Future Winners From the Cheltenham Festival

Hi all,

After running through my Cheltenham Festival highlights yesterday, today I’m looking at some of the low points. Plus, I’ve got a few horses to take from the meeting.

Cheltenham Festival 2025: Low Points

Regular readers know I’m often pessimistic about the future of the sport. But last week showed the sport still has plenty going for it. The unpredictability returned, and that’s a good thing. The ground was much better—not a bog like last year. Credit to the clerk for striking the right balance when it came to watering.

I won’t dwell too much on the negatives, as they were outweighed by the positives, but here are a few:

False starts – A mess. Jockeys must hold their hands up as they played their part in the shambles. However, the ultimate responsibility lays with the starter who didn’t cover himself in glory. Some races were clearly going to be called back, others could have been let go. There was no consistency. At least Friday was better, but this needs sorting for Cheltenham Festival 2026.

Springwell Bay and Corbetts Cross – Losing two good horses was a real blow.

Lossiemouth in the wrong race – For the second year running. Frustrating.

Irish domination continues – The New Lion aside, the Irish still have a stranglehold on the novice hurdle divisions. The Brown Advisory Novice’s Chase didn’t even have a single British-trained runner once The Jukebox Man had been ruled out.

Falling attendances

This is the biggest concern. Overall numbers were down, and Wednesday saw just 42,000 spectators—compared to 66,000 in 2022. While a smaller crowd might improve the experience, The Jockey Club relies on Festival income to fund prize money. Losing 25,000 customers isn’t sustainable.

The issue is cost—getting to Cheltenham, staying there, food, drink, and betting money. Many are choosing to punt from home instead. The Irish crowds, once a huge part of the Festival, aren’t coming in the same numbers as they did pre-pandemic. The older generation is passing on, and the younger ones either can’t afford it or are spending their money elsewhere.

Until the economic climate improves—which doesn’t look likely in the short or medium term—don’t expect an upturn in attendances. Tweaking the race programme won’t fix it that’s for sure.

The Rise of ‘Benidorm Cheltenham’

The trend of racing fans heading to places like Benidorm and Tenerife during Cheltenham week is only going to grow. I know someone who tried it for the first time this year and found it a no-brainer. He watched the racing in a great atmosphere with like-minded people, placed bets in the bar hassle-free, and enjoyed warm weather—all while spending less than he would have for four days at the Festival.

When you can have a 5* luxury break for less than four days at Cheltenham, it’s an easy decision for many. And now that the bars abroad are catering specifically for this growing market, it’s only going to become a bigger pull.

A sunny holiday, cheaper drinks, and a buzzing racing atmosphere— Cheltenham can expect more people to take up the value option next year.

From the Cheltenham Notebook

Here are six horses who caught my eye last week and are worth putting into your trackers:

Myretown

Made a mockery of his handicap mark when making all in the Ultima Handicap Chase for Lucinda Russell. It’s tough to lead from the front in a 24-runner race, but apart from one mistake, he jumped superbly and powered clear by 11 lengths. He’ll get a hefty rise in the weights, but like stablemate Corach Rambler, he could return to win this race again next year—and is a future Grand National type.

Liam Swagger

A strong third in the Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle. Trainer James Owen confirmed he'll be aimed at the Chester Cup on the Flat. Still a maiden on the flat, but he looks well-handicapped and handled the Chester turns well in a maiden last May.

Haiti Couleurs

Jumped well to win the National Hunt Chase, relishing the step up to 3m 6f. He looks a real staying chase prospect and could be aimed at the Scottish Grand National, a race Rebecca Curtis won in 2018. A clash with Myretown at Ayr would be some race.

Jimmy Du Seuil

Bolted up in the Coral Cup, confirming the promise he showed when runner-up to Ballyburn last year. Lightly raced and shaping like he’ll stay 3m, he looks a serious Stayers' Hurdle contender for next season.

Derryhassen Paddy

Unbeaten in two starts before Friday’s Albert Bartlett, Derryhassen Paddy ran a stormer to finish third, seven lengths behind Jasmin De Vaux. On ground that was quicker than ideal, he helped set a strong pace and was only headed approaching the last. Still a work in progress, his best days will likely come next season when he goes over fences.

Another to take from the race was Wendigo. Badly hampered two out, he nearly unseated his rider but rallied well, staying on strongly to the line. He looks another promising 3m novice chaser in the making

Ethical Diamond

Did well to finish a staying-on third in the County Hurdle, coming from a long way back. That was his handicap debut, and he looks well-treated. The Scottish Champion Hurdle (his trainer had the runner-up last year) could be a perfect target. A useful dual-purpose type, he also ran fourth in the Duke of Edinburgh Handicap at Royal Ascot, so he’s a big player in both codes.

Cheltenham 2025 Verdict

I thoroughly enjoyed all four days, and making a small profit was the icing on the cake. Honestly, I can't remember enjoying a Cheltenham Festival more than this one.

Apart from the final race each day, I watched the action on ITV, and their coverage was mostly good. We’re lucky to have nearly four hours of live racing on a main channel—something that shouldn’t be taken for granted.

This year’s Festival will go down as one of the most unpredictable in recent memory. After a few sterile years, the drama was back. We saw future stars take their first steps to greatness, and competitive racing was the theme of the week—reflected in the SPs of many winners.

Standout performances? Look no further than Fact To File, Inothewayurthinkin, and The New Lion. Willie Mullins equalled his own record with 10 winners, yet the Champion Hurdle and Gold Cup eluded him.

Oh, and one final reminder—course form and previous Cheltenham Festival form matter. Follow it at Cheltenham Festival 2026!

Good luck with your Tuesday bets.

John