Key events
Saratoga wins the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle!
Arkle Novices’ Chase result
Kargese wins the Arkle Novices’ Chase!
2pm: Arkle Challenge Trophy Novice Chase, grade one, 1m 7f 199yd
Novices’ Hurdle: confirmed result
Old Park Star wins the Novices’ Hurdle
Off and racing in the Novices’ Hurdle!
5.20pm: National Hunt Challenge Cup Novice Handicap Chase, 3m 5f 201yd
4.40pm: Plate Handicap Chase, 2m 4f 44yd
3.20pm: Handicap Chase, 3m 1f
1.20pm: Supreme Novice Hurdle, Grade One, 2m 87yd
2.40pm: Juvenile Handicap Hurdle, 4yo, 2m 87yd
2pm: Arkle challenge trophy novice chase, grade one, 1m 7f 199yd
Preamble
Meanwhile, our man Steven Morris has been at Cheltenham today, reporting on the return of Ladies’ Day to the meeting’s festivities.
‘This year’s Cheltenham festival feels a little like a step back in time with the return of “Ladies Day” after a five-year hiatus and a reduction in the price of a pint.
In 2024, a decision by the Jockey Club, which owns the racecourse, to launch a unisex “Style Wednesday” on what used to be Ladies Day was labelled “woke” by some rightwing commentators.
The Jockey Club persisted with the free-for-all last year but this time Ladies Day is back and billed as a celebration of “glamour and glory”.’
You can read his full report here:
Remember that idea to pop off to Benidorm for fun in the sun while following Cheltenham and not having to pay rip-off prices for drink and accommodation in the Cotswolds. We sent Ben Bloom to do just that last year and he reported here on the great time he had. Sounded a good idea didn’t it? Er, not this time …
Greg Wood
3.20pm: Ultima Handicap Chase preview
There are just two runners at a single-figure price for the first of three handicap chases on today’s card, and both hail from the Ollie Greenall and Josh Guerriero stable and run for JP McManus. Jagwar, an impressive winner of the Plate Handicap Chase here 12 months ago, is currently the market pick at around 7-2, which feels quite stingy given that he can make the odd mistake and is stepping up to this trip for the first time (although some might argue that he will improve for it). There are no doubts on that score about Iroko, who finished fourth when favourite for last season’s Grand National, but he has 12 stone on his back in a race where top weights generally struggle against better-handicapped rivals. Last year’s winner, Myretown, is back for another crack, and is attracting support despite finishing last of 11 in the Grand National Trial at Haydock in February, perhaps because the Lucinda Russell/Michael Scudamore stable has recently hit form. Knight Of Allen, Handstands and Blow Your Wad are three more among a myriad of possibilities that have the right kind of profile, but my personal pin stopped at Anthony Honeyball’s Leave Of Absence, a track-and-trip winner at the October meeting here, which was run on good ground. Conditions have very much turned in his favour and he has a very solid each-way chance on his form in the Howden Silver Cup at Ascot just before Christmas.
Selection: LEAVE OF ABSENCE
Good afternoon and thanks to Luke for taking us this far. He’ll be back after a break for a Guinness (no doubt). Well they are down in price this year. The British made some start with with the first four in the opener but the next two races have gone to the Irish. They have a poor record overall in the next race, the Ultima Handicap Chase, though iIrish owner JP McManus, who has just had a winner thanks to Saratoga, has a strong hand here with the well-fancied pair Jagwar and Iroko.
I’m off for a break, Tony Paley is here to take the reins.
Cheltenham 3.20pm: – Trustmarque Ultima Handicap Chase
Jagwar – 3/1
Iroko – 7/1
Hyland – 9/1
Quebecois – 9/1
Myretown – 10/1
Handstands – 11/1
Knight Of Allen – 12/1
Blow Your Wad – 14/1
Blaze The Way – 16/1
Imperial Saint – 16/1
BAR 16/1
Prices courtesy of Oddschecker
Top five: Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle
1) Saratoga
2) Winston Junior
3) Klycot
4) Pourquoi Pas Papa
5) Quinta Do Lago
Saratoga wins the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle!
A birthday winner for JP McManus.
“He was in a good position all the way,” says AP McCoy. “Fair play to him, good performance.”
Paddockwood leads with three to go. Winston Junior is moving up … Saratoga is right up there.
A big field of 22 runners is off, at the first time of asking, for the third race: the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle.
We’re nearly off for race No 3.
The ground is good to soft, good in places.
“He’s in great form. Win or lose, we’re delighted to be here,” says one of Winston Junior’s owners, whose name escaped me.
“Get the money on!” says the co-owner.
Greg Wood
2.40pm: Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle, 4yo, 2m 87yd
The first handicap at this year’s festival – promoted up the card after the Mares’ Hurdle moved to later in the week – is often the toughest nut to crack all week, as all bar one or two of the juveniles lining up will be making its handicap debut. That means, in turn – to no-one’s great surprise – that their trainers will have been doing all they can to show just enough form to get them into the race, but not so much that end up with too much weight. The mean price of the winners since the first running in 2005 has been 21-1, and while that is slightly skewed by the 80-1 victory of Jeff Kidder in 2021, there have also been two winners at
40-1, three at 33-1 and two at 25-1. The last eight winners, meanwhile, have all been trained in Ireland, and the last two were saddled by Joseph O’Brien, who fields Glen To Glen and Dignam this time around. Saratoga, meanwhile, is the mount of JP McManus’s (soon-to-be-ex) No.1, Mark Walsh, and has a very similar profile to the same owner’s Brazil, successful in this race in 2022. Manlaga, the winner of the Victor Ludorum at Haydock last time, is another live contender in the same colours, while Ammes, from the burgeoning James Owen stable, is also worth considering carefully as his excellent trainer has kept him away from hurdles since a strong run at Wetherby in October. My eventual pick in an ultra-competitive heat, though, is Faye Bramley’s Winston Junior, who has been put away since finishing behind my fancy for the Triumph Hurdle, Minella Study, in a strong race at Cheltenham in December.
Selection: Winston Junior.
Tom Jenkins found a good spot at the final fence for the second race …
Latest odds, via Oddschecker, for the third race of day one.
Cheltenham 2.40pm: McCoy Contractors Juvenile Handicap Hurdle
Mustang Du Breuil – 4/1
Manlaga – 5/1
Winston Junior – 6/1
Glen To Glen – 7/1
Saratoga – 9/1
Ammes – 10/1
Pourquoi Pas Papa – 16/1
The Mighty Celt – 18/1
Barbizon – 20/1
Quinta Do Lago – 20/1
BAR – 20/1
ITV notify us of some sad news via a statement from the Jockey Club. Hansard was put down after sustaining an injury on the flat.
“While running on the flat Hansard sustained a fatal injury,” said a statement. … he was quickly dismounted and attended by a team of professionals.”
“Tremendous performance,” says Kargese’s owner, Kenny Alexander, on ITV.
“She got the job done. She’s won it fair and square. Another great training performance by Willie, and a great run by Danny.
“He [Henry de Bromhead, standing close by] told me last night she would win.”
“I’m very fortunate. Today was fantastic, fantastic.”
Danny Mullins laps up the applause in the winners’ enclosure. That’s a seventh Arkle for Willie Mullins, we’re told by ITV.
Arkle Novices’ Chase result
1) Kargese
2) Kopek Des Bordes
3) Lulamba
4) Jax Junior
5) Steel Ally
Also ran: Hansard – 100/1
Mambonumberfive – N/R
“I’ve always had a good relationship with her [Kargese],” says the winning jockey Danny Mullins. “Everyone was expecting us to burn off in front … I knew I hadn’t burned the petrol early and the final furlong is where she did her best work.
“Willie [Mullins] is just a master, it’s great to be part of that team … these [Cheltenham wins] are not a given, these are very special days. I hope for many more”
Kopek Des Bordes, Kargese and Lulamba were neck-and-neck with two to go in another thrilling race. Lulamba and De Boinville made a bad error at the second-last, Kopek Des Bordes did the same at the last, and Kargese powered away having made all the early running.
Kargese wins the Arkle Novices’ Chase!
Kopek Des Bordes second, Kargese third. Another cracking race.
Danny Mullins on Kargese is making the early running. Lulamba and De Boinville are right there … Kopek Des Bordes in third with three to jump.
Lulamba is now 11-10. Kopek Des Bordes 11-8. And off they go for the day’s second race. They will jump 13 fences.
“I’d like to ride Kopek Des Bordes,” declares McCoy on ITV. “He’ll be exciting.”
The pleasantries are over and the runners for the Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase are in position …
Nico de Boinville produced a stunning ride on Old Park Star to win the opening race. Tom Jenkins is there for us:
“It’s definitely Ireland versus England,” says one of the ITV reporters, in among the fans.
Not again!
2pm: Arkle Challenge Trophy Novice Chase, grade one, 1m 7f 199yd
Greg Wood
Just six runners for the Arkle but it is still one of the more eagerly-anticipated head-to-heads of recent festivals as last year’s Supreme winner, Kopek Des Bordes, who has just one run over fences to his name, takes on the five-year-old Lulamba. Britain/Ireland, Mullins/Henderson, potential versus experience: it’s got all the elements you could want to see, plus a couple of live alternatives to the Big Two if you are so inclined, in Kargese and Steel Ally. Timeform has Lulamba on top of the pile, though only by 4lb from the mare Kargese once her 7lb allowance is taken into account. This race has been won off the back of a single chase start in the past, by Well Chief in 2004 and Western Warhorse in 2014, but it is a big ask, even if Kopek Des Bordes has been given some intensive schooling alongside some of Willie Mullins’s better chasers. Lulamba, meanwhile, was not entirely convincing in the middle part of his last race, which left me wondering whether Steel Ally might have crept in slightly under the radar after an impressive success in a well-run renewal of the Kingmaker at Warwick. At around 14-1, it doesn’t cost much to find out.
Timeform Top-Rated: Lulamba.
Selection: Steel Ally.
“The punters have got confidence, and the bookies are on the ropes …” says one of the on-course bookmakers after that opening success for a 2-1 favourite.
“Annoying more than anything,” says the jockey Ben Jones, who was aboard Sober Glory, of that costly mistake at the final fence. “Fifty yards before the last, he had a look around at the crowd, and lost a bit of momentum … the little bump didn’t help things … but he showed proper heart. We can get him ready for next year.”
AP McCoy said he thinks that mistake cost them the race, but I am not so sure. I think Old Park Star would have had more than enough in the tank to win regardless. McCoy’s opinion carries considerably more weight, to be fair.
Henderson accepts the trophy for a sixth time, 40 years on from his first win at Cheltenham. De Boinville looks thrilled too.
2pm: Singer Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase
Lulamba – 5/4
Kopek Des Bordes – 7/4
Kargese – 5/1
Steel Ally – 16/1
Jax Junior – 22/1
Hansard – 100/1
Mambonumberfive – N/R
(Prices courtesy of Oddschecker.)
“You’ve got a supreme horse,” a delighted-looking Henderson tells ITV. “You’ve got to have a good horse, and we’re very lucky.
“He had to show guts. It got tough up there. He had to quicken, it was a good solid pace.
“Yeah the first race – there’s no better one to get in the bag. Everyone knows that. To get one on the scoreboard. England’s even in front now …”
He walks off, chuckling.
Novices’ Hurdle: confirmed result
1) Old Park Star
2) Sober Glory
3) Mydaddypaddy
4) Baron Noir
5) El Cairos
6) Too Bossy For Us
7) Talk The Talk
8) Koktail Brut
9) Mighty Park
10) Eachtotheirown
Also ran: Sageborough
That is Nicky Henderson’s 76th winner at Cheltenham, we’re told on ITV.
Sober Glory made all the running but made a hash of the final fence, barely making it over. Still, it looked like Old Park Star would have had enough regardless. A phenomenal performance, always well placed in second or thereabouts, and a very fine ride from Nico de Boinville.
“Incredibly gutsy,” says De Boinville sitting on Old Park Star. “There was a bit of a bump with Mydaddypaddy.
“He’s a class horse, Yeah, fair play to him.”
