2025 Flat Season Review

Hi all,

Inside today’s main piece I’m focusing on the Weekend’s big races but first my 2025 Flat season review.

I woke this morning to the first snow of the winter. Granted only a light dusting but snow nonetheless. What better time to review the flat season.

Flat Season Review: A Year That Fell Flat

Underwhelming Classics, and the less said the better about the 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas. Dual Derby winner Lambourn was found wanting after winning the Irish version at the Curragh.

The 3yo middle distance classic fillies were better. Minne Hauk wasn’t at her best in the Breeders’ Cup, but the triple Oaks winner was an excellent runner-up in the Arc and was the standout 3yo filly ahead of French Oaks and Breeders Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner Gezora.

Arc winner Daryz is Timeform’s top-rated three-year-old (131), just ahead of Delacroix (129), and that feels about right. If he stays in training, he could dominate the middle-distance division as a four-year-old.

Division by Division

Timeform’s top-rated older horse was Champion Stakes winner Calandagan (133). A gelding, he’ll return as a five-year-old and looks set to battle stablemate Daryz for supremacy in the middle-distance ranks. Ombudsman (130), runner-up to Calandagan in the Champion Stakes, could also be back next year.

The European sprint division remained in the doldrums. Take out Australian mare Asfoora and the Group 1 sprints were shared around, each horse taking its turn on the sprint roulette wheel. The division badly needs a couple of three-year-olds to step up next season and stamp some authority on proceedings.

The European mile scene wasn’t much stronger. Field Of Gold’s bubble burst, and Cicero’s Gift winning the QEII Stakes on Champions Day at 100/1 summed up the year for the mile divsion. The best of them remains Notable Speech after his Breeders’ Cup Mile victory. A speed-favouring mile on quick ground suits him perfectly, and he’ll return as a five-year-old.

With Kyprios retired, Trawlerman ruled the staying division. He’ll be back next season but should face stronger opposition, including last year’s St Leger winner Scandinavia.

I looked at the juveniles last week and remain cautiously optimistic about the new crop of three-year-olds — led by Pierre Bonnard and Diamond Necklace, with hopefully more to emerge in the spring.

Verdict:

The 2025 Flat season never quite took off — you could call it, quite literally, “flat.” High hopes that Field Of Gold would become the superstar the sport needed were dashed.

The high points for me were Daryz’s Arc triumph and the resurgence of Calandagan, who silenced critics that had labelled him soft in a finish. He proved himself a genuine champion.

My personal highlight, though, was Ethical Diamond’s win in the Breeders’ Cup Turf — not just because I backed and tipped him, but for the romance of it all: a horse who finished seventh in a Scottish Champion Hurdle ending the year as an international flat winner. Only Willie Mullins could do that.

Looking Ahead to the Weekend

The jumps season hits cruise control this weekend. We have the Grade 1 Betfair Chase at Haydock, and at Punchestown the Morgiana Hurdle and John Durkan Chase take centre stage.

Betfair Chase: Small But Select Field?

Grey Dawning, runner-up in last year’s Betfair Chase, heads the betting. With the ground unlikely to be as testing as 12 months ago, he can reverse placings with Royale Pagaille, who bids for a race hat-trick but really needs soft ground. Haiti Couleurs, Handstands, and Marsh Wren are other possible runners. Seven went to post last year, but only four the previous year. With just seven left in the race and Monday’s final confirmation stage I’ll be pleasantly surprised if more than five line up this time.

Mullins Army Set for More Punchestown Dominance

Meanwhile at Punchestown there are two Grade 1s this weekend. On Saturday we have the Unibet Morgiana Hurdle. Willie Mullins has dominated the race. He didn’t saddle last year’s winner, but he has sent out eight of the last ten winners, and he trains the first four in the ante-post market. It’s hard to see the prize going anywhere else.

On Sunday Punchestown hosts the John Durkan Chase. Last year’s renewal produced a thrilling finish as Fact To File edged out Spillane’s Tower in a top-drawer Grade 1.

Fact To File is ante-post favourite to follow up. Stablemate Gaelic Warrior is next in, followed by Fastorslow, the 2023 winner, who finished fourth in last year’s race on what proved his sole start of the season.

Broadcast Hope: Come On ITV Racing

For me, the best race on Saturday is Haydock’s Betfair Stayers’ Handicap Hurdle (3m½f), with £56,950 to the winner.

Aside from Haydock and Punchestown there’s also a competitive card at Ascot. Two Grade 2s feature on the Ascot programme, plus two interesting handicap chases.

ITV Racing are covering the best of the action from Haydock and Ascot, and I’m hoping they add Ascot’s Berkshire National Handicap Chase to their broadcast. They didn’t show it last year, which was a shame, and it will be a better betting race than the Betfair Chase and the Morgiana Hurdle.

Come on ITV Racing — you know it makes sense, and it’ll be better for the Levy.

Wednesday Racing

Once again, the best of Wednesday’s action comes on the all-weather. There’s a couple of good handicaps on Kempton’s twilight card.

Kempton

The Unibet New Improved Acca Boosts Handicap (London Mile Series Qualifier) (5:40) is the most valuable race on the card, with £13,400 on offer to the winner. A similar mile handicap at Southwell 19 days ago looks key. The first three home that day – First Principle, Two Tempting, and Dividend – all reoppose.

First Principle made it 2 from 2 on the synthetics when winning at Southwell last time, his previous success having come over C&D. The 3yo is progressing well and is just 3lb higher. With Harry Burns taking off 3lb, the weight rise is effectively negated. Nicely drawn in stall 3, he looks the one to beat.

Two Tempting, a C&D winner, was just ¾ length behind First Principle and gets 3lb. He’s back to his last winning mark and has the ability to take this, but First Principle looks the more progressive of the pair.

Dividend, back from a short break, did best of those held up in a steadily run Southwell race. Off the weights he has a similar chance to Two Tempting, and with Elizabeth Gale taking off 5lb, he’s in contention. Stall 9 isn’t ideal, and the lack of pace means the other two are likely to be better positioned.

The other runner I like on the Kempton card runs in the London Middle Distance Series Qualifier (8:10).

Can Ludo’s Landing Return to Form?

Top weight Miss Tonnerre was once touted as an Oaks contender, sent off 7/2 – the same price as Whirl in the Musidora Stakes at York on her seasonal return. She has struggled on all her starts this season and has questions to answer, though this is a drop-in class.

Another with questions is the nicely treated Ludo’s Landing. The 5yo hasn’t beaten a rival in his last two starts but did win at Thirsk in June and is just 1lb higher than when a comfortable winner over C&D last September. The yard’s runners can often return to form out of the blue and have been among the winners in the past two weeks.

Tomorrow I’ll continue looking ahead to the weekend’s racing with a preview of Haydock’s Betfair Stayers’ Handicap Hurdle.

Good luck with your Wednesday bets.

John