The 2nd part of my Cheltenham Festival Review, and let’s update a few points before going on. KOPEK DES BORDES is more likely to go chasing net season that remain a hurdler. MAJBOROUGH is being considered for stepping-up in trip next season from 2-miles, as that may help with his jumping.
The 2nd day of the Festival opened with the Grade 1 Turners’ Novices Hurdle over 2m5f, and this could be a very influential race when considering next years’ Festival. I will be honest, I didn’t appreciate how good THE NEW LION was and I thought his OR147 rating was a tad generous. The front-3 in the betting dominated the race, and I thought I’d found the winner with my antepost wager on THE YELLOW CLAY but he was just headed by the winner in the final 100 yards. As I expected, the Mullins horse Final Demand just didn’t have the pace off the final hurdle for a race of this class, and is destined to go chasing next season. Currently, Final Demand is the currently the antepost fav for the 3-mile “Brown Advisory” Novice Chase here in 2026. I was impressed in this race by The New Lion, especially with the ease at which he moved into contention at the bend, he could be a potential Champion Hurdle winner in 2026. As for The Yellow Clay, he also looks a fine prospect for next season.
The Brown Advisory Novices Chase was an odd race, not least due to Willie Mullins supplying 4 of the 7 runners. The pace was ordinary, mainly due to the fav Ballyburn jumping so poorly. If this group represented the best staying novice chasers in training, then we’ve nothing to look forward to next season. The winner LECKY WATSON is a possible “Hennessey” type, but the others, including Ballyburn, look ordinary. I would not be surprised to see Ballyburn revert to hurdling and try for the 3-mile Stayers’ Hurdle next season.
When Ballyburn won the Grade 1 “Turners’ last season, in 2nd was JIMMY DU SEUIL, and it’s almost certain that immediately after that race Willie Mullins hatched the plan to take the Coral Cup (handicap) hurdle on this card. He ran twice more after Cheltenham, at the festivals at Aintree and Punchestown with fair, but not sparkling performances - in the process keeping his handicap rating at a reasonable OR146. He looked a much better candidate on paper than Mullins other entry, Bunting, but that horse ran well (to a point) before pulling-up before the final hurdle. The way he went away from this field on the run-in suggests he’s a lot better than OR146, and could be more like 155+. That is suggested by the consistent 10yo Ballyadam (who always runs well at Cheltenham) coming in 3rd, and the gambled-on IMPOSE TOI who was brought to win the race with a confident ride, but had nothing to counter the eventual winner. I will keep an alert on Impose Toi, who is bred to improve as a chaser.
I’ve no comment on the Cross-Country (handicap) chase, other than I will give it a miss next season.
Onto then, the QM Champion Chase, and yet another odd race. This was another poor performance by the starter, as at least half the field of 8 lost any chance of winning at the start. Certainly, Solness and Jonbon were put at a disadvantage from which they never truly recovered. Mullins (with Energumene) and de Bromhead (with Quilixios) set-out to upset the race from the front, and for QUILIXIOS this very nearly paid off, but for a tired jump at the final fence which brought him down. As for the winner MARINE NATIONALE, sure I tipped him antepost at 12/1 after he ran at Punchestown, but I never expected the horse to win this (except by default). He is a consistent performer though, and twice a Festival winner, and with 6 of the last 10 winners being aged 9yo or older, he could well return in 2026 and do it again as a 9yo.
I can’t say much about the 2-mile “Johny Henderson” handicap chase, but the winner Jazzy Matty was a great ride by his jockey Danny Gilligan who won 2 races at the Festival. This was a 2nd Festival win for Jazzy Matty, and as he’s just a 6yo he should be back for another try next year.
The “Champion Bumper” brought racing to an end on the 2nd day, and although this is (apparently) the cream of the future jumps horses, again I can’t say I’m excited. I will wait and watch this group.
