Cheltenham Eyecatchers

1/4/26

It wasn’t our Cheltenham this year in what was widely regarded to be a tough Festival for punters so well done to those who made it pay.

As such, wanting to stay positive, I won’t linger on that and instead highlight some of horses that caught my eye over the four days to consider for the big end-of-season prizes and into next season so here’s my skip through of all 28 races with horses to follow in capitals.

Is it eyecactchers or eye catchers? I never know.

Supreme

A big surprise in that it was a 1-2-3-4 for the Brits but also an immediate sign of things to come as the 1-2 occupied those two positions throughout so only one other rival got into it. I fancy that SOBER GLORY would have held off Old Park Star had he not made a costly mistake at the final flight and late mistakes on the quickish ground had a big impact throughout Day 1. The winner is now done for the season and also probably done with hurdling so an obvious contender for next season’s Arkle for which he is a best-priced 4/1. I thought the two most impressive aspects of the race where (1) how Mydaddypaddy quickened into his flights (and why he is likely to stay over timber next season with a Champion Hurdle bid in mind for which he is 14/1 second-favourite as the same yard’s The New Lion is likely to step up in trip) and (2) how the very-well-backed-on-the-day Sober Glory took 2l out of him when quickening round the final bend, so it will be very interesting to see them again in what looks a likely rematch at Aintree with just a nose splitting them here. Plenty of runners-up in the Supreme have gone on to win to the Top Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree and Philip Hobbs won it three years running at the turn of the century. His Sober Glory exceeded my expectations at Cheltenham as I felt that he may have left his race behind at Newbury a month earlier when he was eyeballs out from the front to win by 27l on heavy ground so he’s the one that I am taking out of the Supreme. El Cairos finished best of the Irish after it was clear that Talk The Talk was running lethargically at half-way and making a mistake at the fourth. The embryo chaser Mighty Park was the big talking horse beforehand off one wide-margin maiden hurdle win so he and El Cairos can be added to the list of last-time-out maiden hurdle winners to be beaten in the Supreme since Ebaziyan some 19 years ago.

Arkle

As with the Supreme, I take the view that the runner-up would have won had he not made a mistake at the final fence so KOPEK DES BORDES is the one to take out of the Arkle. I didn’t think that ITV Racing gave his last-fence mistake anywhere near enough coverage with their analysts seeming to think that Kargese would have won anyway given how quickly she scampered away on landing having rounded the home bend like a greyhound. She’s so nippy she’s made for that Old Course and now has a Festival record of 211. I can’t have that all, though, having watched the side angle as Kopek cruised up and then took off first only to get it wrong losing 3-4l worth of momentum and was beaten 2¼l. Had KDB jumped the fence cleanly then he would have propelled himself into a lead over a length and likely cut inside forcing Kargese to switch. Given that was only his second chase start and first run in four months, we can expect KDB to improve for that experience and I can’t oppose him at Aintree or Punchestown. Or maybe he can run in both after just two runs this season? He’ll be tight odds of course so he is of more interest is next season’s Champion Chase for which he is 4/1 favourite with Kargese at 10/1. He’ll learn, especially in the early part of the race as he was hair raising at the first and then made a mistake at the second before finding his rhythm, not unlike on his chase debut. In short, jumping won the day. Any fears that Lulamba would not lay up proved unfounded so, from Position A tracking the leader for him to finish third, was a little disappointing so he’ll step up in trip for the Manifesto. I don’t think his mistake two out made any difference to his finishing position, though of course he would have been closer. The same yard’s Jango Baie ran flat in the Manifesto after he won the Arkle. Lulamba is 8/1 second-fav for the Ryanair behind Fact To File.

Fred Winter

Fair play to Padraig Roche to win the Fred Winter twice in five years with the half-brothers, Brazil and Saratoga, and his grey was yet another winner of the FW to prep at Naas in February, from which he was the only representative this season. He also got the best ride of those at the front end of the market being sat in third place for plenty of the way, with the 40/1 third, Klycot, good enough to hang on for third so being on the front end was key for the third race on the day running. The runner-up, Winston Junior, just had too much to do from only as far back as midfield and, as for those held up further back, they had next to no chance. Quite why Saratoga drifted out from 4/1 fav to 10/1 was a head scratcher as the money came for Mustang De Breuil (8^th) in the same ownership from 14/1 into 7/2 fav. In fact, Saratoga turned out to be the outsider of the McManus triumvirate but he loved the quickening ground as you might have expected for a horse that ran in a Group 1 in his last flat race. Manlaga also represented J P but could finish only seventh having been held up in rear, which was certainly not the place to be, as was THE MIGHTY CELT who was well behind Manlaga on his first run for the Skelton’s in the Victor Ludorum but finished one place ahead of her here and despite having been too keen early on, so he’s the one I like most from the race going forward.

Ultima

JAGWAR did very well to almost win the Ultima on his first try at 3m+ having been held up, made mistakes (a pretty bad one at the top of the hill on the first circuit) and was taken out wide for a better sight of his fences so there’s every chance that from being officially 5lb ‘well in’ that he could start favourite for the Grand National for which we have him at 50/1. I do like an officially ‘well-in’ horse for the ‘new style National’ like the last three winners; Corach Rambler, I Am Maximus and Nick Rockett, and we only look set for four of them this year (Johnnywho, Jagwar, Stellar Story and Quai De Bourbon). Beaten half a length, Jagwar was the only horse amongst the top-eight finishers to come back from the final third of the field on the second circuit and his connections don’t think that a turning course like Cheltenham is ideal for a big horse like him despite form figures there of 11322. Mark Walsh took the ride to get to know him before Aintree so he now has a feel for his mount so fingers crossed that the Ultima can be the race to feature three of the last five Grand National winners. The only horse to be better ‘in’ than Jagwar at Aintree will be the winner Johnnywho (6lb ‘well in’) who struck on his first run after wind surgery and in first-time cheekpieces when giving Ritchie McLernon his third Ultima win (from four Festival wins in total) and Jonjo O’Neill his fourth. Given how he lost the Kim Muir last season from a winning position, will he stay 4m2f though? Quebecois fared best of the novices with a bold bid from the front to lead until half-way up the run-in but would SEARCH FOR GLORY have beaten the lot of them but for his last-fence unseating of James Smith? Little did we know it at the time but that summed up Gordon Elliott’s week. The last obstacle had a big say on Day 1 and I’d go as far to say that Search For Glory would have won had he jumped it cleanly. He also gave away plenty of ground as Smith gave the outside away to nobody. The Gigginstown-owned 9yo would have been 2lb ‘well in’ for Aintree but he was taken out last week so I am presuming that it will be all roads leading to the Irish Grand National which Elliott probably needs to win to have a fighting chance in the Irish Trainers’ Championship.

Champion Hurdle

Lossiemouth proved herself to be in a different class and there’s no reason why she can’t go and do it again next season and win at the fifth Cheltenham Festival running. There is something about the place that just lights her up, especially that downhill run where she is always swinging off the bridle and, now that she will race in cheekpieces on the days that really matter, she can race sweetly from the start which hasn’t been the case in fast-run races in the past. She’s the 3/1 fav to defend her title and it’s 14/1 bar. We surely we won’t see the second and third, Brighterdaysahead (will go chasing) and The New Lion (wants further and the Skelton’s are making Mydaddypaddy their big CH hope next season), take her on in next season’s running. I can see The New Lion in the Stayers’ Hurdle next season after he was a creditable third but killed for speed from two out, beaten 7l. He was 12/1 second-fav for the longer race next season behind Ballyburn but is now into 8/1 fav after Ballyburn’s injury forcing him out for a long period of time. Alexei would have likely beaten The New Lion for third but for fluffing the final flight having travelled strongly to two out. The slower pace than expected probably didn’t suit the second and third as much as the winner after the expected front runner Tutti Quanti played up at the start and was left behind so I don’t think we saw the best of Brighterdaysahead but at least she proved that she handles Cheltenham, even if she is better at Leopardstown and off a stronger gallop. I thought she was going to get swallowed up and finish fifth turning in so she kept on well to be best of the rest. Expect to see her in the Mares’ Chase next March rather the Arkle or Brown Advisory. A 10l fifth is as good as Golden Ace is when the rest don’t fall over.

Plate

The first of the two Skelton big handicap plots of the week, Madara, bolted up as favourite enhancing the strong record of the market leader in this handicap in more recent years having previously been the hardest handicap of the week to solve. A massive leap at the last told us how much he still had in the locker and he’ll head next to the Topham where he will have to defy a 10lb rise for his 7½l victory so I’d be inclined to take him on there. I’m not keen on backing the yard’s horses straight after they have been primed for another day and especially Aintree after Cheltenham. He must have been thrown in compared to the other Brits as the Irish were responsible for the next six home. The prominently-ridden novice Will The Wise fared best of those after a very dodgy jump badly out to the right at the first fence and none of the top eight were held up in the final third. DOWNMEXICOWAY caught my eye back in fourth. Hampered at the first when Will the Wise wreaked havoc, he was novicey at some of his fences and pushed out very wide rounding the final bend, maybe he could also benefit from a drop back in trip. I do like a De Bromhead horse in the 2m chases at Aintree where he has a great record.

National Hunt Chase

Given how brilliantly the first running under its new guise worked out for top handicap chases afterwards, although it didn’t look a great race beforehand this season, it might still be worth following. With the front three in the market all pulling up (Backmersackme, Kurasso Blue and Newton Tornado), it wasn’t that competitive from the top of the hill on the second circuit and Holloway Queen won with ease having always been in a prominent position in a race few got into. As such KING OF ANSWERS did well to run into second having been back in eighth some 20l off the pace jumping three out so he can be marked up. I wonder if his Scottish-based stable will fancy a crack at the Scottish Grand National with him, a race in which novices fare well?

Turners

King Rasko Grey was given an uncomplicated ride tracking the leaders which helped him to overcome a significant market drift to give Willie Mullins his eighth win in the race since 2008. Bizarrely, the Patrick Mullins-ridden Sober (16^th) was sent off a deal shorter than Paul Townend’s pick. An early mistake didn’t help Sober’s chance and he never seriously threatened. There were even weirder market moves for Dan Skelton’s BOSSMAN JACK from 25/1 into 7/1 in the morning and then back out to an SP of 18/1. He is considered to be a horse for next season so this race should have come too soon in his career so he fared well to finish sixth anyway but, in my opinion, he may have even finished second but for a very bad mistake at the last flight having also taken a good pull in rear for the first half of the race. It was Act Of Innocence who finished runner-up aided by a dream split up in the inside and he has been put away for the season with chasing in mind. After a poor start and never getting into it, I’d be inclined to put a line through the run of No Drama This End who is an embryo chaser anyway and one that I would expect to take high rank in staying novice chases next season. Comparisons to Denman earlier in the season was stretching it but I could see him becoming a similar type to Topofthegame for the Nicholls stable who won the Brown Advisory before injuries robbed him of showing us his full potential. He is 14/1 second-fav for the Browns behind King Rasko Grey at 10/1. We can also put a line through the effort of Skylight Hustle who was far too keen tanking his way to the front after two flights and was done with by half-way, though there are now question marks over his Grade 1 form at Leopardstown over Christmas with Talk The Talk. I thought beforehand that another Grade 1 winner, I’ll Sort That, should have been in the Albert Bartlett and he shaped like 3m will bring the best out of him, leading from six out to two out before ultimately lacking the requisite speed.

Brown Advisory

A Mullins 1-2 with Kitzbuhel making all under Harry Cobden on spring-ground conditions to defeat Final Demand who was bouncing back to his best. He’d take some catching in next season’s King George if he gets that kind of ground again for which he is 6/1 and it has come up good or faster for the last two Boxing Day’s at Kempton. This was Mullins’ eighth win in the race and the second year running when one of his supposed lesser lights struck being his third choice in the market after Lecky Watson was his fourth-choice last year. Kitzbuhel was a trends buster as he became the first Kauto Star winner to then win the Browns and also overcame the 6yo stats in that he was just the third to win since 1978. All three winning 6yos were Mullins-trained so best remember that going forward. He is 20/1 for next season’s Gold Cup. SALVER fared best of the Brits (Wendigo looked like finishing fifth or sixth until his last-fence fall having been cajoled along for most of the second circuit finding the pace on the ground half a stride too fast) to only be beaten 3l which can be marked up for a host of reasons; kicked at the start, raced in rear when you had to be near the pace (the 1-2 held those positions virtually throughout), hampered by a faller at the 13^th and the ground was also likely quick enough for him. The ground was also livelier than Oscars Brother would have preferred so he did well to finish fourth, beaten 5½l, having lost his place down the back straight on the first circuit as he couldn’t keep up, basically. That sixth run qualified him for the Grand National so could he follow in Noble Yeats’ hoofprints and win at Aintree as a novice (as did Rule The World but he was a second-season novice)? To many, Koktail Divin should have been in the Jack Richards where he would have started favourite and those of that view might feel justified in that as he shaped like a non-stayer in sixth having travelled strongly until the home straight. However, Henry de Bromhead reported that he returned with a problem. The well-fancied Kaid D’Authie was going along nicely until he departed at 13^th fence but the favourite, Romeo Coolio, was reportedly never going and pulled up after a bad mistake four out. It looked to me that he just didn’t jump well enough. I’d imagine that’s him done for the season now with Elliott inwardly fuming that he should have been targeted at Fairyhouse instead where he would also have had more time to get over a hard run at the DRF but his owners pulled rank. I would imagine that the John Durkan has already been earmarked for him after he has hosed up in that intermediate chase at Down Royal that Elliott loves so much.

BetMGM Cup

The money spoke in no uncertain terms for Jingko Blue who was very well backed into favouritism and he didn’t disappoint those who rowed in with the punt in being another winner to make virtually all on the spring ground. In fact, the 1-2-3 all very much raced on the speed (Franciscan Rock and Storm Heart got closest) so dear old Ballyadam at the age of 11 has run a stormer to finish fourth having been held up in rear so finishing in the top five in six consecutive Cheltenham Festivals. Being four years his junior though, I’ll take his stablemate, BECKETT ROCK, as the one to take going forward of the De Bromhead pair who was only one place behind in fifth having also been held up and having been squeezed out in the early stages. He stayed on to such good effect that a first step up to 3m may not go amiss. It was still a fair way out but I thought that the top weight, THE YELLOW CLAY, was tanking along under 5lb claimer Michael Kenneally who was giving the outside away to nobody when he stumbled a couple of strides after jumping the third-last flight perfectly well. If that chosen route was by design, the Elliott yard must have thought he was well treated off 155 dropping in class so I’d be interested if he runs in another handicap.

Cross Country

Another front runner on the fast ground and another winner. The ground is critical to Final Orders who won over the course on good ground in December but was then comfortably beaten on softer by Favori De Champdou on Trials Day and, with underfoot conditions back in his favour, he turned round the form from January. Both are on target for the Grand National but I’d be surprised if this form is good enough off their marks for non-cross-country races. They were pulled up and last in last season’s Irish Grand National. Vanillier finished third for the second year running having found underfoot conditions far too lively and I dare say the same for Stumptown who didn’t have the best of preparations in his title defence. As such, nothing caught my attention going forward.

Champion Chase

It went wrong for the odds-on Majborough from the start when caught on his hocks as the tapes rose but he soon found his jumping rhythm after he was rushed up to try and dominate……..until half-way that is when it all started to unravel big time. The horror show at the third-last then ended all chance but I’d say that given how he and Quilixios went a million out in front, Majborough would have been easily picked off anyway after doing far too much far too soon. One of the worst rides of the Festival I’m afraid, Mark Walsh. Il Etait Temps looked to be struggling going that frantic pace but that proved exactly the place to be as he cruised past L’Eau Du Sud who sat somewhere in between (which was therefore also going too fast) rounding the home bend to put the race to bed bar any errors. And it proved to be heart-in-the-mouth stuff at the last but he got away with it. Even Libberty Hunter from further back still passed L’Eau Du Sud to give an idea of just what a mad gallop the race was run at given how the track had been playing to the opposite extent over the first day and a half. Il Etait Temps is 9/2 to successfully defend his title next season.

Grand Annual

Given the awful season that Venetia Williams was having, to pull out a 66/1 rabbit in Martador at the Festival wouldn’t have been on many bingo cards. In first-time blinkers, from the rear of the field he got up to nose out Jazzy Matty going for his third Festival win in succession in a real helter-skelter of a 2m handicap chase where they went pretty hard from the outset, possibly too hard. If you backed the runner-up then you won’t be best pleased that Charlie Deutsch went over the permitted level of whip strikes by two and he picked up a two weeks’ ban. For a horse who is reportedly better racing right-handed and raced prominently in a strongly-run race, I thought that VANDERPOEL (7^th) would be interesting again when sent back the other way. Jasko Des Dames (5^th) fared best of those that raced prominently running well in the Grand Annual for the second year running and I didn’t think that his stablemate INTHEPOCKET was done with when he fell two out having been held up in rear so he didn’t get the clearest of passages. He looked like a horse laid out for this spring handicap so could be nicely handicapped in a more conventional 2m handicap chase.

Champion Bumper

Colin Keane emulated Jamie Spencer as a top flat jockey to win the Champion Bumper some 24 years apart when winning pretty cosily on THE MOURNE RAMBLER. It’s not easy to win by big distances on ground this slick so a 2¾l margin reads very well when we consider that about 3l covered the next nine home so I have to make Noel Meade’s winner the one to take out of the race. He is 14/1 fav for next season’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. The British-trained second and third can also be marked up. Mets Ta Ceinture was too keen and was given a wide trip so had little to give in the final half a furlong and Bass Hunter, just as he did when winning at Ascot, went too hard too soon and was clear after half a mile. He’s done well to hang onto third in the circumstances and reportedly heads to Aintree next where that track might suit him better.

Dawn Run

White Noise staved off a strong Irish challenge that filled the next four places to record a 40/1 surprise appreciating this stiffer test more than at Warwick when beaten ¾l by Kingston Queen (8^th). Leading early on, she then tracked the leader to make the most of her stamina dropping back in trip and stayed on strongest. Almost as big as surprise was the Evens favourite, Bambino Fever, finishing well down the field on faster ground than ideal for her who was too keen in the first half of the race. It was two of her lesser-fancied stablemates that finished third and fourth and, of those, I thought that the also-prominently-ridden PLACE DE LA NATION shaped best in the race until coming off the bridle in the home straight and she also fared best of the 5yos taking on their elders. It looked like she might then drop away but she plugged on well from third from Oldschool Outlaw who ran on for second faring best of those held up in midfield or further back. Also for Mullins and Gigginstown, BLUE VELVET ran much better than he finishing position of eleventh suggested as an 80/1 outsider as she lost loads of ground at the start when hampered but had worked her way into a challenging position by two out and then didn’t get the best of runs before her efforts took their toll.

Jack Richards

The first chase race on the New Course and the 1-2 pretty much held those placings throughout with the top weight, GOLD DANCER, finishing runner-up to Meetmebythesea who took over at the tenth fence. The third, Regent’s Stroll, was also always handy but gave up ground positioned on the outer and shaped liked further wouldn’t go amiss so very little got into this. The plan is to move him up in trip at Aintree. So, no real change from the first two days on the Old Course then. Of the trio I’d take Gold Dancer going forward as he raced the most exuberantly and also put in a couple of unnecessary big leaps expanding energy under the 7lb claimer Sean Cleary-Farrell and was giving the plotted-up winner 6lb even after that allowance so this was a fine effort for the Mullins/Gigginstown novice who is probably worth another shot at a Grade 1 after his seconds to Romeo Coolio and Final Demand in the Drinmore and Faugheen.

Mares’ Hurdle

For the second year running Wodhooh proved to be Gordon Elliott’s only winner of the week despite sending over an armada so, going forward, I will be placing less stock in his contenders, especially as two of the races that he has traditionally fared very well in when conditions races (NH Chase and Cross Country) have turned into handicaps. Prior to 2025 he had sent out 40 Cheltenham Festival winners so, outside of Wodhooh, and it would have been a total drought for the last two seasons. There is nothing flashy about her, she just rolls up her sleeves and gets the job done and is now 10-11 over hurdles, with the only defeat at the hands of Lossiemouth. Here she was a length too good for JADE DE GRUGY over 2m4f but could be set for a step up to 3m at Aintree if Elliott wants to send Brighterdaysahead to the Aintree Hurdle. JDG was reverting back to hurdles from fences and finished runner-up for the second year running. Confidently ridden spotting Wodhooh 4l from the top of the hill in a small field, she had latched onto her tail turning for home but had no immediate answer to the winners’ kick before staying on in spirited fashion when the race was all over. I would have thought it will be the Mares’ Chase for her next season.

Stayers’ Hurdle

Fifth time lucky for the 11yo Home By The Lee who was another winner not to race outside of the first two from flagfall and meaning that horses aged 10+ have now won three of the last four runnings. However, Ballyburn shaped like the best horse as he was given too much to do given how the course was riding all week (admittedly he was taking a keen hold chewing the turf in his first-time hood so Townend wanted to restrain him), and then found trouble at the last flight. Run that race ten times and I’d say that Ballyburn would win eight of them so he was the obvious eyecatcher. Unfortunately, he has since sustained an injury which rules him out not for just for this season but next season too. He was 6/1 fav to go one place better than last year until that news broke. KABRAL DU MATHAN was as blatant a non-stayer as you will see going from cruising on the bridle heading to the last to finishing legless in fourth (would have been only sixth in another 50 yards). Many argued that he should have been in the Champion Hurdle and I reckon he would have been had Dan Skelton not already got The New Lion for that race. The obvious spring race for him was the Aintree Hurdle but, as the petrol fully ran out, he had a harder race at Cheltenham than ideal so whether he still lines up at Liverpool is now in question. In short, it was a rank bit of race placing as KDM would likely have been favourite for the Aintree Hurdle but Skelton has learned from similar mistakes in the past and will do so again. Although I have highlighted Kabral Du Mathan as the one to take out of the race, that is with next season in mind after he has got over this hard race. Who knows, maybe he and The New Lion will switch races next season (though Skelton is talking up Mydaddypaddy for the Champion Hurdle) or will he go chasing? The ground may have been a little lively for Teahupoo and Ma Shantou but I didn’t see any excuses for Honesty Policy or Bob Olinger.

Ryanair

In a Ryanair that fell apart beforehand with the odds-on Fact To File withdrawn on ground deemed too fast and then in the race itself with Jonbon, Impaire Et Passe and Banbridge all underwhelming, Heart Wood didn’t have to improve much on his second place last season to give Henry de Bromhead a Cheltenham Festival winner for the tenth year running. So, I don’t have too much to say about the race looking for future clues. The BHA Handicapper took the view, though, that Heart Wood ran to a rating 7lb higher than last year so put in a clear personal best after he was ridden with a view to winning this time rather than to run well in last year’s race. Now rated 167, it will be interesting to see if he can back it up in the Melling Chase.

Pertemps Final

After Madara in the Plate, the second of the big Skelton handicap plots also came off when Supremely West justified favouritism in the Pertemps and almost as well having always caught the eye in how strongly he was travelling. An eyecatcher in the very first qualifier of the series at Cheltenham in October, which had been working out well, he was subsequently dropped 3lb after three well-beaten efforts, and then the money really started to come for him when the weights were released. In behind IKE SPORT (9^th) was catching my eye for a large part of the race travelling well and was close enough if good enough turning in but the hill seemed to catch him out attempting 3m for the first time so he will be interesting back at around 2m4f. LETOS (4^th) fared best of the Irish and was another who was travelling well to the home bend so he could be another to benefit from a drop in distance having won the Brown Lad (Listed) at Naas over 2m4f earlier in the season.

Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir

Ask Brewster proved to be yet another winner on the chase course to be very prominent throughout having led from the second to the tenth fence and then again from fifteenth to pull off a 22/1 success denying the Willie Mullins-trained Road To Home by a neck. Mullins also saddled the second in the Jack Richards so his long quest to win a first handicap chase at the Cheltenham Festival goes on. I’ve never seen a Kim Muir quite like it with loads of chances turning for home as, at this point they are usually strung out like washing, and the 1-2-3 were all up in the van throughout. Therefore, the hold-up rides given to the leading fancies like Waterford Whispers and Jeriko Du Reponet to a lesser extent were perplexing to say the least. The well-backed KIM ROQUE fared best of those in fourth having been held up towards the rear so, track position on that ground aside, he also had his find his way between horses and he plain ran out of time to seriously challenge.

Triumph

This was a rare race at this season’s Festival where the prominent racers were well beaten so did they go too fast or was it just a case that the better horses were ridden from further back? The well-backed Highland Crystal almost went off favourite after her Naas win was franked by Saratoga in the Fred Winter and she fared best of those ridden up with the pace beaten 5½l into seventh. After a 100/1 Mullins-trained hurdling debutant won last year, the rules were changed, so this time the Master of Closutton won it with a 50/1 outsider having its first run in Britain or Ireland in Apolon De Charnie who had previously finished 6l behind Proactif (sent off Triumph fav so was the most fancied of the stable’s nine runners but jumped poorly and was never really travelling). Their Macho Man’s race came to an end with a terrible mistake at the fourth and SELMA DE VARY was too keen when held up in rear so did well to finish fourth. Turning in, I thought that she was travelling marginally the best but the question beforehand was whether she had too much speed to get up the hill and she didn’t quite get home as well as the 1-2-3. She was also cut off heading to the final flight with Townend going for a daring run up the stands' rail which Skelton was alive to and closed the door forcing them to switch. The 4YO Anniversary Hurdle at Aintree would look perfect for her if sent there on a speed track over a furlong shorter, a race that Mullins has won with two fillies in recent years that were beaten at Cheltenham and in which his Kargese was second to Sir Gino. Looking further ahead, she could be a Champion Hurdle mare in time but probably not next season as Mullins likes to bring his 5yos along very steadily, often not seeing them until after the New Year. Maestro Conti just edged out Minella Study for second and they could easily be set to meet again at Aintree for the home team.

County

A 1-2-3-4-5 for the Brits in a handicap where the Irish, and notably Willie Mullins have fared very well over the last 15 years and his KARBAU (6th as the 4/1 fav and Townend’s only handicap ride of the week) was best of the raiders and would have finished closer but for Townend not finding a clear run for the third time in less than 24 hours up against the stands’ rails on the New Course hurdles track (after Ballyburn and Selma De Vary who were also held up in rear), so he can be marked up. He finished off strongly in the final 100 yards suggesting a step up in trip could be in order and, with a clearer run, I think he would have finished third. On the other hand, the winner, Wilful, was given an uncomplicated ride sat in second place throughout and then sent on before the last flight to record a second big handicap hurdle success of the season so I see him contesting the top hurdles races in Britain next season. Sticktotheplan finished second aided by a wind op and first-time tongue-tie for Olly Murphy and Sean Bowen so they still wait for their first Cheltenham Festival winner. Dan Skelton’s Sinnatra took a keen hold in the early stages when two-thirds of the way back and ran on well to finish fifth, especially as chasing will be his game. His stablemate having his first start for the yard,Tellherthename, had been well touted in the build up and that helped to suck me in but he was held up in last place and was never nearer than at the finish to be beaten 7½l into twelfth. I am sure that he is capable of better when put in a race if he remains sound having had breaking blood vessel issues.

Mares’ Chase

Another winner given an uncomplicated ride as Dinoblue was tracking the first three on the inside before a good jump six out moved her up from fourth into second, from which point she was fully engaged. Taking over four out, she then just had too much class for her rivals as the official ratings suggested she might to win back-to-back renewals. With a better ride in 2024 when beaten into second having been set too much to do, she would have won the last three editions of the Mares’ Chase. The winning margin was 1¾l but Dinoblue was never going to beaten from turning in so the impression left was that she was value for more. She will probably find it harder as a 10yo next season, though, if Brighterdaysahead and Jade De Grugy are aimed at the race. Only By Night was held up to give her the best chance of staying the trip, which she did fine to finish 9½l clear of the remainder but the class difference between herself and the winner was too wide to bridge. If I had backed Panic Attack for the Grand National before the Mares’ Chase then I would have been a bit disappointed by her 11¼l third receiving weight from the 1-2-4, moving up in class. She’s run perfectly well as the trip of 2m4f was probably the bare minimum for her and she’s run up to her rating but it’s hard to think that an extra 1m6f will bring about the likely 10lb worth of improvement needed to be the best handicapped horse in the Grand National and become the race’s first winning mare since 1959. I’d say her run is as good as she is. Spindleberry wasn’t favoured by the race conditions having to concede weight but I was more disappointed in her run beaten 14¾l into fourth.

Albert Bartlett

The ride of the week for me came from Gavin Sheehan who had to revert to Plan C or D after JOHNNY’S JURY missed the kick so was plumb last in the early stages and still had plenty to do two out back in fifteenth place. Still 2l down at the last, it took a while for him to wear the leaders down but, in the end, he stayed on best of all against plenty of odds to win quite cosily in the end having been so strong in the final 100 yards. I am already thinking the 2028 Grand National for him. Beaten on his only start for Nicky Henderson last season, to win an Albert Bartlett over 3m off a couple of small wins over around 2m in January and February at Exeter and Carlisle after missing the first half of the campaign was certainly also a feather in Jamie Snowden’s cap. A half-brother to the wide-margin Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner, Appreciate It, he is bred for chasing and can be expected to take high rank next season in staying novice chases to have overcome plenty of factors to win here. Maybe expect a similar campaign to Wendigo this season for the same yard after he ran so well in last season’s Albert Bartlett? Having only had three runs this season, could he go to the Sefton at Aintree next week? Fruit De Mer fared best of the Irish in second just ahead of The Passing Wife thus extending Henry de Bromhead’s good record in the race. He looked to be travelling joint-best in the long run to the final flight alongside Moneygarrow (didn’t get home at all back in eighth) but the winner just had more in the locker in the final 100 yards powering clear. The 9/4 fav, Doctor Steinberg, ran too freely up in the trip which many feared would be the case beforehand so a return to 2m4f has to be on the cards for him.

Gold Cup

Some are calling Gaelic Warrior’s victory the most impressive in recent Gold Cup instead. As superior to his rivals as he was, I’d still have A Plus Tard as the easiest winner on the eye. So much for the best right-handed and will he race too freely to stay arguments as GW could be called the winner at every point after he had dropped the bridle after half a mile. Townend is now the most successful Gold Cup jockey in history out on his own and Willie Mullins just needs one more win to join him as clear top trainer. To think that he also sent out six Gold Cup seconds before bagging his first one! Their record when combining from 2019 reads: 11361121. Gaelic Warrior is 4/1 fav to emulate the stable’s Al Boum Photo and Galopin Des Champs and win back-to-back Gold Cup’s but I’d have thought it will be onto Punchestown next where the Gold Cup winner has a mixed record. Jango Baie was a clear second-best finishing 10l clear of the remainder and his connections can take some heart in that he was the youngest horse in the race so he can keep returning to the Gold Cup (10/1 for next season) via the King George. Kempton represents his best chance of landing a really big one. He will head to Aintree next but did underperform there last season after he won the Arkle, plus horses to run well in the Gold Cup have generally left their races behind them in the Bowl so I’ll be looking to take him on as a likely favourite. Inothewayurthinkin was jumping poorly on the first circuit some 3-4l detached at times so was then a candidate more likely to be pulled up than finishing third so he has boxed on well but has still run around 18lb below what he did when winning last year’s race so I won’t be taking all that much encouragement from his effort going forward. GREY DAWNING pressuring Haiti Couleurs for the lead for a circuit-and-a-half was not what I was expecting given that he had stamina to prove, and that started to run out after he made mistakes at the 15^th and 16^th fences, so he’s done pretty well to hang onto fourth. Unlike last year, they gave the Gold Cup a whirl but it didn’t pay off so he now simply has to be trained for the Ryanair next season for which he is 16/1 in a place and try to emulate his stablemate, Protektorat, who won it a year after he was a non-staying third in the Gold Cup. Grey Dawning is likely to go to Aintree but, as with Jango Baie, I wonder how much Cheltenham will have taken out of him so his inclusion as an eyecatcher is more with next season in mind. As with his other try in a Grade 1, the well-fancied Haiti Couleurs, was well and truly beaten so hardly an ideal run to enter the Grand National off. Non-Grade 1 winners have now yet to win the Gold Cup for 28 years. The Jukebox Man reportedly made a noise so will have that sorted to go again next season.

Hunter Chase

My second-best ride of the week goes to Henry Crow for holding onto the heavily-backed and very-strong-travelling Barton Snow for as long as he dared. Shades of Harchibald but this one with a positive outcome despite making a hash of the final fence having pulled his arms out for 3m2f so quite the performance. The winner of the 2m hunters’ chase at Cheltenham last spring, he might need this kind of quick ground again if he is to follow up next March. Its On The Line occupied the runner-up spot for the fourth year running. This time he had a different preparation and was ridden to join issue half-way down the back straight for a change but, once again, he still found just one too good and not by far yet again, a mistake at the top of the hill and racing wider than usual not helping. Doubtless it will be Aintree and Punchestown again for him again having won at both festivals after his Cheltenham run in the past which can be argued to have brought him on in each of the last three years so I expect him to win again at some point this spring. Music Drive and Golden Son were never far away and kept on to finish third and fourth. Music Drive won the big race of the Cheltenham Hunter Chase evening meeting last year beating Gracchus De Balme by 8l so clearly loves Prestbury Park but, now that is not taking place at Cheltenham this season due to drainage maintenance so switches to Warwick, maybe we could see him at Aintree instead? The winner, third and fifth raced in the leading quintet throughout (and the runner-up always front half) so it proved hard to come off the pace where the defending title holder, Wonderwall, was positioned and he could never get into it finishing back in seventh so he is worth another chance. In addition to training the winner, Barton Snow, Joe O’Shea also handles Gracchus De Balme who won the Aintree Foxhunters’ last season (and Stratford Champion Chase) so he has become the main man in this sphere in Britain. His run here looked like a prep for a month’s time. He enjoyed himself out in front until three out and then pulled up so he’ll be much sharper for Liverpool where he will be ridden positively agaim having led from the sixth fence onwards last April.

Martin Pipe

At the age of seven and from her always-prominent position, Air Of Entitlement is older than your usual Martin Pipe winner (15 of 18 were aged five or six) but she kept up the race’s 100% record (18/18) of being a first or second-season hurdler in following up her Dawn Run success from 12 months earlier. Second was Hot Fuss further extending how well the big 2m handicap at Ascot has worked out this season as he finished second there. The winner at Ascot (Wilful) then won the County, the third (Alexei) ran a blinder in the Champion Hurdle after winning the Kingwell and the fourth (Mondo Man) won the Imperial Cup. Hot Fuss himself had won a big pot at Windsor in between beating Wilful into second. Maybe, then, keep an eye on the fifth from Ascot, Helnwein? Of course, everyone saw the eye catcher that was Jump Allen back in third on which Anna McGuinness found herself behind a wall of horses heading to the final flight and when finally in the clear they finished with a wet sail so he could be over-bet next time, which is the only reason why I have not capitalised him. Runner-up to Wodhooh in last year’s race off 134, ACT OF AUTHORITY ran well again off 1lb higher to be a staying-on fifth beaten under 4l having been held up in rear in first-time cheekpieces so the door might be knocking for him soon.