We may only be a little over a month into the 2024/25 National Hunt season, but ante-post plans are already well underway ahead of the 2025 edition of the mighty Cheltenham Festival.
Last weekend saw the likes of Potters Charm, L’Eau du Sud, and East India Dock tumble in the market following sizzling displays at the November Meeting, whilst Constitution Hill has managed to drift in the Champion Hurdle following a jog with his stablemate Sir Gino.
It doesn’t take much to provoke movement in the Prestbury Park punting markets, and we expect to see a similar collection of reactions and overreactions this weekend.
The Cheltenham November Meeting is a tough act to follow, but Haydock and Punchestown step into the breach to keep the quality up. And what quality we may have in store, with no fewer than nine Cheltenham 2024 winners contained amongst the current list of entries for the headline Graded events.
Stellar Story: Boodles Florida Pearl Novice Chase
We begin with one of the most unlikely Festival heroes of all. Arriving at Cheltenham with only a couple of Bumper wins and a Maiden Hurdle success to his name, Stellar Story was sent off at 33/1 for the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle. However, the stamina test provided by three miles and heavy ground allowed this son of Shantou to show his true colours. Four lengths down at the last, he produced a withering late effort to deny The Jukebox Man close home.
He couldn’t back that up in a Grade 1 event at Punchestown in May but is expected to make a better chaser and has his first outing over birch here.
Ballyburn, State Man, Lossiemouth: Unibet Morgiana Hurdle
Following his 13-length annihilation of the field in the Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle and equally impressive success in the Grade 1 Novice Hurdle at the Punchestown Meeting, there was no doubting Ballyburn’s star potential. The question was whether his immediate future lay over hurdles or fences. Six months on, we are no closer to knowing the answer. The Willie Mullins runner also holds an entry in the Beginners’ Chase earlier on the card but would rate an intriguing addition to this Grade 1 contest.
In contrast, State Man and Lossiemouth almost certainly have their eyes on two-mile hurdle glory. Having taken advantage of the absence of Constitution Hill, State Man arrives as the reigning Champion Hurdle champion and bids to extend his winning sequence to seven. However, it is Lossiemouth who currently heads the 2025 Champion Hurdle market.
This daughter of Great Pretender has proved to be the real deal at the track, winning eight of nine starts, including the 2024 edition of the Close Brothers Mares Hurdle. With all three festival winners hailing from the same yard, it seems unlikely that the trio will stand their ground. However, any two would present a mouthwatering showdown.
Grey Dawning & Limerick Lace: Betfair Chase
Gold Cup credentials are on show in the big race from Haydock. The admirable Royal Pagaille from the Venetia Williams yard returns to defend his crown but is second best in the market behind Grey Dawning.
Dan Skelton has started the season in flying form and will see this seven-year-old as one of his leading hopes for Grade 1 glory. Almost 10 lengths too good for the field in a novice event at this meeting last season, he backed that up with a Grade 2 win at Warwick and a career-best effort to claim the Turners Novices’ Chase. Stepping into open company this season, he has the Cheltenham Gold Cup as his long-term goal.
Last sighted finishing tenth in the Aintree Grand National, Gavin Cromwell’s Limerick Lace came out on top in one of the most thrilling festival finishes when outbattling Dinoblue in the Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase.
Fact To File, Galopin Des Champs, Inothewayurthinkin, Limerick Lace: John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase
Last but not least, we have what promises to be a sizzling edition of this 2m3½f Grade 1 affair. Two-time Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs tops the bill but managed only third in the 2023 edition and may have his work cut out over a trip short of his best.
Should Galopin Des Champs fail to deliver, a trio of prodigiously talented JP McManus runners are amongst the most likely to take advantage. Limerick Lace would benefit from the mare’s allowance if taking up this engagement, but, in Fact To File and Inothewayurthinkin, she faces two of the most impressive Cheltenham Festival winners.
Fact To File cantered all over the field on his way to a victory by almost four lengths in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, whilst Inothewayurthinkin shrugged off top weight of 12 stone to turn the Kim Muir Challenge Cup into a procession. Priced at a general 4/1 and 10/1 respectively for the Gold Cup, the green and gold duo are among the more likely to dethrone Galopin Des Champs in March. That journey begins here.