Cheltenham Festival 2025: Henderson Mare Grabs Performance Of The Week

We’re just four weeks out from the 2025 Cheltenham Festival and every little drift on the exchanges is being monitored. It’s crunch time for punters as the feature event of the National Hunt campaign edges closer and excitement and anticipation is growing.

Did we see a Cheltenham Festival winner last week? Only time will tell. Here, I look back at some of the best performances over the past seven days as preparations ramp up a notch ahead of the ‘Olympics’ of our sport at Prestbury Park.

We start at Punchestown and VANILLIER found himself in the winner’s enclosure for the first time in almost four years, bolting up in the Cross Country Chase. Gavin Cromwell suggested after the race that he is likely to skip Cheltenham in favour of a return to the Grand National at Aintree in April.

ETHICAL DIAMOND looks a proper County Hurdle type and I’m fully expecting him to be punted heavily on the day if he lines up in that race at Cheltenham. He is a quirky type but boasts plenty of talent and he will really come into his own in a strongly run race on better ground – which is often the case at the Festival on Gold Cup day.

I was glad to see ARGENTO BOY shed his maiden tag at the third time of asking and he did so in some style, pulling 15 lengths clear of his rivals. If the rain came – and it would need to bucket down – he’d have an outside chance in an Albert Bartlett but I doubt he’ll come over for the Festival if truth be told.

BELLIANO was much the best in the 2m4f novice hurdle at Market Rasen on Tuesday and it’ll be interesting to see if he lines up at Cheltenham or if Paul Nicholls decides to head to Aintree. He probably lacks the class for a Festival Grade 1 so perhaps he’ll be kept back for April.

ZENTA was a Grade 1 winner as a juvenile but had failed to inspire confidence over fences prior to success at Fairyhouse on Wednesday and it was great to see her put a decent round of jumping together. I’m not sure if she’ll head to the Mares Chase or go down the handicap route but she’s certainly one to keep an eye on.

It was a great day for owner JP McManus and he followed up with SA MAJESTE, who may have booked his ticket to one of the big staying handicap chases at the Festival. He has an Irish mark of 140 and he should get into either the National Hunt Chase or the Kim Muir – and he is likely to be popular with punters whichever way he goes.

I am a big fan of KAROLINE BANBOU and I thought she put in a huge performance when winning the mares novice hurdle at Fairyhouse. All being well, I expect her to take her chance at Cheltenham and I’d say she has leading claims given how easily she did it on Wednesday afternoon.

CALIFET EN VOL prevailed in what was a competitive Sidney Banks Novices' Hurdle but Nicky Henderson was quick to suggest that the winner will skip Cheltenham in favour of Aintree or Ayr. He’s learning on the job and he looks a real nice prospect for the future – he is going to be some chaser.

We saw TELEPATHIQUE get the better of BRIDES HILL on the same card and I must admit I slightly disappointed with Gavin Cromwell’s horse. She has failed to inspire me in two runs this season now and she has it all to do to convince me that she’s worthy of a place in the Mares Chase. The winner was very good and could go to Cheltenham.

L’EAU DU SUD won the Grade 2 Kingmaker Novices' Chase but I’d be lying if I said I was overly impressed. The race wasn’t run to suit but the proximity of Rubaud at the end of the race was telling – Paul Nicholls’ runner was beaten out of sight by Sir Gino and Ballyburn at Kempton over Christmas. Underwhelming would be a fair description.

We saw ROYALE MARGAUX prevail in the Listed Mares Hurdle later on the card and it’ll be interesting to see where she heads next. She’s a talented operator and there was plenty of money for her on the day so I wonder if we may see her aimed at a nice race in the spring – possibly at Aintree.

I thought DJELO was much the best in the Grade 2 Denman Chase and he’s a potential Ryanair Chase winner if he brings that sort of performance to the Festival. He jumped slick all the way round and Charlie Deutsch always looked confident as he eased his mount into the race to take it up and pull away. I was impressed.

MASTER CHEWY produced one of the shocks of the weekend to win the Grade 2 Game Spirit Chase and he may also head to the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham. It looked like LIBBERTY HUNTER was coming there to win the race but the eventual victor found plenty for pressure and was still strong at the line.

I was sweet on JOYEUSE for the William Hill Hurdle but I didn’t think she would win as convincingly as she did. She was impressive, beating a quality field by eight lengths. Nicky Henderson has won the race on seven occasions and I’d say it’s unlikely he’s had an easier winner – she is ineligible to run at Cheltenham so may head to Aintree.

At Naas, BACCHANALIAN won the 4-yo Rated Hurdle – a race that is now regarded by many as the prime Fred Winter trial. I thought Murcia was eye-catching in second but she has been given an official rating of 133 in Ireland so will need to run off a high enough weight. The winner could take his chance.

It was great to see DINOBLUE get back to winning ways after a ding-dong tussle with stablemate ALLEGORIE DE VASSY and the JP McManus mare remains the one to beat in the Mares Chase for me. She was strong at the finish and she’ll almost certainly be more prominent this year now they know she stays the trip.

Speaking of the Mares Chase, ONLY BY NIGHT got the job done at Exeter on Sunday afternoon and she could well head to Cheltenham on the Friday. She has an entry in the Arkle as well and the absence of Sir Gino – ruled out through injury on Monday – could tempt connections to roll the dice and take on the geldings.

I wanted to touch on the Pertemps qualifier and the run of JERIKO DU REPONET. He was given a perfect qualifying ride by Nico de Boinville and I wasn’t surprised to see punters latch onto him after the race. He’s in the right silks and he could be a real shortener if the Seven Barrows handler has a winner or two early in the week.

MAXXUM will head to the Coral Cup after his victory in the Boyne Hurdle at Navan on Sunday and he will have his supporters. He is a horse that blows hot and cold but on a going day he is certainly talented enough to go close in a Festival handicap. I was happy to hear that RIVIERE D’ETEL was fine after pulling up midway through the race.

Gordon Elliott had the winner of the Grade 2 Novice Chase in BETTER DAYS AHEAD but he was nearly collared by the tentatively ridden STELLAR STORY. It looked to me like the second was the best horse in the race and he would’ve won with a more aggressive ride but the winner got the job done. I’d say the form could well be reversed down the line.

Last but certainly not least, we have COPACABANA. Is this the number one Champion Bumper contender out of Closutton? Patrick Mullins was certainly impressed after the race and I was delighted to see Ed Ware with another nice type. Fingers crossed he comes out of the race well and all roads lead to Prestbury Park.