Rupert Bell on Cheltenham: Constitution Hill Debate & Stable Tour Intelligence

The Final Furlong Podcast

News, Sports News, Leisure, Hobbies, Sports

4.7 • 1.6K Ratings

🗓️ 24 February 2026

⏱️ 74 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Cheltenham Festival preparation is already underway — and the stable tours are starting to shape the narrative. On this episode of The Final Furlong Podcast, Emmet Kennedy is joined by TalkSPORT’s senior racing commentator Rupert Bell, fresh from visiting the yards of Ben Pauling, Gordon Elliott and Willie Mullins. This is insight straight from the source — what trainers are saying, how horses are moving, and which names are being quietly talked up ahead of March. 🟥 Constitution Hill – What Now? The talking point of the week: Constitution Hill’s debut on the Flat at Southwell It was visually striking — but it raises a major question: Should Nicky Henderson stick to the Champion Hurdle plan or rethink entirely? Rupert gives a clear, strong view on: • What the run actually told us • Whether it enhances or complicates his Cheltenham chances • The decision Henderson now faces 🟦 Cheltenham Stable Tour Intelligence Rupert shares what he’s learned from being on the ground with: • Willie Mullins – strength in depth and key Festival targets • Gordon Elliott – which horses are being primed quietly • Ben Pauling – emerging British contenders This is not second-hand opinion — it’s direct insight from the yards shaping the Festival markets. 🟩 British Chances & Banker Pick With Ireland dominating recent Festivals, the big question remains: Where are Britain’s strongest chances? Rupert outlines: • The leading British contenders • Who is being underestimated • And the one horse he’s prepared to call a banker 🎯 Why This Episode Matters If you’re betting Cheltenham or tracking the markets, this is early, informed intelligence from inside the leading yards — combined with strong opinions on the biggest talking points of the week. 🔵 Presented by 1xBet Ireland. More than 7,000 events per day, fast withdrawals & new customer specials 👉 ⁠https://cutt.ly/0r7bzDoH ⁠18+. T&Cs apply. Gamble responsibly. Your game. Your odds. Your 1xBet. 🔔 Subscribe on YouTube for weekly reviews, previews & Festival insight🎧 Follow on Spotify, Apple & Podbean for instant episode drops💬 Comment: Who is your horse to follow from the weekend?👍 Like & share to support the show and grow the community ⚡ Proven Form: Winners tipped recently at 20/1, 16/1, 14/1, 12/1, and 10/1.🎯 Smart betting meets sharp analysis — only on The Final Furlong Podcast. 1xBet social media pages: Х: https://x.com/1xbet_ireland Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/1xbet.ie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/1xbet.ie LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/1xbet-ireland/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@1xBet_Ireland Form Tools: Proform is the essential tool for punters looking to make money from betting on Horse Racing. Our form book covers Jumps and Flat racing in the UK and Ireland. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.proformracing.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: @FinalFurlongPod Email: radioemmet@gmail.com In association with Adelicious Podcast Network. Hosted on Megaphone. Follow us for free on Spotify Podcasts https://open.spotify.com/show/3e6NnBkr7MBstVx5U7lpld Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Never miss an episode of the Final Furlong podcast. Subscribe now on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And now, here's your host, Emmett Kennedy. You're very welcome back to the Final Furland podcast. As our countdown to the Cheltenham Festival continues, I'm delighted to say that I'm joined by one of the best commentators in the game, a colleague of ours from TalkSport. He is the voice of racing on TalkSport and TalkSport 2.
0:23.6	It's Rupert Bell, who has been around to all of the top yards in Britain and Ireland, including today, where you were just back from a trip to Ben Paulings Yard. Rupert, you're very welcome back to the show. Lovely to be on the show and as excited as ever for this year's festival. Well, we're just, what, two weeks away.
0:39.6	And I can feel it, I can feel it bubbling up inside,
0:44.1	if that's not a euphemism for something.
0:45.8	But anyway, I'm certainly feeling excited,
0:49.5	as I always am at this time of year.
0:51.3	And when you do get a chance to knit around a few yards,
0:54.0	I was ever in Ireland, as you know, last couple of weeks back, that was very informative.
1:00.0	Love seeing Barry Connell's yard, went to Willie Mullins, or then we never went to his yard,
1:05.0	because we got to know the Lord Baganolp, particularly well, and then also seeing Gordon Elliott. So it's been, and I've got more to go this week as well. So I'm really up for the cup, as they say, Emmett. You and I and Lizzie have talked about this quite a bit on Talksport too over the last couple of years and on TalkSport, that Cheltenham was in danger of becoming just very predictable, like four odds on favourites on day one last year.
1:28.7	And there was all of that tabloid coverage about all the people who were heading off to Spain to watch it there as opposed to going to the festival.
1:34.8	This year feels like the hype is very much back.
1:39.5	I think definitely.
1:40.8	And I think I'm not sure there's an odds on favourite this year. I read somewhere
1:45.0	that, you know, the short price favourites, yes, to as ever thus, but that sense of predictability
1:50.9	suggests it does feel more open at all, you know, the novice hurdles tended to have an odds on
1:56.8	favour of some of the championship races, you know, would have a very warm order, a standout.
2:02.5	But that doesn't seem to be the case this year.
2:05.3	And I think that's only a good thing and has to be a good thing to create a sport must not be
2:12.6	predictable.
2:13.5	Yeah.
2:13.8	And must not just be the same old, same old.
	...

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