Southwell specialist Havlin can see no issue with Constitution Hill outing

Robert Havlin anticipates Constitution Hill will encounter few problems when he switches code from National Hunt to the Flat at Southwell next month.

The eight-year-old has been pencilled in for a prep run before a possible tilt at regaining his crown in the Unibet Champion Hurdle on February 20 at the Nottinghamshire circuit after a £40,000 one-mile-four-furlong novice contest was added to the Friday Night Live card.

Constitution Hill’s season has been on hold since falling for the third time in four outings on his return to action in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle in November, and trainer Nicky Henderson has been keen to find a race in which to run him on the level before the Cheltenham Festival.

Weighing-room veteran Havlin is familiar with the course having partnered 87 winners from 598 rides and told the Press Association: “He always looks like a horse that has got a high cruising speed. There’s been plenty of horses drop back from jumping to Flat racing successfully, Willie Mullins makes a good go of it doesn’t he?

“The only thing is sometimes Southwell can ride quick, the track can tighten up so I don’t know if that would possibly be a problem to him.

“When I’ve watched him running I shouldn’t think it would be. The way he travels through his races, he’s obviously been well touted as a horse with a high cruising speed so I shouldn’t think it would be too much of a bother unless he wants to run over five furlongs which might be a bit of a problem!

“Southwell’s quite a fair track, you can ride a real waiting race and also you can make the running and get away with it.

“Everybody says every track’s got a specific bias to front runners or hold-up horses, but I think Southwell covers all bases really. The dimensions of the track really can let you cover all bases, so I always think it’s a great course to drop a horse in and ride a patient race on.

“I’m never too worried about the draw there because it’s not a track that is essential to be on the speed.

“The draw only comes into it if you’re on a horse that needs to be on the speed and you get drawn out of it then obviously you could get caught wide, but I always think at Southwell unless you’re a real speed horse that needs to be up there, you can always drop in and take your time.”

Like many of his colleagues, Havlin would love to be offered the opportunity to ride Constitution Hill on his maiden voyage and quipped: “I think everybody will be putting their hands up for the ride wouldn’t they? Nico de Boinville might get his dual licence out and ride him anyway!

“I’ve ridden plenty of Flat horses that have moved on to the jumps, but not many that have come back the other way. I’ve ridden loads of dual-purpose horses so it’s not something that would be out of the ordinary for any Flat jockey. There’s always horses that are dual purpose and there are plenty of them around.

“The big handicaps at Ascot you’ll always find dual-purpose horses, the two miles and as such so you just kind of ride them typically the same really.”