Henderson delving into the programme books after 7lb rise for Constitution Hill

Nicky Henderson will soon be eagerly thumbing the pages of the programme book after Constitution Hill’s 7lb rise in the weights that “tells us where we are”.

After two taking opening appearances earlier in the year, the 2023 Champion Hurdler was pitched into elite company for his third Flat outing in the William Hill September Stakes on Saturday, a race won by Ralph Beckett’s Pride Of Arras with racing’s flagship name fourth, beaten just shy of six lengths.

Despite seeing his unbeaten record on the level and dreams of a Melbourne Cup bid both come to an end at Kempton, Constitution Hill’s official rating was nudged up to 108.

While it is a rise that all but eliminates handicap options, the Seven Barrows handler was far from despondent when reflecting on both the nine-year-old’s return from a five-month absence and his new official rating.

Henderson told the Press Association: “It tells us where we are and we have the (programme) books and will be looking at them very closely.

“It makes handicaps pretty difficult, but we can still find plenty of nice races for him. I was not disappointed and his rating is his rating. The handicapper’s opinion and ours doesn’t always tally, but I think it is reasonably fair when the horses ahead of him are rated in the hundred and teens.”

He went on: “The winner is a Group One horse and afterwards when you are hearing Ralph Beckett say it is a pity he didn’t get his run in the Juddmonte (International Stakes) and thinks he would have been competitive, then if we’re taking on Juddmonte horses you would be entitled to say that was stupid.

“He’s only finished four lengths behind them and you can hardly complain – you just have to feel flattered. The handicapper’s opinion is he has run a very good race, we think he has run a very good race as well and so does everyone it seems now the dust has settled.”

Although a definitive next step in Constitution Hill’s Flat journey has yet to be set, Henderson is keen to keep the ball rolling at pace throughout the autumn and is relishing getting his former hurdling king back on turf now that the long-sought-after rain has arrived.

And while Kempton saw ideas of Australia forcibly shelved, the latter half of the year could still involve international competition.

“He’s fine after the race which is the main thing and the opinion seems to be he has run really well, so on we go,” continued Henderson.

“We’ve kept him for an autumn campaign and it just depends now how long we can stretch it out and we can even go abroad where it goes on a bit longer.

“It will be nice to get him back on turf, that’s the main thing, and at least we can now do that with the weather.”