Seven-time champion jockey John Francome joined Unbridled to preview Saturday’s BetMGM Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle, where Constitution Hill is set to take on The New Lion and Anzadam.
Five are set to go for Gosforth Park’s Grade 1 prize at 2pm on Saturday – live on Sky Sports Racing – with the 2023 Champion Hurdle king at the top of the market at declaration time on Thursday.
Both horse and jockey Nico de Boinville have experienced difficulty over obstacles in recent months, with Constitution Hill suffering two falls before his rider sustained a broken collarbone at Plumpton on Easter Monday.
Speaking on Unbridled, Francome said: “There’s a few things that are relevant. I watched Nico ride Jango Baie on Saturday at Ascot. Nicky [Henderson] was off chatting to someone else, he [Nico] turned around and said, ‘just put that horse’s rug straight’. Funnily enough, Harry Cobden did that at Ludlow the other day on one of James Owen’s. It’s those little things – the attention to detail.
“Nicky asked him if he wanted a pacemaker in the Fighting Fifth and he said no. He’s a big cog at Seven Barrows and he’s in that position because he knows what he’s doing.”
The duo are of course no strangers to performing miracles with talented horses many onlookers have deemed to be past their best, most notably with Sprinter Sacre’s return to the top table in the 2016 Queen Mother Champion Chase.
On De Boinville, Francome added: “The first ride he ever had at Cheltenham he would happily tell you he wasn’t the best. He’s bright enough that on Saturday when he lines up with Constitution Hill, he will know that when he goes over a hurdle, he paddles. That’s when they are confused about where they’re going to put their feet – you get horses doing it show jumping.”
Having appeared unbeatable in his prior starts, Michael Buckley’s horse fell in dramatic fashion when looking to regain his Champion Hurdle title in March 2025 before infamously doing the same again at Aintree a month later. A trip to Punchestown later in the season proved a non-event, with a clean round of jumping only good enough for a 27-length defeat at the hands of State Man on away soil.
On the eight-year-old’s jumping, Francome mused: “In the Hickstead Derby, just as you go away from the collecting ring there’s an area with big white poles, a hedge and more white poles. Every now and again you get a horse just stick his foot down and be not quite sure whether to land on that bit, or where they should be putting their front feet. Constitution Hill has got into the habit of being unsure where’s taking off from.
“Nico’s job is to make sure that he is in no doubt where he’s going to be taking off from. He’s the fastest hurdler I’ve ever seen when he’s on song but when he’s slightly unsure about what he’s doing, you have to temper that by keeping a hold of his head.”
The Seven Barrows yard spent the Summer trying to coax the jewel in the crown back to his former glories, which has included multiple tests on his eyes alongside schooling over the specific hurdles used at Newcastle on Fighting Fifth day.
However Francome, who is best associated over hurdles with the 1981 champion Sea Pigeon, believes Saturday’s race will be won and lost with the jockey. He said: “Richard Johnson – only AP McCoy has ridden more winners than him – when he had a fall it was always because he’d have a horse on the bridle and three strides before, every now and again he’d let go of their heads.
“The horse is balancing with the reigns and all of a sudden – going 30 miles per hour – that is changed, and most of his falls were down to that. Nico has to make sure that on Saturday he has a hold of his head the whole time so he knows what the horse is doing, and when he’s going to be jumping.
Nico de Boinville will once again ride Constitution Hill on Saturday
“It’s going to be interesting to watch because there’s two things going on. Have they sorted his jumping out? And secondly, has Nicky got him back to his best? I have absolutely no doubt that Nicky has him back in tip-top shape but whether he jumps well or not – that will be down to Nico.”
When asked about potential tactics, Francome offered a detailed assessment of what could potentially play out in the north-east showdown, commenting: “It’s only good driving them if they’re on a stride that you’re sure they’re going to come up on. If he makes the running, the horse has got loads of boot and he’s never going to be in a position where he hasn’t got something to go forward with.
“Most horses get into trouble jumping because after they’ve gone half a mile or a mile, there’s nothing left to go forward with to a fence. [With] the good ones – you have a choice. You can either stay at the pace you’re going and say, ‘come here just a little bit’ or, ‘go on, we’ll go for a long one’. That goes out of the window for most horses because they’re tired so you have to make sure they’re on the right stride. Nico won’t have that problem as there will always be a little bit more petrol for him to go forward with.
“On this horse, he’s one that I would stick up the backside of the horse in front so he has nothing to think about before pulling him out and letting him jump. If you’ve ridden thousands of horses you’ll understand what I’m saying. They’re off the bridle, they see the hurdle and do something instinctively as opposed to seeing the hurdle for a long time and not knowing what they’re going to do.”
Watch the BetMGM Fighting Fifth Hurdle – live on Sky Sports Racing from Newcastle at 2pm on Saturday November 29