Hi all,
Inside today’s main piece, you’ll find part one of my two-part review of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival.
Last year, I made a good profit, but the spectacle was dire. This year, the profit was small, but the racing was fantastic.
For those watching on ITV, it was four days of free-to-air, dramatic sporting entertainment with wall-to-wall stories.
Let’s rewind to Tuesday.
Tuesday – Day 1: Golden Ace Stuns at 25/1 as Constitution Hill and State Man Exit
When Kopek Des Bordes won the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, favourite backers got off to the perfect start. It looked like this year’s Festival would follow a familiar pattern to recent one. But nothing could have prepared us for what followed.
It all began in the next race when odds-on favourite Majborough made a costly mistake two out in the Arkle. Then came the most dramatic Champion Hurdle in living memory. First, Constitution Hill fell four out. Then, with the race at his mercy, State Man crashed out at the last. That gifted victory to Golden Ace (25/1), who only ran in the race because connections of Lossiemouth opted for the Mares’ Hurdle instead. Relive a dramatic race here.
Golden Ace’s win was doubly painful for me. I’d backed her ante-post for the Mares’ Hurdle in October but left her unbacked in the Champion Hurdle. I resisted the temptation to back her each way at 40s, and when the terms changed to two places, I let her go. A frustrating miss.
Finally, I was impressed with Myretown’s front-running victory in the Ultima Handicap Chase. He relished the big field, jumped his rivals into submission, and put in one of the best jumping performances of the week. He looks an exciting staying chaser, and you can easily see Lucinda Russell aiming him at next year’s Grand National.
Wednesday – Day 2: Marine Nationale Strikes Gold as Jazzy Matty Completes Poignant Double
Wednesday kicked off with one of the races of the Festival—the Turners Novices' Hurdle. Final Demand, The Yellow Clay, and The New Lion all came to the last with a chance. The market had favoured the Irish pair, Final Demand and The Yellow Clay, but it was The New Lion who showed the best turn of foot after the last to land the prize.
All three are high-class prospects. The New Lion, who travels so well, has a superb blend of speed and stamina. He’s the best horse Dan Skelton has trained and could take him to a new level. The Yellow Clay will win big races, whether staying over hurdles or, more likely, going chasing. Final Demand looks a smart staying novice chaser for next season.
The big story of Day 2 was the Marine Nationale–Jazzy Matty double. Marine Nationale relished the return to better ground and Cheltenham, while Jonbon’s sluggish start and costly mistake five out helped his cause. If the ground is decent next year, I can see him defending his Champion Chase crown.
Thursday – Day 3: Fact to File’s Masterclass & Blackmore’s Big Day
Fact To File was an impressive Ryanair Chase winner, relishing the drying ground and strong pace over 2m 4f. Mark Walsh had him perfectly positioned throughout, and he jumped fluently before going clear without being asked too much. For me, this was the standout performance of the Festival. There’s no reason he can’t return to defend his Ryanair crown next year.
Rachael Blackmore produced the coolest of rides on Bob Olinger to land the Stayers’ Hurdle. On softer ground last year’s winner Teahupoo might well have retained his crown but on decent ground he was beaten on merit. The winner was the best horse on the day, but the result says plenty about the current state of the staying hurdle division.
Earlier, Rachael had already denied a huge gamble on Sixandhalf in the Ryanair Mares' Novices' Hurdle, steering Air Of Entitlement to victory. She had been written off by some critics in the build-up to Cheltenham, but by Thursday, she was the one smiling.
We also saw the best jumping display of the Festival from Caldwell Potter in the Jack Richards Novices' Limited Handicap Chase. Sent straight to the front, he produced a magnificent round of jumping, barely missing a beat. He could yet develop into a Grade 1 chaser over 2m 4f.
Friday – Day 4: Poniros Stuns at 100/1 as Mullins Dominates Again
By the final day, we should have expected the unexpected—and we got exactly that in the Triumph Hurdle.
History was made as Poniros, one of 11 Willie Mullins runners, became the longest-priced winner in the race's history at 100/1 and the first hurdle debutant ever to land the prize. When East India Dock jumped the last in front, it looked like the 5/4 favourite was set to reward backers. On the run in second favourite Lulamba rallied, just getting the better of the favourite—until Poniros came over the top to deny them both.
Mullins struck again in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle with Jasmin De Vaux, last season’s Champion Bumper winner. He was suited by a change to hold-up tactics and relished the step up to three miles. Having failed to build on his Navan hurdle debut success over shorter, this trip proved ideal. The Big Westerner (9/2F) was slightly hampered after the second last but still had her chance at the last. However, she lacked the turn of foot to reel in the winner on the run-in. On softer ground, the result might have been different. Given her size, she looks set to develop into a smart novice chaser next season.
Inothewayurthinkin Silences Cheltenham with Gold Cup Triumph
If we thought the week’s feature race drama had peaked, Cheltenham had one final twist in store.
A stunned silence swept across the racecourse as Inothewayurthinkin stormed past Galopin Des Champs after the last, crushing his bid for a historic Gold Cup hat-trick. I had a feeling the return to 3m 2f would be ideal, as I mentioned in Friday’s column, and I was thrilled when connections decided to supplement him. His run behind Galopin Des Champs at the Dublin Racing Festival had convinced me he wouldn’t be out of the places—if the favourite underperformed, he could even win. Everything played out perfectly. His victory was the difference between me finishing the Festival with another profit.
Galopin Des Champs wasn’t at his imperious best. He never really travelled, looking laboured compared to last year. That said If Inothewayurthinkin hadn’t been supplemented, Galopin would have won by 12 lengths. Maybe a more prominent ride would have helped. Maybe the ground was too quick—it was run 6.00s faster than Racing Post Standard. Or maybe he was simply beaten by an improving horse at his ideal trip. For now I'm going with the latter.
King George Chase winner Banbridge ran a shocker and was a beaten horse before stamina became an issue.
On the day, the best horse got the best ride. Mark Walsh was ice-cool, delivering a perfectly timed challenge.
Sadly, the race ended on a sombre note with the fatal fall of Corbetts Cross two out. A tough loss on what was otherwise a thrilling day of racing.
Grand National Next? A Historic Bid or a Risk Too Far?
Inothewayurthinkin is now a very short price for the Grand National after this win. However, with just three weeks to Aintree, his participation is far from certain. As much as like the horse I won’t be backing him if he does go for the race and can happily let him win at prohibitive odds.
Despite modifications to the Grand National fences, I can’t shake the memories of Alverton and Synchronised, both lost attempting the Gold Cup/Grand National double. Part of me hopes he swerves the race, but then again, history beckons, and he’ll never be as well handicapped.
That wraps up my highlights from the 2025 Cheltenham Festival. Tomorrow, I’ll cover the lows of the week and pick out some horses to follow from the four days.
Good luck with your Monday bets.
John