Cheltenham 2025: Take 10/1 about Triumph hopeful pre-DRF

The juvenile division is yet to really sort itself out, but there's some key races upcoming and I'm looking to get ahead of the curve with my latest antepost selection for Cheltenham 2025.

The Dublin Racing Festival is just over a fortnight away and one of the races I'm anticipating the most is the Grade 1 Juvenile Hurdle, staged on the first of two highly-informative days at Leopardstown.

It's been the standout trial for the Triumph in recent years and unless talking horse Lulamba makes a big impression at Ascot on Saturday, it's odds-on the winner jumps right to the head of the antepost market.

I'm betting that'll be Willie Mullins' SAINTE LUCIE.

The daughter of Great Pretender ran once in France before being bought by Rich & Susannah Ricci and sent to Closutton, making her debut on these shores at Punchestown on New Year's Eve - the race 2022 Triumph hero Vauban started out in.

She was highly-impressive on the eye, bolting up by 11 lengths despite racing enthusiastically and not always jumping fluently.

It didn't look a great race at the time, but it's working out surprisingly well so far. The third-placed Ephesus, beaten 24 lengths, was an 89-rated Flat horse who finished second in a relatively decent maiden hurdle back at Punchestown earlier this week - while Makaiah, who was a further two lengths behind in fourth, was runner-up at 66/1 to an experienced odds-on shot at Fairyhouse last weekend.

As striking as the performance was Mullins' post-race comments. He said the filly "looks right out of the top drawer". When he speaks so highly about one of his, you take note. Plain and simple.

According to Rich Ricci's racing manager Joe Chambers on the Nick Luck podcast the morning of publication, stable jockey Paul Townend was also "deeply taken" by the run.

I'm hopeful Townend will maintain the partnership in Dublin. Stablemate Lady Vega Allen has achieved more, finishing a narrow second to the reopposing Hello Neighbour in a Grade 2 at Leopardstown on Boxing Day, but I suspect he'll stay on the unbeaten horse he's already got a bit of a handle on and a clear liking for.

That's step one. She then has to go and win the race - and there's every chance of that eventuality.

I'm not convinced the Hello Neighbour/Lady Vega Allen form is all that and East India Dock is returning to Cheltenham on Trials Day instead of turning up here. Kurasso Blue is interesting, but this is a big ask first time out in Ireland after 140 days on the sidelines. Otherwise, it's a very beatable field.

If Sainte Lucie is as good as I and connections clearly believe she is, she can do the business at the DRF and go to Cheltenham in March at least second-favourite and half of her current price for the juvenile crown.

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