CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL 2025 PREVIEW BY ANDY HOLDING
DAY ONE
1.20 SUPREME NOVICES HURDLE
The Cheltenham roar has become part and parcel of the rituals before the start of the festival and so have false starts, with three of the last five renewals all needing a dry run before the field is dispatched.
Clearly, the atmosphere gets to the jockeys and that effect has to be distributed down to the horses as well, which is worth bearing in mind if you are thinking about taking a short price about Kopek Des Bordes.
It was noticeable that Willie Mullins’ gelding was on his toes in the preliminaries at the DFR and in a bid to try and counterbalance that trait, connections have gone for the hood as a potential pacifier. On the flip side of that possible positive, it’s worth pointing out there has been no winner of the curtain raiser since 1992 (Flown) who has won sporting any kind of headgear, so despite him being the most likely winner based on form/time figures, he might just be one to swerve at the prices.
Having already advised ROMEO COOLIO, selfishly, I was rather hoping nothing would usurp his time figure he posted with his win over Christmas and until Kopek came along, he was very much the Daddy in this division.
That said, he hasn’t got too much to find on the data with his main market rival and with Cheltenham festival experience to call on, he might turn out to be the safest conveyance when all said and done. Even now, Gordon Elliott’s inmate looks solid each-way value for those not on at fancy prices.
Of the rest, William Munny parachuted himself into the conversation with his performance at Punchestown last time out and based on his time figure, he is one of only three – along with Romeo Coolio and Kopek Des Bordes – who have posted a number in line with the standard you would normally expect of a potential Supreme winner pre-Cheltenham.
A free-going sort, he seemed to settle better behind a stronger pace at the Kildare venue but just to be on the safe side, connections have still gone for the first-time hood in a bid to shut out the noise and keep him as calm as possible.
2.00 ARKLE
A slightly disappointing field numerically, but other than Sir Gino, the five best novice chasers of their generation face the starter.
Pick of the crop as far as pure talent is concerned is Majborough and many view him to be not only the banker of the day, but of the entire meeting. Up to now, Willie Mullins’ inmate has made all the running in his two victories, so it will be interesting to see how the dynamics pan out up against the other possible front runners, Touch Me Not and L’Eau De Sud.
Whether the pair will allow the favourite with a total freebie remains to be seen and there is a strong possibility that if Majborough is left alone over the first mile and gets into a rhythm, he will be very difficult to peg back.
Finding chinks in his armoury, therefore, is extremely tricky, so rather than chase the impossible dream, the wisest option might be to concentrate on the battle for second and JANGO BAIE (best price 5-2) appeals as the one most likely to do so.
Passing the eye test on his debut over fences here back in December, the time figure he posted that day suggested he could be top class in his new vocation and although beaten at Sandown last time out, time may tell he faced an impossible task trying to outstay Handstands over 2m4f on heavy ground.
A grade 1 winner over two miles over hurdles, he is clearly not devoid of speed and having never finished out of the first two in his seven starts under rules, hopefully he will stay on best of the rest and keep those stats intact.
JANGO BAIE – 1-point win@5-2 without Majborough
2.40 ULTIMA HANDICAP
It’s been well documented that the Irish have a poor record in this contest in recent times (0-46 since 2006), cue one from the Emeral Isle bolting up in this year’s renewal, but whether you are a believer in that stat or not, the percentage call might be to stick with solid course form and BROADWAY BOY has that in spades.
A winner over hurdles on his first visit to Prestbury Park, Nigel Twiston-Davies’ inmate has form figures over fences since then of 21134 and, in between times, he finished an honourable runner-up in the old Hennessey Gold Cup at Newbury earlier in the campaign.
A shade disappointing when last seen, the heavy ground could be used as a viable excuse and having undergone treatment for his slightly dodgy knees in the interim, a better run is anticipated from all concerned.
Another to enter calculations despite not having much concrete form at the track is locally-trained HENRY’S FRIEND, who has had this race in mind for quite some time.
Ben Pauling’s gelding also showed up prominently in the race run at the Berkshire venue back in November until a bad mistake derailed his chance and his victory back at the same venue a month later rubberstamped his wellbeing at the time.
Rested since, connections didn’t want to fall into the same trap as they did last year and arrive here on the back of a gruelling race, and their policy to keep him as fresh as possible could well be rewarded.
3.20 MARES HURDLES
Whether you agree with the decision of allowing Lossiemouth to swerve the Champion Hurdle to come here instead will be debated till the cows come home but her participation certainly adds an extra touch of class to the contest, if nothing else.
Of course, she is the most likely winner on all known form, but I suppose the one thing we don’t know is how much that crunching fall at the DRF will have affected her confidence and, at a short price, you would be a very brave man to pay the premium to find out.
Looking elsewhere for the best value option is easier said than done but KALA CONTI (best price 14-1) strikes as being one of the potential jokers in the pack and she is taken to outrun her odds.
Although beaten by July Flower at Leopardstown back in December, she came out best of the those who raced close to the ridiculous pace set by Lots Of Joy and on the basis of the theory her effort deserved to be upgraded, she is fancied to turn around the form with her old rival at the very least.
With stable mate Brighterdaysahead doing duty for the stable in the Champion Hurdle, the daughter of Karaktar flies the flag for team Cullentra solo, and having a similar profile to Black Tears before she captured glory for her handler several years ago, lightening could easily strike twice.
KALA CONTI – ½ point each-way@14-1
KALA CONTI – ½ point each-way@6-1 without Lossiemouth
4.00 CHAMPION HURDLE
A fascinating race in so many ways, the main factor likely to stem from how severe a test team Giggingstown will make it for Constitution Hill from the start.
In the Neville Hotels Hurdle at the DRF, for instance, the pace set by King Of Kingsfield, was so strong it totally broke State Man and that is probably what connections of BRIGHTERDAYSAHEAD will try and achieve for the second time in succession.
Whether she will prove as good as the ex-champion in a similar sort of environment remains to be seen but her data from Leopardstown suggest she can go flat out for two miles and she looks the only one capable of putting up any sort of resistance.
As a spectacle, we should be grateful she is in the field and as far as the betting is concerned, 9-4 doesn’t look a bad price in the grand scheme of things either.
4.40 FRED WINTER
It’s pretty clear JP McManus has assembled a decent squad to attack this typically, tricky-to-solve handicap, and the pick of the trio on form is STENCIL (best price 11-2).
A hard one to assess prior to coming here on trials day, the son of Masar ended up being the only one to offer any sort of resistance to impressive winner East India Dock and with the data speaking extremely favourably of that effort by the front pair, he comes out of the race with an extreme amount of credit.
Based on his performance two months ago, if using the clock as a guide, he’s done well come out of that contest being rated 135 compared to those who ran in the similar trial at the DRF, and with the potential of even more to come, he has the requisite qualities to seize this prize for France.
If there is a slight unknown, it’s on account of the drying surface, but with the track receiving some well-needed rain during the course of this afternoon, he should just about be okay on that score.
Of the other pair in the famous green and gold hoops, both Beyond Your Dreams and Puturhandstogether have both received campaigns to suggest this contest has very much their main target and it would come as no surprise if they were to have some sort of say in the outcome.
The former should have beaten Total Look when they clashed at Navan earlier in the season and she has kept her powder dry since making amends at Fairyhouse back in December. She can go walkabout during her races so the introduction of cheekpieces should help her focus better and off 123, Joseph O’Brien’s well-built filly can make her presence felt.
The latter has an almost carbon copy profile as his stable mate and he also should have won at Fairyhouse when he ran last.
The fact he didn’t probably didn’t bother connections in the grand scheme of things as this race, a long time in the planning, would be ample compensation.
STENCIL – 1-point each-way@11-2 – five places
5.20 NATIONAL HUNT CHASE
A different set of rules introduced for this year’s renewal and, low and behold, we have a maximum field for a race that was beginning to be the poor relation of the meeting.
Qualifying for a race like this now is somewhat of an artform in itself and although there will be many laying claim their representative having plenty in hand of the handicapper, the safest choice is to side with the proven course form held by HAITI COULEURS (best price 4-1) and TRANSMISSION (best price 5-1) from the December meeting.
On that occasion, Rebecca Curtis’ inmate provided a jumping clinic to see off his old rival and with the speed figure suggesting he had run close a standard verging on Graded level, it’s easy to see why connections have done their best to keep him under wraps until the big day.
Given a pipe-opener over hurdles in the interim, the eight-year-old, who wouldn’t be out of place in the Brown Advisory, could easily bring the glory days back to his trainer.
Transmission has also had a spin over hurdles since his excellent effort here three months ago, suggesting this race has been the plan all along and the booking of Patrick Mullins, who was successful on Neil Mulholland’s gelding previously, back up that view.
The fact he has run exclusively at Cheltenham so far this season has got to count for plenty and providing he can keep himself in touch in the first three miles of the journey (usually held up in the rear), he should turn out to be a major factor at the business end.
HAITI COULEURS – 1-point win@4-1
TRANSMISSION – 1-point win@5-1