The ghost of a lost star hangs over Sandown as Constitution Hill thrills Buckley

At no point from the afternoon's start to its finish was the sky anything other than grey.

From that gloomy sky rain fell in abundance, much of it as six young horses walked around Sandown's paddock at 2.15pm. It was miserable weather, yet the person happiest to experience it was the man who had just arrived from Florida. On Sunday he will return to America with a heart full of happiness and hope.

Michael Buckley said he had never previously worn a hat at the races. He may also never have spoken with such feeling and sincerity as he did following Constitution Hill's glorious victory in the Unibet Tolworth Hurdle. It's also just possible he has never owned a jumps horse with the raw ability of his new star. Maybe that's why he was so willing to talk about the long-lost animal who won only a single race in his silks but still seems to define his time in racing.