Cheltenham 2025: Festival hopefuls to the fore last week

It's been another highly-informative week on the road to Cheltenham 2025 and I've reviewed the action with an eye on those unrivalled four days in March.

We start at Kempton on Monday, where Iberico Lord made a winning debut over fences in a race Nicky Henderson has used for the likes of Altior and Shishkin in the past. His jumping improved throughout the race and he ran out a comfortable winner in the end. Bigger tests await, but this was a decent start and he's been introduced at 28/1 for the Arkle.

Twenty-four hours later at Tramore, Willie Mullins unleashed French recruit Karniquet. The four-year-old son of Kapgarde bolted up by 11 lengths in a maiden hurdle over the minimum trip and looks a nice prospect for the season ahead. I suspect he'll be tried in the Grade 1 Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown over Christmas and given a chance to prove his Supreme (20/1) credentials, and if that doesn't work out I'd imagine he's one for a Festival handicap instead.

I was very impressed by Marsh Wren in a Listed mares' chase at Market Rasen on Wednesday. Stuart Edmunds' stable star beat a race-fit and well-backed Apple Away by a whopping 16 lengths and the eight-year-old, who was third in the race last year, is now 16/1 for the Mares' Chase. That's not to be sniffed at.

A big few days for Paul Nicholls and Sir Alex Ferguson's ownership group began in style as £660k buy Regent's Stroll made easy work of a maiden hurdle over an extended two miles at Newbury on Friday. He looks a serious prospect with an almighty engine and I'd say all options - the Supreme, Turners (18/1) and Albert Bartlett (25/1) - are open to him at this stage.

Half an hour later, Kalif Du Berlais obliged for the same connections in a novices' handicap chase off a mark of 135. He was less impressive and while there's no doubt a lot more to come from this four-year-old, he isn't on my radar for Cheltenham.

The Jukebox Man is, though. Ben Pauling's six-year-old, who was just touched off in the Albert Bartlett at this year's Festival, was impressive on his chasing debut in the G2 John Francombe Novices' Chase over 2m4f later on the card at Newbury. He looks a live one for the Brown Advisory.

The final performance of note on Friday was Strong Leader, who took the Long Distance Hurdle with relative ease. He's now 10/1 for the Stayers' Hurdle, but Olly Murphy has always warned he mightn't be suited by the undulations of Cheltenham which is off-putting - but that race is so weak at the moment that surely they'll be tempted to give it a go...

Onto the weekend, starting with a couple from Newcastle on Saturday. The brilliant Skyjack Hijack made it six wins in a row by pulling over nine lengths clear of his five rivals in a novice event over 2m6f. He's becoming one of my favourites and while I'd love to see him qualify for the Pertemps Final over the coming months, I think he's earned a crack at the Albert Bartlett. 50/1 is generous about that eventuality.

The big performance of the day was of course Sir Gino, who impressed in the Fighting Fifth. Main market rival Mystical Power, who might now go over fences, didn't show up, so Nicky Henderson's four-year-old was entitled to beat decent British horses, but he made some impression. I'm still holding out hope he too tackles the bigger obstacles for the rest of the season, but you'd have to think he will now be aimed at the Champion Hurdle (4/1).

On the other side of the Irish Sea, Impaire Et Passe kicked off Fairyhouse's two-day Winter Festival with a comfortable victory in a 2m5f beginners' chase. His performance received mixed reviews, but my assessment was much more positive and while I wouldn't rule out the Arkle, I fancy he'll be tried over three miles next and emerge as a serious Brown Advisory contender.

Ballygunner Castle - my antepost selection for the Albert Bartlett at 25/1 - was very good in the two-mile maiden hurdle later on the card. His jumping was novicey early on and he was hounded by the loose horse down the home straight, but he somehow still managed to beat all 24 of his rivals. There's a lot more to come from him over longer trips and I'm hoping that's earned him a shot at the G1 Lawlor's Of Naas in early January.

He's now 22/1 for my chosen event, but slightly shorter at 20/1 for the Turners. I'm still very hopeful it'll be the former, for I think he'll be outclassed in that division as the season goes on. He looks a proper stayer.

I was surprised by the manner of Anzadam's victory in the G3 WillowWarm Hurdle. For a twice-raced four-year-old returning from over 400 days off the track, I thought it was a serious performance - let's see if he can back it up in better company.

The one British performer I want to mention from Sunday's action is Caldwell Potter - another for the Nicholls/Sir Alex partnership. The €740k (£613k) purchase was 2/11f, so he was entitled to do what he did, but the Grade 1-winning novice hurdler jumped well and looks a top prospect. He could be one for either the Arkle (25/1) or the Brown Advisory (16/1). I wouldn't like to say which one yet.

An afternoon of shock results at Fairyhouse began with Triumph hopeful Willy De Houelle getting beat at 1/4f in the Grade 3 juvenile hurdle. My initial reaction was that he looked desperately slow against the winner Naturally Nimble, for as much as I'm sure he'll come on for the run and will be better judged next time. I'd be more interested in 12/1 about the former than 18/1 about the latter, but I'm not rushing to back either to be honest.

The big surprise as far as I'm concerned was Romeo Coolio getting beat in the Royal Bond. This was a modest renewal and he absolutely had to be winning, and winning easily, if he was to be a proper Supreme contender. Unfortunately he didn't, and isn't. His new price of 16/1 for the Cheltenham Festival's curtain-raiser is of no interest.

The Drinmore ultimately promised more than it delivered. Sure, it was a cracking finish, but they crawled around Fairyhouse and sprinted for home, so I'm not sure we learned much. The winner Croke Park isn't a bad bet at 20/1 for the Brown Advisory, but I can't be having Firefox for the Arkle as I've seen suggested very recently. How many chances is he going to get? I don't think he's a Grade 1 horse, plain and simply.

Lossiemouth certainly is. She was impressive in beating Teahupoo in the Hatton's Grace, especially as she did plenty wrong throughout the race. It turned into another sprint on good ground which of course suited the Champion Hurdle contender over the Stayers' Hurdle champ, so I do think her being cut into 7/4 for the feature race on the Tuesday of the Festival is a bit of an overreaction. She's clearly very, very talented though - and the runner-up is going to be hard to beat in March, isn't he?

Finally, a word for Gordon Elliott's bumper winner Koktail Brut. I thought he was very good against some well-backed runners and I couldn't put anyone off odds of 14/1 for the Champion Bumper.