Pride Rock and the 2026 Champion Hurdle

Remember the moment in The Lion King when Rafiki raises Simba to the heavens on Pride Rock? I’m wondering if we are going to witness another passing of the baton at Newcastle on Saturday.

Constitution Hill has ruled the two-mile hurdling division in reputation if not always performance for the last couple of years, but I think his time is at an end, and The Fighting Fifth will prove to be The New Lion’s Pride Rock moment.

While home reports suggest the old king still has what it takes, I have my doubts. He hasn’t been at his imperious best for two years now. My guess is that he is now “only” capable of a low 160s performance, even if he has regained his enthusiasm and slick hurdling. We all slow down as we get older, and he’s picked up a few scars along the way, too.

Will that be good enough? Possibly, but I suspect at least one of his main rivals will step up and show the improvement needed to surpass that figure. Anzadam is very difficult to weigh up. What are we supposed to make of beating an eleven-year-old Beacon Edge in receipt of 2lbs? Your guess is as good as mine. He’s firmly in the could-be-anything camp, but he will need to be pretty special to win this. Not all of Willie’s are reappearing in top form this season, which is nothing new. He likes to build them up gradually throughout the season. He’s never been in a battle either. Will he have the experience, let alone the ability, on Saturday?

The Skeltons have repeatedly shown they can get one ready for the day, and I suspect they will have The New Lion pretty close to his peak for this. He’s got to find a couple of pounds on what he’s shown us so far, but he’s only six and is already battle-hardened after his win at the festival, where he had to get down and dirty. He travels like a proper horse, too.

Given that he has already proven his ability to handle Cheltenham’s old course and the atmosphere at the festival, I am backing him at 4/1 for the Champion Hurdle as well as for Saturday’s race.

Whichever way the cards fall on Saturday, it should be a fantastic race, and whoever has the pace to win will surely be too fast for Lossiemouth in March should she take the Champion Hurdle route this time.