The Dublin Racing Festival was exciting, and now we wait. Cheltenham is still over a month away, but there’s plenty to talk about in the world of horse racing, while there is also a huge Saturday to come.
Newbury Facing Inspections, One Key Horse Out
Officials at Newbury insist everything is fine going into Saturday’s big meeting, despite the going now becoming very soft following more rain this week.
The Clerk of the Course has said publicly he is happy with the course. Newbury is known to drain very well, keeping the surface raceable. Since the last meeting there on January 14, no less than 116mm of rain fell, which is significantly more than Newbury is used to.
Testing conditions it is then. Racing goes ahead, but there is already at least one major omission from the card.
Jango Baie, favourite for the Gold Cup at Cheltenham, will not run in the Denman Chase. The testing ground has been cited by Nicky Henderson as the reason, leaving the King George fourth with no prep run ahead of the big one on March 13.
The seven-year-old, who still caught the eye despite missing out by half a length at Kempton on Boxing Day, was set to run in the £90,000 Grade Two, but the former Arkle winner will not be risked on ground this deep. Henderson doesn’t want to take the risk, though in fairness, it’s also a risk to go to a Gold Cup having not raced since Christmas, so it’ll be interesting for us all to try and evaluate his chances at Cheltenham.
Elsewhere on the card, the William Hill Hurdle is attracting plenty of bets. There aren’t too many trainers as good as Dan Skelton for preparing a horse for such an event, and his Let It Rain is attracting support. 11/4 is the best you’ll get as of Thursday morning, though we suspect he’ll be much shorter soon.
78 in the Grand National
At the first entries stage, 78 contenders have been given Grand National entries for the big race on April 11. A number of those dropping out will potentially be aimed at the Irish Grand National which is run five days earlier at Fairyhouse, while others may wait for the Scottish Grand National a week after Aintree.
The field should naturally thin out this year, though these days only 34 can line-up on the day. Two JP McManus horses, Iroko and former winner I Am Maximus, head the betting at 7/1 and 12/1 respectively. Haiti Couleurs comes next (14/1), the Rebecca Curtis runner who has won the Irish and Welsh Grand Nationals, and will now look to take advantage of Jango Baie’s absence in the Denman Chase. The Gold Cup is still a target for that one.
The mare Panic Attack (20/1) is already popular, while Captain Cody looks the perfect type to take on either this, or the Irish Grand National over Easter. Also back at 20/1 is the 2025 Grand National winner, Nick Rockett.
Owner Stuart Andrew’s Aintree hero hasn’t run since his big moment after suffering a small injury in training. He will undoubtedly need a race before trying for a second Grand National, with the Cheltenham Gold Cup perhaps on the radar.
Though winning it would be gratefully accepted, it isn’t seen as being a requirement for the nine-year-old. He’ll be forced to stretch out and put in the sort of work that cannot be replicated in morning work, which would make him A1 for Liverpool. Can he be the first dual winner since Tiger Roll?
Oisin Murphy to Ride Constitution Hill
As previously widely reported, troubled hurdler Constitution Hill is to have a spin around Southwell on the Flat this month. Trainer Nicky Henderson has repeated that this is a confidence-builder and that we will see the former Champion Hurdle hero back over obstacles soon, but we cannot help thinking that something like the Ascot Gold Cup could be on the radar this year.
There was much talk about who would be the ideal jockey for his run on the level, with Oisin Murphy the man entrusted with the task. Indeed, the multiple champion jockey was at Nicky Henderson’s Seven Barrows yard on Wednesday to have a sit on Constitution Hill.
“I would have been happy with any number of them, but I’m very happy to have Oisin!”@sevenbarrows has provided an update on Constitution Hill, who got acquainted with @oismurphy this morning…
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) February 4, 2026
Murphy, who has taken the Flat jockeys’ title five times, has now ridden the gelding who was struggling to stay on his feet over hurdles. A race over a mile and a half on the Tapeta surface on February 20 is the target, as Henderson’s looks to restore confidence in a horse who has fallen in three of his last four events.
Constitution Hill has also had some stalls practice, with his new rider said to be happy with him. Henderson is keeping quiet on whether Cheltenham, or a campaign on the Flat is next, reiterating this week that the team are concentrating only on Southwell for now.