Concerns over reputational risk could see racing authorities exert greater influence over the placement of elite horses such as Constitution Hill.
These were comments made on the latest episode of the Upping The Ante, where host David Jennings and professional punter Johnny Dineen questioned whether decisions around running Constitution Hill in the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival would remain solely with owners and trainers.
Dineen argued that a serious injury to a high-profile horse on jump racing’s biggest stage would create a significant PR issue and provide ammunition to anti-racing groups. He suggested that senior figures within the sport may seek to influence campaigning decisions to limit reputational damage.
“I’m not so sure that it’s entirely up to the owner or the trainer,” Dineen said, adding that discussions could be taking place behind the scenes given the commercial importance of marquee horses to the wider industry.
Away from governance issues, the episode focused on ante-post strategy and early Festival selections. Following the withdrawal of Narcisso Has, Dineen reiterated his approach of treating all ante-post bets as lost once placed to manage the impact of non-runners and market volatility.
The duo also discussed the strength of Irish-trained runners, with Dineen predicting British yards may struggle to reach ten winners in 2026. Despite that view, he added Wendigo (9/1) for the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase to his portfolio, alongside Leader Dalier (16/1) in the Supreme.
Jennings put forward Release The Beast (25/1) for the Grand Annual, citing preparation and race profile.
Dineen also forecast target races for several leading contenders, including Lossiemouth in the Mares’ Hurdle and Fact To File in the Ryanair Chase.
The show concluded with standard segments, as Luna Artista was named ‘Star of the Week’, while other underperformers were added to Dineen’s watchlist.
