Cheltenham 2025: Elliott novice has Supreme credentials

It was the Festival of Racing at Down Royal - also known as Gordon Elliott's playground - at the weekend, and I'd say there's a high chance we saw at least one Cheltenham 2025 winner across the two days.

I've looked back at all the action from the past seven days, making note of anything that may have aspirations of lining up at the Festival in March.

At Wexford on Monday, Henry de Bromhead's Heart Wood won a Listed chase over 2m7f by a comfortable seven lengths.

Corbetts Cross was a remote second but Emmet Mullins' National Hunt Chase hero, who was conceding over a stone, was extremely weak in the betting and the outing should put him spot on for something like the Betfair Chase at Haydock later this month.

I think the winner is a possible for the Ryanair (25/1) and I was quietly pleased with the runner-up under the circumstances. His long-term target is a lot harder to predict, though - he could also be one for the the Ryanair (20/1), Gold Cup (25/1) or even the Grand National (25/1).

Later on the card, De Bromhead's Grade 1-winning novice hurdler Inthepocket, who missed the majority of last season through injury after a promising second to Facile Vega on his debut over fences, made a strong impression in a beginners' chase over the minimum trip.

He jumped brilliantly and put 15 lengths between himself and a Grade 1 winner in Farren Glory, who had the rest of the field over nine lengths behind, in a canter. That set a marker for the Arkle.

Twenty four hours later saw two exciting novice hurdlers emerge from the opening two races at Chepstow.

Dan Skelton's The New Lion won the first division of the 2m3½f maiden hurdle, beating an expensive PTP recruit for Paul Nicholls, who took the second division with useful bumper horse Quebecois.

The pair have been touted for the Challow Hurdle at Newbury at the end of the year and have been installed at 20/1 and 40/1 respectively for the Turners Novices' Hurdle.

Skelton was in among the winners again at Stratford a couple days later, as the County Hurdle runner-up L'Eau Du Sud absolutely bolted up on his debut over the bigger obstacles.

Off a mark of 138, he cruised to a 10-length success under a motionless Harry Skelton, looking a serious prospect for the rest of the season.

There's every chance he could be lined up for another handicap at Cheltenham in four months' time, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if he develops into a Grade 1 novice chaser. He's classy.

Onto the action at Down Royal, which began with The Yellow Clay winning the 2m6f maiden hurdle his trainer's farmed over the years by a wide margin.

Again, the opposition don't amount to much, but this classy bumper horse looks destined for Graded races over timber and could be one for the Turners or Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdles.

He's shorter (20/1) for the latter, but he looks a much better bet for the former with Elliott saying "anything from two to two-and-a-half miles is what he really wants".

Another winner on the card in the same silks of Noel & Valerie Moran was Firefox in a beginners chase over 2m4f.

Elliott's six-year-old was competitive in all the top novice hurdle races over the minimum trip in the spring, and this was a highly-encouraging start over fences.

Both he and the runner-up Mossy Fen Park for De Bromhead put in a pretty perfect round of jumping and should win many races in that sphere.

Are they ones for Cheltenham 2025, though? I'm not sure about Mossy Fen Park but Firefox is surely an Arkle contender. My gut is he'll probably come up short again, though.

The most likely Festival winner on that Friday in Northern Ireland was undoubtedly Brighterdaysahead in the G3 Bottlegreen Hurdle.

She beat stablemate King Of Kingsfield by nearly four lengths in the end, finding plenty for pressure after a tired mistake at the final flight, with Willie Mullins' 150-rated Daddy Long Legs a further five-and-a-half lengths behind.

Elliott's extremely-talented mare was giving six pounds to the second and in receipt of just a pound from the third, so that form is better than I originally thought.

Is it Champion Hurdle standard? Not for me. Her trainer suggested an ambitious bid immediately after, but she's crying out for at least 2m4f and I'd imagine such ideas will soon be put to bed if Constitution Hill looks back to his best in the Fighting Fifth.

If he's not the force of old, or he's plagued by ill-health again, it becomes much likelier, though I still fancy the Mares' Hurdle is the best and most-likely option.

The G1 Champion Chase at Down Royal on Saturday saw Envoi Allen and Hewick fight out a thrilling finish, but neither are of interest to me for March. Gerri Colombe, who was a remote third, could easily bounce back, but last year's Gold Cup runner-up has lots to prove now.

One of Elliott's Saturday winners who I really do fancy to turn up to Prestbury Park next year with at least a live chance is Romeo Coolio.

The Champion Bumper runner-up beat nothing of note, but his jumping was very slick and he could hardly have won any easier. With an uninterrupted campaign, unlike the last one, I'm certain he'll be a force to be reckoned with this season.

It wouldn't be a shock to see him step up in trip down the line, but for now it's safe to assume he's a Supreme horse. He jumps and travels like one and I think 12/1 is very fair value, too. Don't be surprised to see his name in my antepost book very soon.

Finally, a word for Chianti Classico who made all to win the Gold Cup Handicap at Ascot on Saturday.

Kim Bailey's Ultima hero has everything you want in a chaser and winning that race off 152 is a fair feat. He may now have to tackle Graded races, but the Grand National remains an option, especially if Willie Mullins's I Am Maximus indeed returns to defend his crown, thus bringing the weights down.

He'd be of much more interest for Aintree's highlight than a Grade 1 at the Cheltenham Festival - though another Ultima bid could well be on the agenda.

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