Constitution Hill, the former Champion Hurdle winner, delivered a respectable performance in his recent Flat racing venture, finishing fifth in the £350,000 Group Two Gran Premio del Jockey Club at San Siro in Milan on Sunday. The nine-year-old, trained by Nicky Henderson and ridden by Rossa Ryan, was positioned towards the rear of the 12-horse field on ground that was much firmer than expected. Despite demonstrating a strong finish, Constitution Hill was unable to accelerate on the good ground as effectively as he can on softer surfaces.

The race was won decisively by the German-trained Stingray, who had previously secured victory in the event’s trial race. Constitution Hill’s traveling companion, Venetian Prince—trained by Andrew Balding—finished third. Constitution Hill crossed the line nearly level with Dubai Honour, a four-time Group One winner trained by William Haggas, who similarly preferred softer going.

Henderson commented that Constitution Hill ran a solid race under challenging conditions, noting that the pace of the race was strong and that the firmer ground may have hindered the nine-year-old’s usual acceleration. He noted that the English-trained horses claimed the third, fourth, and fifth places, highlighting the competitiveness of the field. Henderson also expressed interest in exploring the French racing program, where turf races are held later in the season and softer ground conditions might better suit Constitution Hill’s running style.

The horse’s late-career transition to Flat racing followed a series of setbacks in hurdles events, where he lost confidence after several falls in high-profile races such as the Champion Hurdle, Aintree Hurdle, and Fighting Fifth. Prior to these incidents, Constitution Hill had been defeated only once over hurdles when completing a race, underscoring his prior dominance in that discipline.

Earlier on the same racecard at San Siro, Crown Board, trained by Jane Chapple-Hyam and ridden by Marco Ghiani, claimed victory in a Group Three contest, adding further highlight to the day’s racing.