A day after the Grand National Trial at Haydock Park, it’s all about stamina once again with the long distance Grand National Trial taking place at Punchestown.
The 3m3½f marathon is the feature contest on an eight race card which also includes a Listed novice hurdle. We have today’s National Trial, plus all the supporting Punchestown races priced up in our horse racing betting markets.
1.30 – 2m½f Novice Chase
Paul Nolan’s I AM LORENZO was the narrow winner of a beginner’s chase at Fairyhouse last month and can follow up today.
The Milan-gelding looks a natural jumper, which is often key in these novice affairs and Sean Flanagan is a decent jockey booking.
2.00 – 2m7f Beginners Chase
SPREAD BOSS TED was just getting into the race proper when he took a tumble at Navan last time, and will strip fitter for the outing if nothing else.
Fourth in the 2024 Albert Bartlett Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, he should make into an even better chaser and Danny Mullins is in the plate once again.
2.30 – 3m3½f Grand National Trial Handicap Chase (Listed Race)
Gordon Elliott’s LUCKY LYREEN (NAP) was somewhat out in the form wilderness before bouncing right back with a bang at Down Royal last time.
The eight-year-old ground his race out from the back, picking up the leaders late in the piece, and was still staying on at the line.
This extra few furlongs should pose no problems and he’s an each-way bet to nothing at odds of 13/2.
3.00 – 2m (Novice Hurdle (Listed Race)
Joseph O’Brien’s ZEUS POWER ran on to good effect to land the spoils at Navan last month and holds every chance of going in again in this Listed affair.
Now rated 131, the five-year-old gelding can show the betting public out there that he is a Listed class horse.
3.32 – 2m3½f Maiden Hurdle
If KSAR FATAL is ready to go first time out, then the six-year-old could quite easily dominate this very winnable maiden hurdle.
A winner on debut at a PTP, the youngster next won a bumper for Willie Mullins before running poorly at the Punchestown Festival. This afternoon he makes his debut for Barry Connell.
4.02 – 2m6½f Punchestown Novice Handicap Hurdle
Henry De Bromheads’s KIR has some solid looking form in the locker and should be good enough to figure in the finish here.
The six-year-old’s two performances at Limerick this season are decent looking yardsticks, and it will be nice to see owner Liz Prowting tasting another Irish success.
4.32 – 2m INH Flat Race
As the last race is a special one, let’s go with the new adage “Willie’s in the next to last” instead.
Brian Drew’s HELDAM ran inexplicably poor on debut, but I’m pretty sure the stable will have got to the bottom of that and he was a fairly expensive purchase.
5.02 – 2m Up The Yard Challenge Race
Natalia Kubacka must be well respected in the Mullins yard to ride the pretty decent hurdler JUMP ALLEN in a flat race challenge.
The odds may well be short, but this horse is your more obvious winner.
I'll be amazed if TEAHUPOO runs today on good to yielding. À week ago it was soft ground at Leopardstown but has been dry since The Grade 2 Betfair Cleeve Hurdle would be an ideal alternative at Cheltenham in January It was soft there last January @BrianAcheson#Leopardstownpic.twitter.com/LQgw60nXx3
The Paul Nolan stable is always one to keep an eye on over the Christmas holidays and his runner LE MOULIN ROUGE is worth a second look in the opening race.
A faller on his sole PTP run at Monksgrange, he was looking the likely winner that day but for coming down at the second last.
On his first run under Rules, he kept on well in a Wexford maiden hurdle over 2m½f and can be a lively each-way player here.
12.45pm – 2m4½f Handicap Hurdle (4yo+)
If you’re looking for a guaranteed winner almost every other day in Ireland, look no further than Gordon Elliott’s yard and his COYOTE SPIRIT (NAP) can continue the current purple patch of the yard.
The seven-year-old has figured prominently in his last two large field maiden hurdles, and he is of a major interest in his first handicap foray.
1.20pm – 2m5½f Beginners Chase (4yo+)
Gigginstown Stud still get their fair share of winners on the Irish circuit, and their PATTER MERCHANT stands out in this beginners’ chase.
No match for Romeo Coolio at Down Royal, he did as well as could be expected, and his experience nearly came off in his next outing when he was only narrowly beaten at Fairyhouse.
This slightly further trip will help, making him a major player under Jack Kennedy.
1.55pm – 3m Christmas Hurdle (Grade 1) (4yo+)
Soon to be an eleven-year-old veteran on January 1st, pensioner BOB OLINGER can show his younger rivals a clean pair of hooves in what could be one of the last few races of his illustrious career.
A ten-time winner, and the current Stayers’ Hurdle champion, “Bob” certainly has to go down as an each-way candidate in this Christmas Grade 1 affair.
2.30pm – 3m½f Savills Chase (Grade 1) (5yo+)
Former multiple Gold Cup champion GALOPIN DES CHAMPS can stamp his authority back on this division with victory in this hotly contested chase at Leopardstown.
Back to his imperious best in the Punchestown Gold Cup the last time we saw him race, the old adage “cream always rises to the top” is very true of him, and odds of 2/1 look generous to be honest in the grand scheme of things.
Finding a proper trier is often half the battle in these qualifiers, and SYSKO can be just that in this race.
Recently engaged to be married Brian Hayes, can show his supporters that he’s still got it and can make a bold show at a punter friendly price.
3.40pm – 2m INH Flat Race (4yo+)
Not a race to get heavily involved in, but Jody Townend riding for Willie Mullins in the bumper certainly attracts my cash, and I make BENTRAGHHILL a win bet in the lucky last.
A massive congratulations to @Sean_Bowen_ , who will be officially crowned Champion Jockey at Sandown tomorrow, from everyone at Perth.🏇 pic.twitter.com/xmYCKytxqI
Willie Mullins and Dan Skelton’s champion trainer battle looks set to go down to the wire on Saturday, but will all the prize money be exclusively theirs, or will some other trainers get in on the action?
Let’s take a look at each of the races:
1.20pm – Novices’ Championship Final Handicap Hurdle
Mullins and Skelton aren’t involved in this two mile hurdle, however Dan’s brother Harry is jocked up on FASOL, who comes into the race with a leading chance.
Paul Nicholls’ six-year-old won nicely at Taunton on March 10, but was let down by his jumping at the same venue two weeks later. If he brushes up his technique, he must go close again and is taken to beat stablemate Sorceleur.
Of the others, Serious Challenge seeks a four-timer, while Give It To Me Oj is rated significantly higher than the rest of the field.
1.50pm – Josh Gifford Novices’ Handicap Chase
Riskintheground has certainly hit a purple parch just at the right time for Skelton, but he may just come up short against another rapid improver in the shape of MAHONS GLORY.
Dylan Cunha’s nine-year-old has won his last two races impressively, and if he gets into the same rhythm out front again, they may struggle to peg him back.
2.25pm – Oaksey Chase
Mullins has sent over a few of his big guns for this Grade 2 Chase, and the stand out name, not only in this race, but on the entire card, is GAELIC WARRIOR.
The seven-year-old was last seen breaking Skelton’s heart in the Aintree Bowl, when beating Grey Dawning with some authority. He’s the class act here and should be punted in the betting market accordingly.
Forecast players may want to include the Topham winner – Gentleman De Mee, who could well follow up on his Aintree success.
3.00pm – Select Hurdle
KITZBUHEL underperformed somewhat in the Liverpool Hurdle, but he should come into his own in this markedly easier Grade 2. Blueking d’Oroux can chase him home.
3.35pm – Celebration Chase
Mullins and Skelton can only hope that JONBON underperforms here, which is highly improbable according to the betting.
Nicky Henderson’s stable star bounced back from his annual Cheltenham flop with his traditional Melling victory, which inevitably then leads to another Celebration celebration.
4.10pm – bet365 Gold Cup Handicap Chase
Mullins comes into the former Whitbread Chase mob handed and the laws of probability say that he will wrap up the trainers championship here – but with which horse will he do it?
On all known form, HIGH CLASS HERO will be the gelding they all have to beat. You can tell the eight-year-old has been plotted to be Mullins’ trump card in this season ending Grade 1, and at odds of around 6/1 in our horse racing betting, he’s a favourable price for punters too.
Consistent all season, Resplendent Grey wouldn’t be winning out of turn either under champion jockey elect – Sean Bowen.
4.45pm – bet365 Handicap Hurdle
After losing a shoe at Cheltenham’s April meeting, DR EGGMAN can crack on by taking the concluding 2m4f handicap hurdle for the Willie Mullins team.
After decent runs in maiden and novice hurdles this term, the seven-year-old can make an immediate impact on the handicap scene.
Jump Allen ran well at Ayr on Scottish National day, and can be in the mix again.
The Jockey Club today announces a number of changes to the Cheltenham Festival, ranging from alterations to the race programme over the four days to a series of new initiatives for racegoers.
With a focus on providing more competitive racing and a better experience and value for all visitors to the Home of Jump Racing, the changes are the result of a full review of the event and a period of consultation with participants, racegoers, racing fans, members of the media, sponsors and a wide range of industry stakeholders.
All changes to the race programme will be in place for the 2025 Cheltenham Festival, which takes place from Tuesday 11th March to Friday 14th March inclusive in 2025. Most of the initiatives for racegoers will be implemented from the racecourse’s first fixture of the 2024-25 season – The Showcase Meeting on October 25th and 26th 2024 – but all will be rolled out in time for The Festival itself.
Details of the key changes can be found below:
RACE PROGRAMME
Six key changes are being made to the Cheltenham Festival race programme from 2025, with alterations made to the conditions of five individual races at the event as well as new requirements for horses running in non-novice handicaps. These changes are:
The 2m 4f Turners (Golden Miller) Novices’ Chase will be replaced by a Grade 2 Limited Novice Handicap Chase over the same distance.
The National Hunt Chase will become a Class 2 Novice Handicap Chase (0-145), with amateur rider restrictions for jockeys removed to allow professionals to take part.
The Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase will be changed from a conditions race to a Limited Handicap.
The race conditions for the Ryanair Mares’ Novices Hurdle will be changed to remove the penalty structure, resulting in a level weights contest.
From 2023 any horse finishing in the first four of a qualifying race for the Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle has been eligible for the race at The Festival. From 2025 the race conditions will be altered to provide a guaranteed run in the Pertemps Final for all winners of series qualifiers (provided they are within the weights at declaration stage).
Currently horses must have run at least three times (chases) or four times (hurdles) to be eligible to run in non-novice handicaps at The Festival. From 2025, this will be increased to four chase and five hurdle runs.
In addition to these changes The Jockey Club will be increasing prize money over the four days by £115,000, taking the total on offer at the Cheltenham Festival to £4,930,000 in 2025. Prize money for all the Cheltenham Festival races will be published in due course.
FESTIVAL EXPERIENCE
A number of changes are being made to improve the experience for racegoers attending the Cheltenham Festival. These include:
More hard-standing ‘trackway’ will be laid in Cheltenham Racecourse’s grass car parks than ever before. Covering an area the size of 17 football pitches this will aid the arrival and departure of racegoers, especially in the kind of adverse weather conditions experienced earlier this year.
A new park and ride system will be launched within easy access of Cheltenham. In addition The Jockey Club has partnered with National Express to offer coach travel direct to Cheltenham Racecourse from more than 20 pick-up locations, doubling the number of coaches running to the venue.
Racegoers will have more course-facing areas to enjoy a drink, easing queues and reducing the need to rush between races. Bar facilities are also being upgraded to give more choice and indoor seating.
Hot and cold meal deals will be offered, giving racegoers the opportunity to save money when buying any hot and soft drinks with food throughout the day and at multiple outlets on course.
VALUE AT THE FESTIVAL
In order to give racegoers better value for money and more options, a number of changes are being made. These include:
All ticket prices for the 2025 Cheltenham Festival will be frozen at 2024 levels.
Racegoers purchasing a ticket for any day of The Festival will be given a 20 per cent discount on any tickets purchased for other days of the event. Discounts will not be applied to Gold Cup day tickets.
Groups of six people can save 10 per cent on ticket prices when booking together. Previously this discount was offered to groups of 15 or more.
As announced earlier this month, The Jockey Club and Cheltenham Racecourse have entered into an exciting new partnership with leading sports tour operator Venatour Racing, which will give racegoers the opportunity to purchase discounted packages including tickets, hotels, travel and more in a one-stop shop initiative known as ‘Room To Race’.
Ian Renton, The Jockey Club’s Managing Director of Cheltenham Racecourse, said the changes follow an extensive review which began after this year’s Festival.
He said: “The Cheltenham Festival is the very pinnacle of our sport and the best-attended and most prestigious Jump Racing meeting anywhere in the world. As with any major event it is important to evolve and improve to ensure everyone who joins us throughout the week has the best possible experience.
“As part of the process of reviewing this year’s Festival we analysed data and extensive feedback, including surveys, one-to-one meetings and focus group sessions to seek views ranging from those who come every year all the way through to people who have never visited The Festival to find out why.
“Throughout the course of this review process there have been three distinct strands which have been impossible to ignore – value for money, the need to provide the best experience possible and the competitiveness of the race programme.
“We understand that when people are paying to attend premium events they expect a premium experience and that has been at the front of our minds when committing to significant investment to improve our car parks, launching a park and ride system and offering more course-facing areas to enjoy a drink while watching the racing.
“We also know that, at a time when we are all impacted by the rising cost of living, value is more important than ever. That’s why we have looked carefully at discounts to racegoers for multi-day packages, food and drink and even working hard to find solutions to the increasing cost of accommodation through our partnership with Venatour Racing.
“The teams behind our major festivals review the race programme on an annual basis and with so much data now available and having conducted one-to-one sessions with participants and other stakeholders, we have decided to make six key changes, all the while ensuring that the welfare of horse and jockey is paramount.
“As with any event of this size, it is never possible to make changes which are welcomed by everyone. However, we have prioritised listening to our racegoers to put them and their experiences at the heart of The Festival, with the ultimate goal of delivering something that not only meets but exceeds expectations.
“I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to this review process and shares our vision of long-term success for an event which is vital to our sport in so many ways.”
Explaining the reasons behind some of the changes to the race programme, Jon Pullin, The Jockey Club’s Head of Racing and Clerk of the Course at Cheltenham Racecourse, said: “For participants and racing fans The Festival is special because it pits the best horses against each other on the biggest stage of them all.
“We all want the most competitive races possible throughout the week and what the data and specific feedback was telling us was that we should take a more in-depth look at the programme we are providing.
“When we started this process we had five clear objectives that any changes we would make should adhere to, with the first being equine welfare, which will always be our number one priority.
“After that the changes needed to play their part in creating a race programme that attracts the best horses from the UK, Ireland and France and we also wanted to ensure that all races are as competitive as possible.
“Any changes we implement obviously have to benefit not only The Festival race programme but also have a positive impact on Jump Racing in general and, finally, we wanted to make sure that The Festival continues to innovate and evolve.
“The review was led by Richard Norris, The Jockey Club’s Group Racing Director, Ian Renton and myself and we have been very fortunate to be supported by the BHA (British Horseracing Authority), the Levy Board and other organisations in the gathering of data.
“We also spoke to more than 50 individuals as part of the process and more directly with participants, including leading owners, trainers and jockeys. It was important to give everyone an opportunity to state where The Festival currently stands for them and where they believe improvements could be made.
“Hopefully these changes will deliver against the objectives we set out to achieve and help ensure that racing fans get to see the best of the best racing against each other come next March.”
Ruby Walsh, the most successful jockey of all time at The Festival with 59 winners, was one of those consulted about the race programme changes and has filmed a video for Cheltenham Racecourse explaining what they will mean for participants and fans.
He said: “All the changes are geared towards making the races more competitive. The aim is to attract as many of the best horses as possible to run at the Cheltenham Festival and for them to run in the right races.
“Cheltenham is the pinnacle of Jump Racing and these changes help to maintain that. Of course there will be some people who think these changes go too far and there will be some who think they don’t go far enough. The important thing to remember is that those making these changes have done so in the best interests of Jump Racing and The Festival.”
Britain’s 14-times champion Jump trainer Paul Nicholls, who has saddled 49 Festival winners and won the Cheltenham Gold Cup on four occasions, also welcomed the changes.
He said: “On the whole these changes sound very sensible. Everybody has different opinions and you cannot please everybody at the same time, but I think we have to try and make the racing as competitive as possible as that is what the Cheltenham Festival is all about.
“One thing I have been impressed with is the way Cheltenham Racecourse has approached the changes by saying we will look and see what effect they have in the years ahead and then maybe review again – it is all part of an ongoing process. As I have said before, anything which makes racing more competitive can only be a good thing.”
Nicholls is the only British trainer to have won the Grade One Turners Novices’ Chase (Stage Star, 2023) and its Novices’ Handicap Chase predecessor (Chapoturgeon, 2009). On the change to make the Turners Novices’ Chase a handicap, Nicholls added: “Stage Star followed his Turners win by taking the Paddy Power Gold Cup the following season, showing there isn’t always a huge difference between Grade One races and winning Premier Handicaps off of big weights.”
I'm Steve Mullington from Rochdale. My blog is about the ups & downs of a regular punter and sports fan. A place to come to share ideas, tips and of course-friendly banter!
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