Johnny Dineen to return to Cheltenham betting ring as Paul Byrne-backed bookmaker buys rails pitch for £325,000

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Johnny Dineen, star of the Racing Post's Upping The Ante show, will return to the Cheltenham betting ring next month when he will stand for Fitzwilliam Sports after the bookmaker acquired the famous Sean Graham rails pitch for £325,000 in an online auction on Friday evening.

The purchase comes at the end of a big week for the Dublin-based firm as it launched its new online platform Fitzbet and it now intends to make its presence felt on course for the first time at the biggest jumps meeting of the year.

Dineen, a long-time successful professional punter, stood as a bookmaker at the festival from 2003 to 2021 before switching to punditry and will feature on the pitch for Fitzwilliam throughout the week.