Perhaps the best indication of what we had seen on a day in a long time came from one of the riders who had ended up well beaten.
The masses flock to Kempton Park on Boxing Day hoping to see something special, to be able to go home and tell anyone who will listen that “I was there”; Hopes are usually pinned on Ladbrokes King George VI Chase to produce another Desert Orchid or Kauto Star.
On this occasion, however, the three-mile grand line was relegated to the role of a support act. Banbridge, trained by Joseph O'Brien and ridden beautifully by Paul Townend, grabbed the flamboyant favorite Il Est Francais after the final fence to confirm himself as an improving horse.
But the headlines hit Constitution Hill and no one could argue that was wrong: the most popular horse in training arrived at Sunbury-on-Thames with questions to answer, but left leaving a crowd gaping after his thrilling success in the Christmas Hurdle. .
Constitution Hill was winning this Grade One race for the third year in a row, beating the exciting mare Lossiemouth, ridden by Townend, by almost three lengths. Again in third place was Burdett Road, accompanied by reigning champion jockey Harry Cobden.
“He's just a freak,” said Cobden, who couldn't believe how easily Constitution Hill passed him between the final two legs after he had launched a relentless gallop, trying to expose his weaknesses. “He is simply the best of the best.”
Constitution Hill returned with a vengeance to thrill again at Kempton's Boxing Day meeting
The Nicky Henderson-trained horse won the Grade One Christmas Hurdle three times and quickly beat Lossiemouth (right) by three lengths.
The horse hasn't been able to race for a year, but victory in the King George VI Chase Day made it all worth it.
It absolutely is: it had been a year since we last saw the Constitution Hill race, the last 12 months having been marked by illness and a couple of unsatisfactory gallops. He has been using it for connections, including trainer Nicky Henderson, but this made it all worth it.
When Nico de Boinville allowed Constitution Hill to move forward after the course turned towards home, it sparked the kind of joy that gave goosebumps. Lossiemouth are brilliant and were expertly coached by Willie Mullins, but were helpless when their rivals' afterburners came into play.
'He is a champion; “He's an exceptional horse,” said Michael Buckley, the gelding's owner, whose confidence had been boosted by knowing a big show was coming after a gallop at Seven Barrows three weeks ago when Constitution Hill annihilated two of his stablemates. upper class.
'I can't believe how many people come up to me and ask me how he is, how he is and that sort of thing. It is very popular. I was getting a little tired of some of the stuff we were writing, of him being a demoted horse. Who knows? Maybe he's still getting better.
If he is, and there is no reason to doubt that he is not, having only raced nine times, then he simply will not be beaten if he runs in the Champion Hurdle next March. The bookies took evasive action and reduced their price for that race to 4/5, but even those odds for the big race look generous.
It remains to be seen whether Ronnie Bartlett-owned Banbridge will scale those heights, but it will be remembered as an excellent victory for King George and as heartbreaking as it was for Il Est Francais, who led at each of the 18 fences. , O'Brien was ecstatic.
Banbridge won the main race of the day, but was overshadowed by the hugely popular horse.
Harry Redknapp (second right) won the inaugural competition with his horse The Jukebox Man
“It's a dream to win a King George,” O'Brien said, doing something his father, Aidan, has not accomplished. “He's really special and I grew up watching races like this. Paul gave him a great ride and I feel a bit sorry for JJ (Slevin) who has an association with the horse but had commitments in Ireland.
It says everything how imposing Constitution Hill was on the day Harry Redknapp found himself in a supporting role after his Ben Pauling-trained The Jukebox Man took out the inaugural Grade One contest, the Kauto Star Novices Chase.
“Hopefully we'll go to Cheltenham in March,” smiled Redknapp. 'I had to stop and look at him, I didn't want anyone around me. But what a thrill that was. He's had sore heels in recent days, but he's done brilliantly. He is the best horse I have ever had. What a day!
And those words were totally appropriate. What a day indeed!