Michael Buckley called it “heartbreaking.” Ed Chamberlin called it “absolutely the right decision.” The numbers call it something else entirely: inevitable.
Constitution Hill’s official withdrawal from the 2026 Champion Hurdle — confirmed today, 13 days before the Festival — ends one of the most spectacular declines in Championship racing history. But here’s what makes this story truly extraordinary: he’s not the only star this race has broken.
Three Falls, One Flat Win, Zero Cheltenham
Let’s lay out Constitution Hill’s last five competitive runs over hurdles:
| Date | Race | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2025 | Unibet Hurdle (G2) | Won — “hard held, canter” |
| Mar 2025 | Champion Hurdle (G1) | Fell — 5th flight |
| Apr 2025 | Aintree Hurdle (G1) | Fell — 2 out |
| May 2025 | Punchestown Champion Hurdle (G1) | 5th — “eased before last” |
| Nov 2025 | Fighting Fifth (G1) | Fell — 2nd flight |
From 17 career starts, Constitution Hill has three falls — all coming in his last four hurdle races. The horse who won the 2023 Champion Hurdle by nine lengths, who carried an official rating of 175, whose jumping once looked effortless, simply stopped being able to get round.
His Southwell flat debut last Friday told a different story. “Travelled strongly, smooth headway, went clear, impressive.” The talent hasn’t gone anywhere. The jumping has.
The Race That Breaks Horses
But Constitution Hill’s withdrawal doesn’t just remove the defending champion (sort of — he fell in the last two renewals). It exposes the Champion Hurdle as a race that has systematically destroyed its own contenders over the past 12 months.
State Man — the horse who inherited the 2025 Punchestown Champion Hurdle after Constitution Hill trailed in fifth — fell at the last fence when clear and winning at Cheltenham last March. He was five lengths ahead. Gone. He hasn’t been seen since winning at Punchestown in May.
Sir Gino — the brilliant Christmas Hurdle winner rated 163 — pulled up after three out in the Unibet Hurdle at Cheltenham on January 24th. His only run at Prestbury Park: a non-completion.
That’s three of the four highest-rated hurdlers in training either falling, pulling up, or withdrawing from their most recent Cheltenham appearance. The hill, the ground, the pressure — something about Championship hurdling at this level is proving unsustainable.
So Who’s Left?
Strip away the casualties and the 2026 Champion Hurdle shapes up as a clash between two mares who’ve been circling each other all season:
Lossiemouth (rated 159) won the Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown on February 1st, tracking Brighterdaysahead before asserting on the run-in. Her form reads 1-1-2-1 in her last four Graded starts. She’s won at the Festival before — the 2025 Mares’ Hurdle “easily.”
Brighterdaysahead (rated 159) turned the tables, winning that Irish Champion on February 1st after finishing second in the December Hurdle behind Lossiemouth at Christmas. But there’s a concern: she was fourth in last year’s Champion Hurdle, weakening on the flat after leading before three out.
The Cheltenham form of both reads differently to their Irish form. Lossiemouth’s Festival record includes a 20th in the Coral Cup and a 10th in a handicap hurdle alongside her Mares’ Hurdle win. Brighterdaysahead faded to fourth in the Champion Hurdle itself.
What the Ratings Say
Here’s the uncomfortable truth. The top-rated hurdlers heading to Cheltenham are carrying figures well below Constitution Hill’s peak:
- Sir Gino: 163 (fitness unknown after January pullup)
- Lossiemouth: 159
- Brighterdaysahead: 159
- Teahupoo: 162 (Christmas Hurdle winner at Leopardstown)
Constitution Hill’s peak rating was 175. The best horse heading to Cheltenham is rated 16lbs lower. This isn’t a vintage Champion Hurdle — it’s a vacuum.
The Bigger Picture
From his career record of 17 runs, Constitution Hill won 11 and failed to complete five. The middle section of his career — from the 2022 Supreme through the 2025 Unibet Hurdle — produced seven wins from eight starts at ratings between 148 and 175. He was, by any objective measure, the best hurdler of his generation.
The fact that he’s now winning novice flat races at Southwell while the Champion Hurdle scrambles for a headline act tells you everything about where this sport is right now.
Buckley was right to be heartbroken. But the data suggests the heartbreak started at Cheltenham last March, at the fifth flight, when the best hurdler we’d seen in years hit the ground for the first of three times.
Constitution Hill’s career data sourced from SmartForm. All ratings and race comments verified against official records.