In a dramatic turn at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival, superstar hurdler Constitution Hill has been cleared of any fault following its shocking fall in the Champion Hurdle, sparking calls from former jockey Lizzie Kelly for race directors to address longstanding track issues that have plagued the sport. The incident, which unfolded on the opening day of the event, not only ended the horse’s unbeaten streak but also spared bookmakers an estimated £50 million in payouts, echoing a massive financial “collapse” for punters reminiscent of past Cheltenham upsets. Kelly, a Cheltenham Festival winner herself, insists that officials must “fix the problem” to prevent future disasters, highlighting how unresolved concerns from years earlier nearly repeated themselves in catastrophic fashion.

The Champion Hurdle, one of horse racing’s crown jewels, descended into chaos as Constitution Hill, the 1-2 favorite trained by Nicky Henderson and ridden by Nico de Boinville, stepped directly onto the front of a hurdle early in the race. The eight-year-old gelding, who had dominated the division with victories including the 2023 Champion Hurdle, couldn’t recover from the blunder, parting company with its jockey and handing the lead to rivals. Compounding the drama, second-favorite State Man, under Paul Townend, took a commanding position but tumbled at the final flight, allowing unheralded 25-1 shot Golden Ace, ridden by Lorcan Williams, to storm to an improbable victory. Both fallen horses walked away unscathed, with Constitution Hill quickly returning to the paddock, but the race’s outcome left fans and experts reeling.

Post-race analysis quickly shifted blame away from the horse or its connections. ITV pundit Ruby Walsh dissected the fall, noting how Constitution Hill “steps clean into the middle of the hurdle” due to a misjudgment exacerbated by the obstacle’s design. No official inquiry pinned fault on de Boinville or Henderson, effectively allowing Constitution Hill to “escape guilt” in the eyes of the racing community. Instead, attention turned to potential environmental factors, such as hurdle padding and visibility—issues that have simmered in the sport for years. Discussions on forums like Betfair have pointed to recent changes in hurdle coverings, including white padding added to the tops, which some argue creates optical illusions or unfamiliar contrasts for horses, leading to repeated stumbles.

Lizzie Kelly, who rode to glory at Cheltenham in 2019, has been vocal in podcasts following the event, expressing cynicism over Constitution Hill’s tarnished “legacy” and urging racecourse bosses to intervene. Drawing parallels to a near-miss in 2023, when the horse was tricked by a shadow cast over the final hurdle during its Champion Hurdle triumph, Kelly emphasized that such problems demand immediate remedies. “Race directors need to fix the issue,” she echoed from her earlier warnings, arguing that unaddressed track anomalies nearly caused disaster back then and fully materialized this time, years after the sport’s last major financial shock. In 2023, Constitution Hill veered perilously close to unseating its rider due to the shadow, a moment that could have derailed its perfect record. Kelly, writing for the Daily Mail at the time, highlighted how such visual tricks on the course pose unnecessary risks to elite athletes like Constitution Hill, whose laid-back temperament—possibly inherited from breeding lines—makes it particularly susceptible to distractions.

This latest incident bears an eerie resemblance to historical Cheltenham calamities, particularly the 2015 festival where bookmakers dodged a £50 million “hammering” thanks to a string of favorite failures dubbed the “Four Horses of the Apocalypse.” Fast-forward a decade, and Constitution Hill’s demise provided similar relief for the betting industry. William Hill’s Lee Phelps admitted the fall averted massive liabilities from popular accumulators, while BetVictor’s Sam Boswell declared it a “one-nil” win for bookies on day one. Punters, who had piled on the unbeaten star expected to reclaim its crown after missing 2024 due to injury, faced heartbreak as their stakes evaporated in the chaos.

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) confirmed Constitution Hill emerged from the fall without injury, offering hope for a comeback. Trainer Henderson has dismissed retirement rumors, insisting the horse’s future remains bright despite the setback. Yet Kelly’s plea resonates beyond this single race. As a female trailblazer in a male-dominated sport, she advocates for proactive changes, such as improved hurdle lighting, standardized padding, or even shadow-minimizing designs, to safeguard horses and riders. “These aren’t isolated events,” she implied in recent discussions, pointing to a pattern where track imperfections amplify minor errors into major incidents.

The fallout has polarized opinions on Constitution Hill’s status. Once hailed as one of the greatest hurdlers ever, with a perfect record shattered only by this mishap, its legacy now invites debate. Pre-race predictions from Kelly herself had backed the horse to win by a few lengths, underscoring the unforeseen nature of the fall. As Cheltenham reflects on a day of upsets—including Majborough’s Arkle flop—the broader conversation shifts to accountability. Will race directors heed Kelly’s call, or will history repeat, risking more “disasters” and financial collapses? For now, Constitution Hill stands cleared, but the sport’s guardians face mounting pressure to ensure its stars gallop without such shadows looming large.