Ross Millar: Monday's horse racing tips and weekend reflections

What a difference a week makes.

Last week we were all left frustrated as quick ground delayed the return of both Constitution Hill and L’Homme Presse at Ascot but, after sublime performances by the pair of them on Saturday, surely even the harshest of critics were left fully satisfied.

Constitution Hill was simply brilliant as he destroyed a small but select field in the Betfair Fighting Fifth at Newcastle. He led from flagfall and made easy work of his task with a display of powerful, bold jumping down the back straight before skimming over the obstacles up the home straight with pinpoint accuracy.

It was that jumping up the home straight that most impressed me. It’s been apparent from his first run at Sandown that he possessed a huge engine, but yesterday he demonstrated a previously unseen skill with his low slick jumping reminiscent of previous great two-mile hurdlers.

We’ve had plenty of exciting and talented horses in our sport over the years but none like Constitution Hill. Many of our former superstars would win by small margins with the depth of opposition and the ease of victory the tell-tale sign of brilliance, factors that require some knowledge of the sport before being fully appreciated.

Constitution Hill is different. He wins by big margins with very obvious superiority and it’s this that can see him transcend the sport in much the same way Flightline did in the US. Let’s hope every effort is made by those with a wider reach to shout about this wonderful horse - and his often under-appreciated genius of a trainer - and show our sport to the wider public who often only hear about racing in its darkest times. Every sport needs a star - he is ours and he must be celebrated fully.

Just 90 minutes later we were treated to another excellent performance when L’Homme Presse confirmed that he is a genuine top-class performer by carrying 12st to victory in the Rehearsal Chase.

His jumping, bar one mistake at the first fence in the home straight, was once again foot-perfect and aided by the superb Charlie Deutsch he found a super rhythm. While none of his leaps were spectacular they were all effective and efficient – exactly what you want in a test of endurance.

His previous wins over 2m4f had shown that L’Homme Presse wasn’t short of gears and this enabled him to travel comfortably into the home straight as first Into Overdrive and then the long-absent Happygolucky started to falter. Horses trained in Ireland dominate the three-mile chase division but make no mistake - he is a live threat wherever he turns up next.

The card at Newbury also played its part in a Saturday of high-class action. McFabulous jumped well to run out a wide margin winner of the John Francome Novices’ Chase though an average round of jumping by the favourite Thyme Hill simplified his task.

Brothers Dan and Harry Skelton won the feature race on the card for the second week in a row as Le Milos delivered on a well executed plan on just his second start for the yard. Remastered, who was travelling well when falling last year, ran a big race to finish runner-up though my feeling is that he was perhaps keeping a bit for himself in the closing stages. Maybe the addition of headgear can help him find a bit more improvement? The eye-catcher of the race was undoubtedly Corach Rambler who powered home from a long way back. The Lucinda Russell team know exactly what it takes to win the Grand National and I’d be surprised if his season didn’t now revolve around Aintree.

Just the one jumps card from Catterick on Monday – live on Racing TV – and I have three selections.

1.30 Catterick: Royal Mogul

He’s comfortably good enough to win this moderate-looking contest if wind surgery and the addition of a tongue-tie bring about even the smallest amount of improvement.

Royal Mogul showed improved form on his first start for Donald McCain when second in a novice hurdle at Wetherby and he could feasibly have won that but for wandering on the approach to the final flight and jumping the hurdle slowly.

Subsequent wind surgery would suggest that a breathing issue and the resulting reduced oxygen supply might have been the cause of that deviation off a true path while the winner at Wetherby, Ukantango, has since gone on to finish second in a decent contest at Cheltenham which suggests the form was solid enough.

2.30 Catterick: Herewegohoney

A small field with little between the four runners in the opening betting market.

Herewegohoney is the only mare in the line-up without chasing experience and she did run moderately on her return at Bangor in October, but this step-up in trip looks virtually assured to bring about further improvement given how powerfully she finished when winning twice last season over 2m4f at Doncaster and Chepstow.

On the last occasion, she gave 10lbs to runner-up La Renommee and beat her by a widening two lengths. That rival is now rated 112, which firmly suggests a mark of 116 is not a true reflection of Herewegohoney’s ability.

Much will depend on how she takes to fences but I expect a positive ride from Connor Brace, who will be full of confidence with two winners to his name this weekend.

3.00 Catterick: Johnson’s Blue

Dual-purpose trainer Mark Walford is enjoying a good start to the jumps season with 17 winners on the board already and he places his horses well, as demonstrated by Into Overdrive who - prior to Saturday - had won his last four starts and climbed from a mark of 112 to 138.

Johnson’s Blue was another who racked up four wins in a row before finally coming up short in a Pertemps qualifier at Aintree in November where he could only manage fourth. That form looks solid with the winner Remastered and the fifth-placed Gericault Roque finishing second and third in the Coral Gold Cup on Saturday.

Johnson’s Blue only weakened inside the final furlong of that race and it’s worth noting it was his first start for 112 days. I expect him to strip fitter now and, having previously won over both 2m4f and 2m6f, I expect him to use his high cruising speed to dominate this race from the front.