Constitution Hill given shock Royal Ascot entry

Royal Ascot might play host to one of the biggest stars of the national hunt sphere with Constitution Hill handed an surprise entry in this year's Ascot Gold Cup.

Ordinarily a crack at the Punchestown Champion Hurdle would be the big story with Constitution Hill, but it's a potential engagement at Royal Ascot that has grabbed the headlines.

It was revealed on Tuesday that the eight-time Grade 1 winner had been given an entry into the Ascot Gold Cup.

Won by the likes of Stradivarius, Yeats and Westerner it is one of the most prestigious races at the Royal meeting.

Should he take up his entry in June, it looks likely that he will have to take on one of the best Stayers' of modern times.

Kyprios is a two-time Ascot Gold Cup winner and became the first horse to regain his title since Kayf Tara's second triumph in 2000.

The seven-year-old has won 16 of his 20 racecourse starts, accumulating over £2.5m in prize money.

Is Royal Ascot a realistic possibility?

A tilt on the flat with Constitution Hill is not a new idea.

The idea has been mooted ever since his extraordinary Supreme Novices' Hurdle victory back in 2022.

Injury problems, concerns over ground and where Royal Ascot sits in the calendar have all been cited as reasons as to why a campaign on the level has never materialised.

But are connections getting braver?

The eight-year-old was turned out fairly quickly to make Aintree after losing his unbeaten record at the Cheltenham Festival.

Now, just over three weeks later he makes maiden voyage across the Irish Sea to contest the Punchestown Champion Hurdle.

It remains to be seen whether or not this cavalier attitude will continue through to the Ascot Gold Cup declaration stage but the early signs are encouraging.

Jumps horses at Royal Ascot

Nicky Henderson himself has previous experience at the meeting.

The 74-year-old has twice trained with winner of the Ascot Stakes with Veiled (2011) and Ahorsewithnoname (2023).

Vauban is probably the most famous dual-purpose runner in recent years.

Now with Gai Waterhouse in Australia, he won the Triumph Hurdle for Willie Mullins before going on to win the Copper Horse Handicap at Royal Ascot in 2023.

Mullins had the 1-2 that day with the runner-up Absurde tasting Cheltenham Festival success in the County Hurdle just one year later.

William Dobbie

• Ascot Racecourse
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