Cheltenham 2025: Lucinda set for more Ultima glory?

There's just under three weeks to go until Cheltenham 2025. Bring it on.

On Week 18/20 of this antepost journey, I'm finally tackling one of my favourite races of the entire Festival - the Ultima Handicap Chase.

After recent developments, the Ultima is a race I'm eager to get stuck into.

It's been reported that current antepost favourite Masaccio is "more likely to run somewhere else" and fellow market principals Lowry's Bar and Hyland are declared for the Ladbrokes Trophy at Kempton on Saturday. That casts doubt on their participation at the Festival just 17 days later.

Despite money across the board earlier today, I'm told Cheltenham is not on the agenda for French horse Gold Tweet. I can't see both, if any, of the JP McManus-owned, Jonjo & A J O'Neill-trained Crebilly and Johnnywho showing up either - while Warren Greatrex has name-dropped the National Hunt Chase for Herakles Westwood.

Regular readers will know I'm a big fan of Henry de Bromhead's The Short Go and if he turns up here, I think he has outstanding claims despite the Irish record in the race. However, time is running out for him to get a prep run in and I'm not convinced he'll go fresh.

The bottom line? The field is likely to cut up. Big time.

He's also uncertain to run - although the Ultima is his only Cheltenham entry - but I've landed on MYRETOWN for Lucinda Russell, who's won two of the past three renewals of the Ultima with Corach Rambler.

The eight-year-old son of Dylan Thomas has long been held in high regard by the Scottish trainer, being compared to stablemate Ahoy Senor on many an occasion. High praise indeed.

He took a while to come to hand after fetching £135k at the sales in May 2022, performing modestly in a bumper that October before a 451-day stint on the sidelines. He then endured a short career in novice hurdles and showed ability despite just one win in three starts, but he's come into his own over the bigger obstacles.

Although he was 17 lengths adrift of the winner, I thought his chasing debut at Newbury in November off an opening mark of 123 was full of encouragement. It was a hot contest and after making all the running at a fair gallop, he understandably tired in the home straight.

Off a reduced mark of 121, he subsequently bolted up by 19 lengths in a three-runner race at Wetherby on Boxing Day. It's unwise to read much into that form, but I did feel the runner-up, rated just two pounds inferior, ran his race.

I fancied him strongly when stepping up to three miles at Windsor for the Winter Million Festival off just two pounds higher and I was confident of victory at the time of his departure three out. He had all five rivals at it in behind and appeared to have plenty left under the bonnet.

A month later he went to Kelso and beat another small field by a wide margin - nine-and-a-quarter lengths to be precise. The race fell apart, with two of his four rivals underperforming, but he jumped them silly from the front and in his post-race interview Derek Fox suggested there was a lot more to give.

I was pleasantly surprised by the handicapper's decision to raise Myretown just four pounds for his exploits north of the border. Especially given some of the harsh handicapping we've seen of late, it feels like a let off that he's gone up just six pounds for two triumphs - by a combined 28 lengths - either side of a DNF while looking the likely winner.

Although I have some doubts about his running style and temperament for 3m1f round Prestbury Park, I'm convinced this is one of the better-treated chasers in the country and I really hope connections try their luck with him.

It looks like the highest-rated runner is going to be 152 and if that's the case, the selection's mark of 127 would see him race off a featherweight providing the maximum field of 24 isn't met. That looks unlikely at this stage.

There's no guarantee he turns up - and if he doesn't you'll get your money back - but if he does then I can see him being a single-figure price on the day with every chance.

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