Amid an uncertain time for the horseracing industry…

Amid an uncertain time for the horseracing industry what does the future hold for Constitution Hill?

The article below is an excerpt from my newsletter: Independent Racing with Jonathan Doidge. To get my latest thoughts, tips and insights from the Cheltenham Festival pop your email address into the box above to get the newsletter direct to your inbox each week.

Having given him a mention last week, many congratulations to Sean Bowen, who did indeed push through the 200-winner barrier again and has had another good week in the plate. AP McCoy’s record really could be under threat in the coming couple of months.

There was also mixed news from the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) this week, with regard to where 2025 left the sport. Prize money and attendances at racecourses improved during the 12 calendar months but both betting revenue and field sizes, with the exception of the big festivals and Saturday cards, was down.

The long-term forecast is that field sizes will continue to decline over the next couple of years, which is clearly a worrying trend for all concerned in the sport, as well as those laying bets. Fewer runners tend to make less attractive betting propositions and people just choose to keep their money in their pockets.

Betting turnover has now dropped by more than 10 per cent in three years, with affordability checks being cited by BHA director of racing, Richard Wayman, as a key reason. The amount of actual racing, in terms of number of races, has barely changed and is beginning to look like its own law of diminishing returns.

Meanwhile, the spotlight must shine on my Horse of the Week and this week it has to be Constitution Hill. I hope you were on last Friday evening, when he ran away with the contest at Southwell. As I’d said last week, hurdling’s loss was the Nottinghamshire track’s gain.

It’s now Flat racing’s gain, given the decision by trainer Nicky Henderson and owner Michael Buckley to retire him from hurdling and pursue other targets. I sincerely hope he doesn’t become ‘just another horse’ but you’d have to say that is more likely than not.

The figure he ran to last week was good but he’ll need to be significantly better to contest races at elite level in that code and age is obviously not on his side. It would be great to think that he can head Down Under and return with a Melbourne Cup – as connections have thrown out there – but there’s a fair bit to be done first.

At his best he was a magnificent hurdler. I have a personal photo on my phone of when he winged the last at Cheltenham a few years ago, captured in flight and it’s a sight to behold. Here’s wishing him success in the next phase of his career.

While he won’t be at Cheltenham, we certainly will and the Independent offices are buzzing ahead of what will be a fabulous four days. It’s racing big moment to showcase its stars and the levels of anticipation for what’s about to unfold are off the scale.

I’ll be there for every hoofprint, with glorious victories to record and hard luck stories aplenty. We’ll have a daily newsletter from Prestbury Park, with the best bets and tips throughout the week. Bring it on.