Nicky Henderson has identified options at Ascot and Newbury for Constitution Hill’s next appearance — before an intriguing overseas trip to Bahrain enters the picture later in the autumn.

The Seven Barrows superstar saw his official Flat rating raised to 108 despite a first defeat on the level in Kempton’s September Stakes on his latest outing, a hike which effectively rules out handicaps on home soil for one of the sport’s flagship names.

Having since spent time poring over the programme book, Henderson is looking at a couple of October Group Three prizes for the nine-year-old’s next start ahead of a possible international adventure the following month.

Henderson said: “The two races in England look to be the Cumberland Lodge at Ascot [October 3] or the St Simon [Stakes, October 24] at Newbury, I would have said.

“There are races abroad and there is a race in Bahrain, but I would have said one of the two English races [next], they are both Group Threes and are probably the obvious ones.”

With the Cumberland Lodge clashing with the Sun Chariot at Newmarket as well as high-ranking contests on day one of Longchamp’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe fixture, Henderson is hoping Constitution Hill might avoid meeting the same calibre of opposition as he did at Kempton, where he was beaten into fourth place behind the now 117-rated Pride Of Arras.

“You would think the Group One horses will be emigrating for the Arc and not going there,” he continued.

“The Cumberland Lodge is on Arc weekend, while in the September Stakes we ran into a trial for a lot of Group One and Group Two horses that might otherwise be running elsewhere.

“Ascot is not too far away, but he’ll be ready and he’s in good shape. Ground will enter the equation as well, but it will be nice to get him back on turf again and that will be a main thing. So far on the Flat he thinks everything happens on a beach!”

Defeat at Kempton may have curtailed dreams of a run in the Melbourne Cup, but another international option may have been discovered for Constitution Hill in the form of the newly created Gulf of Bahrain Cup.

The valuable handicap is run on the Bahrain International Trophy undercard on November 13, which clashes with the opening day of the November meeting at Cheltenham, where Henderson is expected to saddle Jonbon in the Shloer Chase.

He added: “We are looking at it and Goblet Of Fire could even go there. I’ve no idea about the ground over there but it’s worth $400,000 or similar.”

Meanwhile, connections of Joseph O’Brien’s Doncaster St Leger runner-up Enceladus are convinced they have a top-class middle distance performer to go to war with next season.

The rapidly improving three-year-old may be done for the year after chasing home his Saffie Osborne-ridden stablemate Highwayman in last Saturday’s showpiece on Town Moor, with owners Flaxman Stables set to discuss plans when the trainer returns from Keeneland at the end of the week.

But if the Leger was the last dance of a campaign which has seen the son of Sea The Stars progress from handicaps to Classics, connections believe that as a four-year-old he should have the best mile and a half contests in his sights.

“We were very happy with the run as the winner is a very good horse and obviously very progressive,” said Aurelien Voileau, racing manager to the Flaxman Stables, owned by the Niarchos family.

“We’re delighted with the run. It was the first one at Group One level and the first time over the distance, so it worked out well.

“We are not sure just yet whether he will have another run this season. He just got home on Sunday and is all happy and good, but we will take a few days to reassess the plan and to see if Joseph wants to go one more time.

“If we do put him away for the winter and give him time to strengthen into his big frame, he is going to be quite exciting next year.”