Richard Hoiles picks out his favourite memories of the season
Constitution Hill was undoubtedly the shining star of the 2022-23 National Hunt season but his Cheltenham Festival coronation came close to ending in disaster.
Sent off the shortest-priced favourite in Champion Hurdle history, everything seemed to be going according to the script for Nicky Henderson’s charge and big-race pilot Nico de Boinville as they burst clear on the run to the final flight
But in scenes reminiscent of Annie Power at Festivals past, the duo took off from outside the wings leaving De Boinville simply closing his eyes and praying his mount made it to the other side.
111-111
The mighty Constitution Hill, simply majestic in the Unibet Champion Hurdle! #CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/RiIeP3kSgj
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) March 14, 2023
This time the final flight failed to claim another victim as Constitution Hill stormed up the run-in for a nine-length success – and that split-second moment where triumph and disaster came together as one is the ever-lasting image of the campaign for ITV Racing’s lead commentator Richard Hoiles, someone in the perfect spot to witness the fine margins on display.
“Constitution Hill jumping the final flight in the Champion Hurdle has to be the image that defines the season,” said Hoiles.
“He was probably only an inch or two from that being the wrong sort of image, but he’s definitely been the horse of the season and quite possibly of the last few seasons.
“When you saw some of the side-on shots and realised he was outside of the wings, to think he can do that at the end of a Champion Hurdle and then storm up off the hill is something quite special.”
If Constitution Hill opened the show in style then Galopin Des Champs’ Gold Cup triumph was an equally fitting way to bring the curtain down on the Festival, atoning for his final-fence mishap in the Turners Novices’ Chase 12 months previously to seal blue riband glory in imperious fashion.
Willie Mullins’ seven-year-old will have to now defy the statistics if he is to successfully return to Prestbury Park – something Hoiles believes could prove a tough task.
He continued: “We would all agree we had a good Gold Cup winner and a good Champion Hurdle winner, albeit a Champion Hurdle winner on a different level.
“If Constitution Hill remained over hurdles I would be pretty happy saying he could win three or four Champion Hurdles, but I would be reticent to say Galopin Des Champs could even win one more Gold Cup given the history of the race down the years.
“I think you have to be a little bit careful about their ability to back up in that very harsh staying division where it takes a lot more out of them than say a Champion Hurdle.
“I know Al Boum Photo retained the Gold Cup, but I would historically point to that race being quite difficult and A Plus Tard would be a classic example of a horse you would never have believed would have the season he has just had.
“Galopin Des Champs was a good Gold Cup winner and it was pleasing he righted the wrong of last year. It was a good ride as well from Paul Townend. He didn’t panic and he was well on top from the home turn from a spot where he probably wasn’t intending to be.”
Fresh from gaining compensation for his Cheltenham Festival reversal by scooping Grade One honours at Aintree, Hoiles identified Gerri Colombe as the one who could capitalise on any chinks in Galopin Des Champs’ armour when stepping out of novice company next season.
When asked which novices had caught his eye, he said: “Gerri Colombe could be one for the Gold Cup.
“If I think that’s one trophy that could be vacated, then he is one who is still relatively young and unexposed. I know he got beaten at Cheltenham but you felt there was still a bit of learning going on then and I think another day on a different track you may have seen a different result.”
The 2022-23 season was also the year Honeysuckle finally said goodbye to her adoring public and little over 40 minutes after Constitution Hill had dazzled the Prestbury Park patrons, Henry de Bromhead’s superstar mare took the roof off the grandstands with an emotional victory in her swansong.
The came after a tough year for De Bromhead, who has stood steadfast in the face of adversity following the heartbreaking loss of his 13-year-old son Jack in a pony racing accident last summer, and there was not a dry eye in the house as the retiring nine-year-old and her ever-loyal ally Rachael Blackmore returned to a rapturous reception.
The PERFECT ending to a phenomenal career 🥹
HONEYSUCKLE gave the Cheltenham crowds one last cheer before retirement 👏#CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/E5pzLdxaX1
— CheltenhamRacecourse (@CheltenhamRaces) March 14, 2023
“I don’t often have time to run out the back and see things but I asked if I could on this occasion,” added Hoiles.
“Off the back of Constitution Hill’s brilliance you then had just the raw emotion.
“That family have had an awful lot to deal with and it was just good to see them be able to celebrate.
“They had always conducted themselves brilliantly but you just got the impression that there was a 10-minute window there, where for everything that goes wrong everywhere, if you could bottle that reception and release it whenever you needed a fillip, that’s what you would do – stick on the video and just watch the reception.
“We were all aware it was something where you don’t want to be there holding your phone, you wanted to be stood there letting it all seep into you and just appreciate what you were watching was something special.”
