The £40,000 novice event at Southwell may not contain Constitution Hill after the ballot order was decided on Sunday. That race’s declarations will tell more on Wednesday after the Grand National weights reveal on Tuesday.
Find out all of the racing news today in our Monday round-up below.
Constitution Hill not certain of place at Southwell
Former Champion Hurdler Constitution Hill is in danger of missing out on running in his intended prep race at Southwell. The £40,000 novice event has attracted a bumper number of 32 entries due to its prize money. As such, due to various factors determining the best field, Constitution Hill fell into place 16 of the 32, though a maximum field of 14 will go to post, which could be reduced to 12 due to stalls capacity throughout the card. It leaves Nicky Henderson with a nervous weight in advance of Wednesday declarations. (Racing TV)
Grand National weights and Cheltenham handicap entries on Tuesday
Perhaps the biggest day for entries in the racing calendar occurs on Tuesday. The Grand National’s entries have already been released, but the handicapper will announce the weights for the 2026 edition. Eyes will be closely trained on the weight allocated to the likes of I Am Maximus and Nick Rockett. Meanwhile, entries for every single handicap at the Cheltenham Festival will be released, with a large number expected for certain races. (Racing Post)
Jonbon headlines weekend winners
There was better news for Nicky Henderson on Saturday as Jonbon secured a 12th Grade 1 victory. The ten-year-old won the Ascot Chase with a game display to defeat two-time defending champion Pic D’orhy. It ensures he goes to the Cheltenham Festival, at which he has never won, chasing a third straight win after back-to-back top level triumphs at Ascot. The Ryanair Chase will be his likely destination at the big meeting. (BBC)
Across at Wincanton, Alexei set up his Champion Hurdle tilt with a victory in the Kingwell Hurdle. Joe Tizzard’s charge is an outsider for Cheltenham glory, but ultimately overcame idleness to beat Rubaud for this Grade 2. It continued a CV-boosting season for Alexei, who also won the Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham earlier in the campaign. The Kingwell Hurdle provided the first two home in the Champion Hurdle in 2025 courtesy of Golden Ace and Burdett Road. (Irish Field)
Airbnb prices soar before Cheltenham Festival
Finally, local accommodation may be hard to find at a reasonable price ahead of the Cheltenham Festival. As has been reported in the build-up to other recent Festivals, it would cost punters significantly less to go to Benidorm to watch the meeting by the pool, as opposed to finding a local haunt to stop at in Gloucestershire. Data collated by Irishracing.com suggests a five-star, week-long stay will set you back £3,772, a 288.9% increase. (Gloucestershire Live)