EXTRAORDINARY spring festivals set up a fascinating future for British jumps racing.
Twelve months in horse racing is a long time. To be honest, 12 hours is pretty lengthy as well, but there’s so much that can happen in one year of this wildly unpredictable sport. Horses can go from hero to zero, and vice versa, in a matter of moments, and the year 2025 demonstrated this.
We start with Kempton on St Stephen’s Day, and there were two races to put under the microscope. The Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle, featuring a clash between Constitution Hill and Lossiemouth, and the Grade 1 King George VI Chase, which included last year’s runaway Kauto Star Novices’ Chase victor Il Est Francais.
Plenty of respect was paid the way of Willie Mullins for sending his popular grey mare over the water for a completely new test, and this was reflected in the betting market.
The reigning champion went off a shade of odds-on, and the challenger could be backed at 11/8 at the off.
However, no such respect was shown by the 2023 Champion Hurdle winner.
Lossiemouth was just off the pace early and Constitution Hill took the race up with a slick leap over the second-last, leaving Paul Townend to ask a few questions of Lossiemouth. By the time they jumped the last, the race was over.
It wasn’t just a win; it was a wave of nostalgia when Constitution Hill crossed the line in-front. Is he back? Does he win in March? These were all very valid questions to ask at the time, and we would find out less than three months later.
More drama
Later in the afternoon, the King George VI Chase took centre stage, and this race had more drama than the aforementioned Christmas Hurdle.
Il Est Francais ran his own race from the front as he tried to mimic the same tactics that saw him dazzle 12 months earlier. While this got the likes of Grey Dawning, Bravemansgame, Corbetts Cross and Spillane’s Tower to misfire, the shape of the race suited Banbridge and Paul Townend perfectly, and he swooped on by after the last fence to win his third Grade 1 on his first start at three miles.
Did we learn anything? Well, with a view to this year’s race, it reminded us all that three miles around Kempton for a King George is not a simple test. Some horses get it, though some don’t, and this could really make the difference ahead of what looks like an awe-inspiring renewal in 2025. The day after Banbridge’s King George success, Sir Gino made light work of Ballyburn in the Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase.
As an isolated chasing performance, it was foot-perfect, and the fact that it was his chasing debut made it so much sweeter.
Who was to know that this, at the time of writing, would be his latest run to date due to a leg infection in February, though there is still the prospect of this two-time Grade 1 winner returning to the track this week.
However, before this news about Sir Gino’s health came through, he was the standout Arkle fancy for us Brits, and a serious display from The Jukebox Man in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton also gave us a live chance in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase.
Both of these superstars missing the rest of the season was a sucker punch, though The Jukebox Man did return in fine style at Haydock on Betfair Chase Day before his stab at the 2025 King George VI Chase.
AS 2025 began, a number of notable performances lit up our TV screens.
Lucky Place announced himself as a potential Stayers’ Hurdle horse in the Relkeel Hurdle on New Year’s Day, Lulamba and East India Dock both booked their places in the Triumph Hurdle thanks to their respective facile successes in January, Jonbon reclaimed his Clarence House Chase title with a victory over Energumene, Jagwar laid down a marker for the Festival handicaps with a win on Trials Day, and Constitution Hill survived a final hurdle scare to win the Unibet Hurdle. The New Lion looked a worthy Turners’ Hurdle favourite.
We even saw Joyeuse bolt up in the William Hill Hurdle at Newbury (old Betfair Hurdle), setting up a tilt against Lossiemouth in the Mares’ Hurdle. So, it’s fair to say that there was a strong British contingent heading into Cheltenham this year.
Would they all deliver? Well, you know the story by now.
Drama-fuelled action
The 2025 Cheltenham Festival began in the best way possible: by honouring the much-missed Michael O’Sullivan. Twelve months previously, O’Sullivan rode Marine Nationale to an incredible success in the 2024 renewal of the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, and following his tragic passing in February, the first race of the Festival was named in his honour.
In a week full of clashes and opinions, seeing everyone in racing come together to remember Michael before the first flag fall brought a tear to many an eye.
In the race itself, William Munny did his best to create a special moment, but he could not repel the challenge of Kopek Des Bordes, who screeched up the Cheltenham hill emphatically.
Putting his often questionable hurdling to one side, a star was born in this race, and the form of beating William Munny, Romeo Coolio, Salvator Mundi, and Irancy is very hard to knock.
One race in, and we already had our first on the board for Closutton. Was it ever really in doubt? But could he follow up in the Arkle with the hot favourite Majborough?
Stop the race at the second-last, and the percentage call would have been to say ‘yes’. However, a mistake from J.P. McManus’ five-year-old handed L’Eau Du Sud the lead before he gave way to the staying-on Only By Night after the final fence.
And then, the race had one final twist. Still five lengths down at the final fence, Jango Baie stormed past them all to win. In those final two furlongs, the Arkle had more leaders than Frankie Dettori has had retirement announcements!
On reflection, this year’s Arkle is working out particularly well. The first four home have all won races since, including one Grade 1, two Grade 2s, and one Grade 3. Could this race produce the King George, Champion Chase, and Mares’ Chase winner? Quite possibly.
After a facile success from Myretown in the Ultima Chase, Lossiemouth made light work of the Mares’ Hurdle. It’s fair to say that after all of the pre-race chat regarding her potential participation in the Champion Hurdle, seeing her waltz to success in the manner that she did was like a small punch in the ribs.
What could have happened if she lined up under starter’s orders 40 minutes later alongside Brighterdaysahead, Constitution Hill, State Man, and Golden Ace? We’ll never know.
Still, a mare did take down the Champion Hurdle, but it definitely wasn’t the one that many people were expecting at any point before or during the race. Sorry, Jeremy Scott and connections, but Golden Ace winning the Champion Hurdle can be filed away in the ‘shocking results’ category.
Lots of individual races remind us now and then why National Hunt racing is so unpredictably great, and Golden Ace winning a Champion Hurdle full of dramatic moments against some of the sport’s brightest talents does exactly that.
When one of the ‘smaller’ operations lands a big race against the big boys, it’s always a heart-warming moment.
Two impressive performances from Puturhandstogether in the Fred Winter and Haiti Couleurs in the National Hunt Chase concluded the first day of the meeting, and attentions then turned to the Turners Novices’ Hurdle, a race that saw the top three in the market fight out a tight finish up the Cheltenham hill.
The New Lion came out on top, with The Yellow Clay and Final Demand forced to settle for the respectable places. The brilliance about this race is just how good a race it could turn out to be, much like the Arkle on day one.
Champion Hurdle horse
The New Lion, despite his fall in the recent Fighting Fifth Hurdle, could well be a Champion Hurdle horse for Dan Skelton, Final Demand looks to already have one hoof on the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, and The Yellow Clay is a player in this year’s Stayers’ Hurdle. Even Kappa Jy Pyke, the sixth, beat stablemate Salvator Mundi on his chasing debut.
In the next race, Lecky Watson capitalised on a number of mistakes from Ballyburn to win the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, throwing his hat into the ring as a potential Gold Cup horse for this season.
Stumptown bolting up in the new Cross Country Chase Handicap followed later in the day, and Bambino Fever showed Heads Up a clean pair of heels in the Champion Bumper.
However, the story of the day was spread across two races. Marine Nationale and Jazzy Matty, Michael O’Sullivan’s two Cheltenham Festival winners, won their respective races, with the former landing the prestigious Queen Mother Champion Chase.
“It can’t get any more poignant, can it?” That was the commentary from Richard Hoiles as Jazzy Matty won the Plate Handicap Chase. What a beautiful way to celebrate Michael’s life.
Big owners
Day three was one for the big owners. J.P. McManus walked away with two winners, as did Robcour, and the Ferguson, Mason, Hales, Done & Hogarth partnership found themselves on the scoresheet with Caldwell Potter in the first edition of the Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase. €740,000 well spent, right?
Undoubtedly, Fact To File stole the show in the Ryanair Chase. Sent off as the 2/1 favourite, his performance was one that made you really feel he was a Gold Cup horse for the future.
The Savills Chase or King George would give him chance to prove this later in the year, and he wasn’t exactly stopping in the Ryanair.
Bob Olinger succeeded in the other Grade 1 on the day as he downed his owner-mate Teahupoo in the Stayers’ Hurdle. For a horse who could be described as an enigma, there’s no denying the fact that he is a three-time Cheltenham Festival winner, and he will forever be known as Rachael Blackmore’s final Festival success. Bob Olinger is certainly a special horse, but more importantly, he is surely a pub quiz answer of the future, right?
A new champion
Cheltenham Gold Cup Day. No matter how the week has been so far, the thought of Gold Cup Friday would make anyone leap out of bed with excitement.
Good horses, good races, good atmosphere, and the blue riband contest itself. Marvellous.
That being said, there were a few punters looking to crawl back into bed after the opening race of the day, the Triumph Hurdle, as Poniros caused the biggest shock of the week to win at 100/1. We all know Mr. W P Mullins is the master, but getting a horse to win the marquee juvenile hurdling contest of the whole season on their first start over flights is miraculous.
The Closutton train went on a rampage through the day, starting with Kargese in the County Hurdle, continuing with Dinoblue in the Mares’ Chase, and ending with Jasmin De Vaux in the Albert Bartlett.
With Galopin Des Champs a warm order to make it three Gold Cups, surely the streak would continue for Mullins? Unfortunately for the history books, he couldn’t find the winners’ enclosure again.
Instead, it was Inothewayurthinkin who came home the best, handing Gavin Cromwell his first success in the prestigious race, and a second for J.P. McManus.
It was a tough week for Gordon Elliott and a tearful trainer went out with his sole win, typically in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle with Wodhooh.
On reflection, the 2025 Cheltenham Festival delivered some great races and storylines that made it very enjoyable. This is something that recent renewals have potentially lacked, for one reason or another.
The new changes, while they are still bedding in, seemed to have had a positive effect on the meeting as a whole, and long may the Cheltenham Festival be something that makes us feel overwhelmingly excited.
IN almost a carbon copy of the 2024-’25 season, the two big season finales had something more than just pride on the line. After another good Cheltenham, Willie Mullins found himself chasing a second consecutive trainers’ title, though he had had to work a lot harder to earn it this time around.
Did he do it? Of course he did. Mullins casually trained five of the first seven home in the Grand National, and, thanks to victories with Impaire Et passe, Murcia, Gaelic Warrior, Lossiemouth, Salvator Mundi, Gentleman De Mee and Green Splendour at Aintree, he eroded a £1,365,284 gap between him and Skelton to just £122,026 in just three days. It was incredible, and he won the National with his son, Patrick, in the saddle, which must be the absolute dream!
Notable successes with Captain Cody in the Scottish Grand National, Gaelic Warrior in the Oaksey Chase, and Il Etait Temps in the Celebration Chase - the latter two occurring on Sandown Finale Day - saw Mullins wrap up his second British trainers’ title, equalling Vincent O’Brien’s tally from the 1950s. J.P. McManus took the owners’ title and Sean Bowen sealed a terrific season with his first jockeys’ title.
But can he make it three? If the start to the 2025-’26 season is anything to go by, Mullins will have a very tough task on his hands. And, yes, we have been here before, so it’s truly not impossible.
SO far in the autumn/winter of 2025, Dan Skelton has landed the Betfair Chase with Grey Dawning, the Coral Gold Cup and Paddy Power Gold Cup with Panic Attack, and the Shloer Chase with L’Eau Du Sud.
Not only have they collected decent prize money already, but one is a potential Gold Cup horse, another could be a Mares’ Chase candidate, and the latter will go down the Grade 1 two-mile chase route towards the Champion Chase.
If you’re Dan Skelton right now, you have to love the position you’re in.
L’Eau Du Sud was one of the most impressive performances of the Cheltenham November Meeting, though No Drama This End nearly stole this title off him when he landed the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (no, not that one). To win a Grade 2 in that manner against a Champion Bumper runner-up on your first start over hurdles is quite incredible.
He’s got a way to go until he can be considered a very good horse in this current climate but, who knows, he might even follow in the footsteps of a former Paul Nicholls-trained horse? You know, that one who won the Challow Novices’ Hurdle in 2006.
The final stop of the British National Hunt year before the Christmas action gets underway was the Fighting Fifth Hurdle. This year, Golden Ace won the Grade 1 contest after Constitution Hill fell early, one of the market principals [The New Lion], also departed when going well late-on, and the Irish raider failed to find enough to win. Sound familiar?
But, anyway, should we have been surprised by this? After all, the reigning Champion Hurdle victor winning the Fighting Fifth sounds like business as usual, right?