Dubai Honour set to clash with Constitution Hill in Italy

Dubai Honour is no stranger to overseas adventures and William Haggas’ globetrotter will get his passport stamped once again when he joins Constitution Hill in Italy on Sunday.

Like his former Champion Hurdle-winning rival, the Somerville Lodge money-spinner had the option of Newbury’s BetVictor St Simon Stakes as a back-up for the weekend, but is fully primed for a trip to Milan for the Gran Premio del Jockey Club after just falling short of a fourth Group One in Germany last month.

A win in the San Siro Group Two would be the 11th in a glittering career for the eight-year-old who has bagged over £5million in prize-money throughout his career and is still going strong.

Haggas said: “He’s going to run in Italy on Sunday. He ran well in Germany last time, Goliath got the better of him again and has beaten him twice now, he’s just a bit better than him at this stage of life, but Goliath is a good horse.

“He keeps doing really well and he’s very much part of the furniture – we’ve got a few old boys here and he fits in very well with them, he’s a grand old horse.”

While Dubai Honour will be bringing proven worldwide Group form to the table in his Italian expedition, most eyes will be focused on Nicky Henderson’s fledgling Flat convert.

Haggas, who counts Constitution Hill’s owner Michael Buckley among his own band of patrons, admitted he will be fascinated to see how the once hurdling king fares in what will be an intriguing event which went the way of another British raider last year, Andrew Balding’s Eydon.

He added: “Constitution Hill is unexposed on the Flat, he’s a similar age to Dubai Honour and is a very good horse, a very talented horse. It will be very interesting.”