October 22, 2026
Constitution Hill has left for Milan after heavy rain eased Nicky Henderson's ground worries ahead of Sunday's Group 2 Gran Premio del Jockey Club at San Siro, with Rossa Ryan riding.
The rain came just in time. Constitution Hill left Nicky Henderson’s Seven Barrows stable on Thursday morning bound for Milan, where he will run in Sunday’s Group 2 Gran Premio del Jockey Club at San Siro. Only days ago the trip looked in doubt because the ground was too fast, but a deluge in northern Italy has changed everything.
Race: Gran Premio del Jockey Club (Group 2), San Siro, Milan
Date: Sunday, 25 October 2026
Distance & prize: 2,400m (about 1m4f), €506,000
Expected ground: soft to good to soft after heavy rain
Jockey: Rossa Ryan, riding him for the first time
Trainer / owner: Nicky Henderson / Michael Buckley
From worry to green light
Earlier in the week Henderson admitted he was worried. Reports from San Siro said the track was riding very quick, and fast ground has never been Constitution Hill’s friend. Then the weather turned. Heavy rain has fallen on Milan for several days, and the going on Sunday is now expected to be somewhere between soft and good to soft.
It is the nine-year-old’s first trip abroad since he was beaten in the Champion Hurdle at Punchestown in May 2025, and his first ever visit to Italy. On the Flat he has so far raced only on all-weather surfaces, but his jumping career showed again and again how devastating he can be when there is ease in the ground.
A first ride for Rossa Ryan
The partnership with Rossa Ryan came together at short notice. Henderson had originally indicated that Oisin Murphy, who rode Constitution Hill to his first Flat win at Southwell in February, would be back in the saddle. Plans changed this week, and Ryan, who rode at San Siro last weekend, got the call. Henderson sees his knowledge of the track as a real bonus.
Ryan also pointed out that around 52mm of rain was forecast for Milan in the middle of the week, more than enough to turn the course into proper soft ground.
Why not Newbury?
Constitution Hill had a back-up option at home in Saturday’s St Simon Stakes at Newbury, a Group 3 over the same trip. He was not declared on Thursday morning, and the decision already looks wise: Friday’s Newbury card has been abandoned because of Storm Austen, and Saturday’s meeting is also under threat.
As we explained when we looked at Henderson’s three possible routes for Constitution Hill on the Flat, ground has been the deciding factor all autumn. His defeat in the September Stakes at Kempton earned a performance rating of 109 and an official Flat mark of 108, and the big question is how much he can improve on a surface that genuinely suits him.
His Flat journey so far
Constitution Hill’s move to the Flat has been a story of steady learning. The 2023 Champion Hurdle winner made a winning start on the level at Southwell in February under Oisin Murphy, showing that his speed could translate to a new code. The step up in class came in the September Stakes at Kempton, where he met more experienced Flat performers and suffered his first defeat on the level.
After that run Henderson weighed up several targets, including the Cumberland Lodge Stakes at Ascot, the St Simon Stakes at Newbury and a new $400,000 race in Bahrain. In the end he chose Milan, a valuable Group 2 at a track where the ground is now expected to suit. Sunday will also be his first Flat run on turf.
The rivals he could face in Milan
The Gran Premio del Jockey Club is a strong international Group 2, and Constitution Hill will not have things his own way. These are the main potential opponents:
| Horse | Trainer / profile | Why he is a threat |
|---|---|---|
| Stingray | Gelding, fifth in the 2024 German Derby | Won the Group 3 Premio Federico Tesio at San Siro in early October; improving with every step up in trip |
| Dubai Honour | William Haggas | Four-time Group 1 winner; runner-up in the Group 1 Preis von Europa last time |
| Venetian Prince | Andrew Balding | Won the Derby Italiano at San Siro; second in the Winter Hill Stakes on his return |
| Chestnut Rocket | Alicja Markosa (France) | Short-neck second in the Group 2 Grand Prix de Deauville on heavy ground |
| Silawi | Hamad Al Jehani | Group 1-placed globetrotter; fourth in the Group 2 Prix Dollar |
| Alburno | Bruno Grizzetti | San Siro regular; his best figures have come on heavy ground |
| Global Health | Fabian Weissmeier | Group 3 winner in Hamburg this summer |
| Phantom Flight | George Scott | Won the Group 3 King’s Cup in Bahrain in April |
Stingray looks the one to beat on recent form. He beat three of Sunday’s potential rivals comfortably in the Premio Federico Tesio, and the extra furlong should suit him. Dubai Honour brings the most top-level experience, while local runner Alburno will welcome every drop of rain.
What a win would mean
Constitution Hill’s switch from hurdling to the Flat has been one of the most talked-about stories of the racing year. A Group 2 win abroad would be his first success at Pattern level on the Flat and a huge statement about how well his talent has transferred. Defeat, especially on ground that suits, would raise fresh questions about where his future lies, with the jumps season and Cheltenham already looming.
Key to watch: the going. Constitution Hill was three from three on soft ground and one from one on heavy over hurdles. If the Milan rain keeps falling, Sunday could show the best version of him on the Flat yet.
Running plans, ground and potential rivals are subject to change before Sunday. Betting involves risk and isn’t suitable for everyone — please gamble responsibly, set your limits, and if it stops being fun, take a break.
