Constitution Hill will miss the Cumberland Lodge Stakes at Ascot on Saturday 3 October, with Nicky Henderson deciding that the prolonged dry spell has left little prospect of suitable ground for his former Champion Hurdle winner.
The mile-and-a-half Group Three had been identified as a possible next step after his September Stakes appearance at Kempton, but Henderson has ruled out making an entry.
Speaking to the Press Association, the trainer explained that “the ground will be just too firm for him”.
It means the wait for Constitution Hill’s first Flat outing on turf goes on. All three of his appearances since switching codes have come on the all-weather, despite Henderson’s enthusiasm for getting him back on grass.
The weather has already forced a change of plan this season. Constitution Hill was considered for the August Stakes at Windsor, only for concerns over quick conditions to prompt Henderson and owner Michael Buckley to opt for Kempton instead.
That decision followed discussions with Windsor’s clerk of the course and jockeys who had ridden at the track, with Henderson keen to settle the issue early and avoid a late withdrawal.
At Kempton on 5 September, the nine-year-old finished fourth behind Pride Of Arras in the September Stakes. It was his first defeat on the Flat, following wins at Southwell in February and Kempton in March.
The step into Group company represented a much sterner examination than those opening assignments. Although he could not match the leaders in the closing stages, his official Flat rating subsequently rose to 108.
Henderson felt he would sharpen up for that run, leaving connections to find the right opportunity to build on it. Ascot would have provided an answer to another question: how his Flat form translates to turf.
The ground problem extends well beyond one horse’s programme. On 25 September, the British Horseracing Authority confirmed that Chepstow’s Welsh Racing Festival would become an all-hurdle meeting because its chase course would not be ready following the dry weather. Ludlow’s 7 October fixture has also been abandoned.
For Constitution Hill, the St Simon Stakes at Newbury on 24 October remains a possible alternative. Henderson had identified that mile-and-a-half Group Three alongside Ascot when discussing his plans earlier this month.
The trainer has also raised the possibility of the Gulf of Bahrain Cup on 13 November. Neither race has been confirmed as Constitution Hill’s next assignment, with suitable conditions remaining central to where he goes next.