Rossa Ryan has been confirmed to ride Constitution Hill in the Group Two Gran Premio del Jockey Club at San Siro, Milan, on Sunday. The 2023 Champion Hurdle winner will make his first overseas appearance since retiring from jumping earlier this year.

Constitution Hill, trained by Nicky Henderson, has transitioned to flat racing with mixed surfaces, having won twice on all-weather tracks prior to this upcoming race. The Gran Premio del Jockey Club will mark his fourth flat race and his first on turf.

The ride on Constitution Hill became available after regular jockeys Oisin Murphy, Ryan Moore, and Billy Loughnane were unavailable for the Milan event, which Henderson’s team preferred over entering the horse at Newbury’s St Simon Stakes on the same weekend.

Ryan, who was recently in Milan, said he was contacted by Henderson to assess the ground conditions ahead of the race. He noted that heavy rainfall—around 52 millimeters between Wednesday and Thursday—is forecast, resulting in soft ground conditions. Ryan indicated this surface could suit Constitution Hill, echoing Murphy’s view that the horse performs better on softer ground.

In a related development, Billy Loughnane, the newly crowned champion jockey, will miss out on riding Libertango, the Cheveley Park Stakes runner-up, in the upcoming Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland. Loughnane is unable to make the required weight, leading to Flavien Prat taking over the ride for the event next week.