The wait is finally over; the 2025 Cheltenham Festival is here.
Four days of world-class national hunt action await us, during which we will make memories that will last a lifetime.
The star attraction on day one is the Champion Hurdle. Constitution Hill is looking to regain his Champion Hurdle crown as he takes on defending champion State Man and the wonder mare Briyghterdaysahead.
Cheltenham Festival 1:20 Grade 1 Michael O'Sullivan Supreme Novices' Hurdle - 2m½f (4yo+) (old course)
The anticipation will be at an all-time high as the 12 runners make their way to the start for the Supreme Novices Hurdle, but who will be coming home in front?
Romeo Coolio is somewhat of a forgotten horse in here. Last season's Champion Bumper 2nd has already secured himself a Grade 1 prize when taking the Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown Christmas Festival and has since been put away with this race in mind.
Workahead is another who hasn't been seen since his maiden win at Leopardstown's Christmas Festival, but that has been by design.
The form of that race has worked out well, with the 2nd and reposing William Munny going on to take a listed race since. The 3rd Sping De La Mare has since won two chases, the 4th Redemption Day won his maiden last Sunday, and the 5th Jacob's Ladder won two, including a Grade 3.
But even with that taking form, he and the rest of the field may have to battle it out with minor honours as they will find it hard to get the better of KOPEK DES BORDES.
There were many questions for Kopek Des Bordes to answer as he lined up for the Grade 1 Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle after a less-than-convincing jumping display when winning his maiden hurdle. Still, he answered them with an emphatic 13-length win. That was a 'wow' performance and a performance that shot him right to the top of the Supreme Novice Hurdle market.
He gets the aid of a hood today, and that should help negate any worries about him boiling over in the parade ring. If he settles and jumps as he did at the Dubing Racing Festival, he should be getting punters off to a flying start for the 2025 Cheltenham Festival.
- Selection: Kopek Des Bordes 1/1
- Danger: Workahead 8/1
Cheltenham Festival 2:00 Grade 1 My Pension Expert Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices' Chase - 2m (5yo+) (old course)
Only five will line up for this year's running of the Arkle Novices' Chase, where, in all truth, the winning of this revolves around the 5-year-old MAJBOROUGH.
This strapping son of Martinborough looked like a horse that would excel over a fence in time, but we haven't had to wait long to see what he can do. A facile beginners' chase win was followed by an impressive win over the reposing Touch Me Not at the Dublin Racing Festival. For all of Majorbough's unlimited talent, there is room for improvement in the jumping department, which spells trouble for his rivals.
Given that he will improve even more on what will only be his third chase start, it is impossible to oppose Majorbough here.
The mare Only By Night brings a different dimension to the race, but she still needs much more, as does Jango Baie. So it may be left to old rivals L'Eau du Sud and Touch Me Not to fight it out for 2nd place.
- Selection: Majourbough 4/7
- Danger: Touch Me Not 14/1
Cheltenham Festival Ultima Handicap Chase - 3m (5yo+) (old course)
A deep and competitive renewal of the Ultima Handicap Chase is next, where you can't confidently rule out any of the 24 max field.
The Changing Man sits at the top of the market, but he is there to be taken on, given that he has only managed one win in his ten career chase starts. His win came last time out in a race that fell apart, and he will do well to back up that here with another win.
Course specialist Broadway Boy loves it around here, but he does need to bounce back from a below-par run when last seen here on New Year's Day. Even so, he still looks well weighted to run well, being only 4 lbs higher than his latest win and only 2 lbs higher for an unlucky 2nd in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury, but he may have to settle for minor honours.
The one who appeals to me the most is KATATE DORI. Trained by former Gold Cup-winning jockey Sam Thomas, Katate Dori comes here on top of his game. He has had four starts over fences, winning three. The latest of those wins came in an ultra-competitive handicap chase at Kempton, where he ran out a 15-length winner over the Grade 1-placed Hyland.
He must contend with a 12 lb rise in the weights for that win, but this talented 7-year-old looks to have so much more to offer. And in a race where six of the past 11 winners have been novices, Katate Dori ticks all the right boxes.
At an each-way price, the Henry de Bromhead-trained The Short Go was in front of Broadway Boy when they met at Cheltenham's October meeting and looks to have room for improvement off his current mark.
- Selection: Katate Dori 17/2 (e/w)
- Danger: The Short Go 20/1 (e/w)
Cheltenham Festival 3:20 Grade 1 Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle - 2m4f (4yo+) (old course)
The Champion Hurdles loss is the Mares Hurdles gain, as connections of LOSSIEMOUTH have made a late u-turn and rerouted this superstar mare here.
You can see why they chose to do it after a horrible fall in the Irish Champion Hurdle last month. This race is by far the easiest of her two options since Brighterdaysahead was declared for the Champion Hurdle the previous week.
If Lossiemouth shows no ill effects from her fall at Leopardstown, then we will see a repeat of her facile win in this very race last season. She may get the most to think about from her stablemate Jade De Grugy and the Henry de Bromhead-trained July Flower.
But when everything is said and done, Lossiemouth should be winning back-to-back Mares Hurdles.
- Selection: Lossiemouth 4/6
- Danger: Jade De Grugy 5/1
Cheltenham Festival Grade 1 Unibet Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy - 2m½f (4yo+) (old course)
Constitution Hill vs Brighterdaysahead. The clash that we all hoped for is about to happen.
One of the best hurdlers we have ever seen looks to regain his Champion Hurdle crown, which he couldn't defend last season, but is he as good as he once was?
We know that Constitution Hill has had his health issue over the past 12 months, and it's fair to say that his return to action in the Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle did nothing to suggest that he is as good as he once was. This hugely talented gelding is given the utmost respect, but he may find it hard to give BRIGHTERDAYSAHEAD 7 lbs and a beating.
Gordon Elliott has never shied away from what he thinks about his 6-year-old wonder-mare, and she took giant strides forward this season, taking two Grade 1s in the process. None more impressive than her 30-length demolition job in the Grade 1 Nevill Hotel Hurdle at Leopardstown Christmas Festival.
This massive striding mare will have her pacemaker, King Of Kingsfield, once again, and if Brighterdaysahead can repeat her Leopardstown performance, then there is every chance that she can add her name to the list of mares to win the Champion Hurdle.
- Selection: Brighterdaysahead 9/4
- Danger: Constitution Hill 8/13
Cheltenham Festival 4:40 Hallgarten And Novum Wines Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (Registered As Fred Winter) - 2m½f (4yo) (old course)
The impossible puzzle that is Fred Winter has a maximum of 22 runners, and all are in with a realistic chance.
Stencil and Total Look have been the most popular options for punters in the lead-up to this race, but I want to look outside the box for a race that throws up big price winners, and the one that fits the bill is KOOL ONE.
Currently a 50/1 shot, Kool One would be more than half that price if any of the more well-known trainers trained him. Conor Maxwell has done a great job so far with Kool One, and he has placed in all three of his hurdle starts to date.
He started with a 3rd place finish to the Willie Mullins-trained Charlus, who was a three-time winner on the flat in France. Then, on his next start, he bumped into another Willie Mullins-trained gelding, but this time to the 99 flat-rated Blue Lemons, and made him work hard for that win.
It was on to Grade 3 company on his latest start where a change of tactics with a view to how they would ride Kool One in the Fred Winter. He jumped and settled well to chance home the experienced Bacchanalian, setting himself up well for a crack at the Fred Winter.
His odds do not reflect his chances, and in a race that will be run to suit Kool One, there is every chance that he will be bang there at the finish.
Luker's Tipple and Liam Swagger are others at bigger prices who are not to be ignored.
- Selection: Kool One 50/1 (e/w)
- Danger: Total Look 6/1 (e/w)
Cheltenham Festival 5:20 Princess Royal National Hunt Challenge Cup Novices' Handicap Chase - 3m6f (5yo+ 0-145)
For the first time ever (bar the COVID running), the National Hunt Chase has been opened to professional jockeys. The BHA's decision has been controversial, given the steeped history this race has held for amateur jockeys.
However, it is shaping up to be one of the most competitive runnings in a long time. Transmission, who amateur Partick Mullins will ride, has his chance but must turn around the form with Haiti Couleurs on their meeting here in December off the same terms, and if anything, this further distance will suit Haiti Couleurs.
Now Is The Hour has been the money horse for the past few weeks, but the one I find more interesting is CAPTAIN CODY, who finished just ahead of Now Is The Hour at Navan.
That was Captain Cody's first run over 3m that day, and it brought out more improvement from him. He has been given a mark of 140 for his handicap debut, and with the extra distance looking sure to suit, this Willie Mullins-trained gelding has a live chance under Danny Mullins.
- Selection: Captain Cody 15/2 (e/w)
- Danger: Haiti Couleurs 9/2
