Thoughts on the 2025 Cheltenham Festival

These were my suggested Antepost Wagers (28th March 2024)

King George Chase (Kempton): 

Found A Fifty (no odds offered yet - no idea why not); and Fact To File @ 10/1 (BetVictor)

Champion Hurdle (Cheltenham): 

Ballyburn @ 10/1 (Bet365)

QM Champion Chase (Cheltenham): 

Gaelic Warrior @ 9/2 (Coral & Betfred)

Ryanair Chase (Cheltenham): 

Found A Fifty @ 50/1; Il Etait Temps @ 33/1; Gaelic Warrior @ 5/1

Stayers' Hurdle (Cheltenham): 

Teahupoo @ 100/30 (Bet365)

Gold Cup (Cheltenham): 

Gaelic Warrior @ 25/1; and Galopin Des Champs @ 3/1

Also the following WIN doubles:-

Ballyburn (Champion Hurdle @ 10/1)

with

Gaelic Warrior (Champion Chase @ 9/2 / Ryanair Chase @ 5/1 and Gold Cup at 25/1) - 3 wagers

Ballyburn (Champion Hurdle @ 10/1)

with Galopin Des Champs (Gold Cup @ 3/1)

Galopin Des Champs (Gold Cup @ 3/1)

with 

Gaelic Warrior (Champion Chase @ 9/2 / Ryanair Chase @ 5/1) - 2 wagers

Great run from FOUND A FIFTY yesterday, and he's now best-priced at 16/1 for the Ryanair Chase. Obviously, he will have to avoid Gaelic Warrior, who I think will run undefeated this season and is possibly the best chaser we have seen since Sprinter Sacre.

Saturday 2nd November 2025

What an action-packed day of horseracing we have in store. First, a quick look at yesterdays events. At Wetherby, Midnight River didn’t win this return off a long break, but he did enough for me to suggest that he will come on a lot for the run, and he’s worth making a note of for next-time-out (NTO). I don’t know what he’s doing, but Jonjo O’Neill bringing in his son “AJ” as co-trainer has revitalised the operation at Jackdaws Castle Stables; and he sent out another winner in Genois who looked a different horse winning this Class 1 at Wetherby.

At Down Royal, Gordon Elliott duly started the day well with the odds-on The Yellow Clay winning his novice hurdle easily. Later in the afternoon, he sent out Brighterdaysahead to win in some style, she looks like being a top-class mare and should end-up rated about 155+. The Mullins trained Daddy Long Legs was disappointing, and perhaps his win last-time-out (LTO) was overrated.

The feature race of the day if the Grade 2 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby and, on the face of it, Bravemansgame looks well-in - but I think he’s beatable today, and the one that can do it is CONFLATED sent over from Ireland by Gordon Elliott. There’s 7/2 available in what looks a 2-horse race, and in my opinion there’s not much between these two and I’d have then both at 7/4 joint-favs - so at 7/2 Conflated is the value.

At Ascot, the Class 1 2-mile chase handicap at 2:05pm looks very competitive. As such, I’m going out on a limb with the 5yo MADARA as he went off the 11/2 fav in the Grand Annual at Cheltenham (which suggests he’s well handicapped), and this smaller field of 10 should suit him better. There’s plenty of 8/1 and an eachway wager (5th odds a place 1,2,3) is the way to go.

The 3-mile Sodexo handicap chase at 3:45pm looks a cracker. I’m happy to oppose the fav Chianti Classico in this race, but what with? I’m not sure Amirite sent over from Ireland by Henry de Bromhead is the one to win this. The odds are not great, but HIGHSTAKESPLAYER could be the one as he goes well fresh, and a small win wager at 5/1 looks the way to go.

Selections today:

Wetherby 2:58pm CONFLATED - £5 win at 7/2

Ascot 2:05pm MADARA - £5 eachway at 8/1

Ascot 3:45pm HIGHSTAKEPLAYER - £5 win at 5/1

I've been posting blog on Substack (https://waywardlad.substack.com) and if you follow the link it will take you to this page. For the time-being, I'm posting the blog on both formats - however, if you subscribe (it's free) on Substack then the blog is posted directly into your email in-box - no need to wait for a notification on "X". There's a couple of reasons for this: a) the email distribution facility to subscribers; b) the declining popularity of "X"; and c) depending on how successful the blog is, I'd hope to eventually ask subscribers to make a small financial contribution.  

Friday 1st November 2024 - the first blog of the jumps season

The major jumps trainers are starting to send out their better horses now. Earlier this week we saw the de Bromhead trained Inthepocket win easily at Wexford, and this one should prove to be one of the best novice chasers this season. On the same card, we saw de Bromhead also send out the interesting Heart Wood to beat the talented Corbetts Cross: okay, Heart Wood was in-receipt of 15lb but this performance suggests he could be well handicapped.

There are a couple of meetings in England today at Wetherby and Uttoxeter, but there’s nothing much of note, except the reappearance of the Dan Skelton trained Midnight River in the Class 2 handicap chase at Wetherby. This is a race worth noting as it’s been won by some decent types in the past, and this extended 2m3f trip is an odd-one.

The meeting in Ireland at Down Royal should be on your radar. the opening maiden hurdle at 12:25pm has been won by trainer Gordon Elliott in 8 of the last 9 years, and by decent horses too, so I’m expecting his entry The Yellow Clay to be top-drawer this season amongst novice hurdlers. The Grade 3 Mares Novice Hurdle at 1:30pm should also be noted, especially the performance of the well-related Mystical Goddess.

It’s the later races on the card that catch my eye; the Grade 3 hurdle at 2:05pm looks a cracker and should be very informative. Brighterdaysahead (Elliott) did nothing wrong last season, but her form doesn’t look as good as Daddy Long Legs (Mullins) who has won 3 of his last 5 races. He missed the break and was left at the start of the Galway Hurdle (for which he started the fav), and looked in need of the run on 4th July when coming off a 10-week break. Then at 3:15pm we have a beginners chase over 2m4f which sees the chase debut of top-class novice hurdler Firefox (Elliott). His eventual target (if fulfilling his potential) will probably be the 3-mile “Broadway” novice chase at Cheltenham in March.

I've been posting blog on Substack (https://waywardlad.substack.com) and if you follow the link it will take you to this page. For the time-being, I'm posting the blog on both formats - however, if you subscribe (it's free) on Substack then the blog is posted directly into your email in-box - no need to wait for a notification on "X". There's a couple of reasons for this: a) the email distribution facility to subscribers; b) the declining popularity of "X"; and c) depending on how successful the blog is, I'd hope to eventually ask subscribers to make a small financial contribution.  

More tomorrow.