitted he shouldn’t have sent him out at Punchestown a month later where the gelding at 8/13 favourite finished far back behind State Man, not ever looking like his usual self.

Some punters are unforgiving and will of course not be risking their money on the horse once hoped to be unbeaten over hurdles throughout his career.

But others will remember how easy he found things in 2022 and 2023, counting on that form to resurface with all ailments behind him.

Fighting Fifth Hurdle preview

Constitution Hill will face a potentially tough test in the form of JP McManus-owned The New Lion.

The Dan Skelton-trained gelding is just six-years-old but comes into this race on the back of four incredible hurdle victories.

Winning the Baring Bingham in March at Cheltenham Festival after beating some promising contenders earlier on that season, which just really justified the hype that was building behind the horse already.

The New Lion is yet to lose at all in his career going 5/5 including on career debut in a bumper in April 2024 and he’s a close contender to Constitution Hill in the betting too.

There will need to be progress but he’s an easy choice if discounting the Henderson horse.

However, there’s cause for concern with another unbeaten and promising future hurdler in the mix in Anzadam.

This gelding is trained by Willie Mullins adorning the black and yellow chequered silks of owner Mrs J Donnelly.

This will be this horse’s toughest test yet but did show plenty of ability in November last year beating Kala Conti comfortably and there could certainly be more to come from him.

Last year’s Fighting Fifth Hurdle was set to be a match up between Mystical Power (Mullins) and Sir Gino (Henderson), who went off 6/5 joint favourites.

The former finished far back in the field and somehow didn’t show up at all last season whereas Sir Gino has gone on to remain unbeaten.

This looks set to be an intriguing contest not only to see if Constitution Hill can bounce back but also to see how the two younger hurdlers have progressed.

Fighting Fifth Tip

There are many takes on backing Constitution Hill or not and it could be the near legendary status of him prior to this that’s seen him be under the microscope more at every stage.

I think if you were to look at any horse at any level you’d be hopeful in a return to form.

If they showed the ease of victory in the same fashion but say in a Class 4 then had injury troubles, infections and falls etc, I know I’d be excited to see them return.

The main issue is the price. For a horse like this you’d expect almost an each-way price but as it’s a top-rated horse the bookies aren’t taking the chance on that and neither are the faithful punters keeping him right up there as the favourite.

While he may not be ‘value’ right now, a price of 13/8 on a horse of this calibre is very attractive.

Of course he will have to be back to his very best, falls are a concern but that’s always the way with the jumps.

So Constitution Hill is the best bet in this race, for me.

Ideally he’ll show his class again and if not, at least we backed a horse that has given racing a star that fans have flocked to see live, look out for in the papers and marvel at from home even when justifying a 1/10 price.

talkSPORT BET Boosted Favourites

30 minutes before the start of every UK & IRE race, we are boosting either the favourite or 2nd fav to win!

Get the latest price boosts here

18+. Bet on a Price Boost market for specific horse race & if your selection wins, we’ll pay out at the boosted odds. Max benefit applies. Click for T&Cs. GambleAware.org

All odds correct at time of writing

talkSPORT BET – Get up to £35 in Free Bets! – CLAIM HERE*

Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org

Remember to gamble responsibly

A responsible gambler is someone who:

• Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
• Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
• Never chase their losses
• Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
• Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
• GambleAware – www.gambleaware.org

Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.

For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.

*18+ New customers. Opt in and bet up to £35 (min £10) on Horse Racing (odds 2/1+) within 7 days. If your first bet loses get your initial stake back, up to £35 in Free Bets for any sports. Free Bets expire in 7 days. Click for T&Cs | GambleAware.org. Please gamble responsibly