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The Cheltenham Festival preview night circuit is officially under way for Johnny Dineen and it is full steam ahead from now until the tapes rise in March.
Fresh from landing another 20/1 Festival Squad selection, Dineen is back on the road sharing his latest insights and strong opinions as anticipation builds towards the Cheltenham Festival.
One of the major talking points this week centres on Constitution Hill and his intended outing at Southwell Racecourse on Friday. There are still questions to answer, including whether he will even make it to the start of his own race, but all eyes will be on how he shapes up ahead of Cheltenham.
Ryanair Chase
They describe the Ryanair as a complete shambles because nobody knows what is actually running. Johnny says the only horse he sees as guaranteed is Heartwood. He suggests Gaelic Warrior is the most likely to switch into it, while Fact To File could go for the Gold Cup instead.
He argues there should be a rule forcing connections to declare a week out, even if it means some horses miss the race due to ground changes.
When pushed to name four likely runners, Johnny lists Heartwood, Firefox, Gaelic Warrior and Bambridge. He also says he doesn’t think Jonbon will run in the race.
Gold Cup
They briefly discuss the Gold Cup in the context of where Fact To File and Gaelic Warrior could end up, with Johnny leaning towards them clashing in the Gold Cup rather than the Ryanair.
He also argues Firefox has no business in the Gold Cup and would be better placed in the Ryanair.
Arkle
They use Romeo Coolio as an example of how a one-week declaration rule could cause issues, saying he might be forced to miss Cheltenham entirely if the ground changed suddenly.
Johnny also says Romeo Coolio had a very hard race at the Dublin Racing Festival, which could be a reason he might not even go to Cheltenham.
Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase
Romeo Coolio is again mentioned here, as they debate whether he would be rerouted into this instead of the Arkle if the ground came up better.
Champion Hurdle
Constitution Hill’s situation is a major talking point. They discuss the upcoming Southwell run and whether a big performance would make him a serious Champion Hurdle contender. They also mention that if he bolts up at Southwell, he could shorten significantly in the market.
They also reference how the Champion Hurdle division isn’t looking particularly strong, and Johnny suggests Constitution Hill would be very dangerous if back to his best.
Supreme Novices’ Hurdle
They talk about the Supreme while discussing Willie Mullins’ Cheltenham press day comments. David says Mullins mentioned Leader Dalia first, suggesting he believes the horse is much improved compared to earlier in the season.
They also debate whether Mighty Park will go Supreme or Turners, with David leaning towards Turners.
Turners Novices’ Hurdle
They discuss Mighty Park and suggest Willie Mullins may target him at the Turners rather than the Supreme. They also mention King Rocco Grey and Mullins believing he can reverse form with Talk To Talk and Ballyfad.
Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle
Johnny adds Carrick Moon Spruce at 20/1 as a Festival Squad pick. He argues Bambino Fever and Old School Outlaw set a strong standard, but says if one horse beats Bambino Fever it could win the race outright. He points to Carrick Moon Spruce’s bumper wins and her effort behind Skylight Hustle and Talk To Talk as reasons she could be overpriced.
Other horses mentioned in the discussion include Bambino Fever, Old School Outlaw, Skylight Hustle and Talk To Talk.
Albert Bartlett
They highlight Apache Tribe as Johnny’s “never ordinary moment” horse of the week. He says the horse looked an absolute certainty after two hurdles and didn’t belong in the race. They mention connections talking about aiming him at the Albert Bartlett.
Fred Winter
They mention Mullaghga as a possible Fred Winter type depending on her mark, with Johnny suggesting she has the ability to win a handicap like that.
Constitution Hill Southwell race
They discuss Constitution Hill’s flat run at Southwell and whether the race will even fill. Possible rivals mentioned include Robson and Switch Hitter. They also mention City Of Troy as an example of a star horse struggling on an unfamiliar surface, though Johnny expects Constitution Hill to win if he’s anywhere near his best.