SportHorse racingSeptember StakesRain will be the deciding factor in whether Constitution Hill lines up in a Listed race on the Flat on Saturday, according to his trainer who promised to keep the public informed15:15, 24 Aug 2026Nicky Henderson is 'hoping for rain' in order to run former star hurdler Constitution Hill in his first race at Listed level on the Flat on Saturday.‌The former undisputed champion of the hurdling division switched codes in February after a sequence of three falls in four races. He recorded a stunning win at Southwell, scoring by seven lengths before a record crowd at Southwell. Then he won another novice stakes at Kempton in March when he was ridden by Ryan Moore who said “he’s certainly got enough pace to be competitive in Group races at a mile-and-a-half.”‌He has yet to face that test but could make his Flat debut on turf at Windsor on Saturday after featuring among 19 entries for the Weatherbys August Stakes.‌Henderson pinpointed the extended one-mile-three-furlong event as a possible objective in mid-July but as it continues to be dry, the September Stakes at Kempton on the all-weather is a back-up option.Henderson said: "All these races are going to be very competitive, I'm sure. I think quite a few are waiting for some rain and I can see what will happen because if it doesn't rain, you'll probably find we'll all be in the Kempton race as well."He's in very good shape, we couldn't be happier. It will be his first run in a while, he's had a good break. He's ready to start, his campaign starts here and we'll see where we go afterwards."‌Henderson hopes the race will provide a clearer picture of just how far he can progress up the Flat rankings after his next appearance."You're going into a different game. He's run in two novice races, let's face it, and that told us he can run quite fast over a mile and a half, but that's all he had to do on those occasions," he continued.‌"This will be different altogether – it will be a very stiff test, but it will tell us where we are."We're all hoping for the rain, but we'll just have to see what happens. The good thing is you've got Kempton as a back-up there and he's got to have a run now. He's ready to run to get us ready for whatever we're going to do next, but I've no idea what that is."Article continues belowHe added: "We want to make a decision as early as possible, for everybody's sake. There's no point getting into a situation where we're umming and ahhing on Friday and then taking him out on Saturday morning."We appreciate that he's very popular and that people will want to go and see him. The last thing we want to do is take him out at the last minute because the rain hasn't materialised."Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.‌Nicky HendersonSeptember StakesKempton Park racecourseWindsor racecourse