Cheltenham Festival 2025: Mesmerising Majborough Explodes Onto Arkle Scene

Another Cheltenham meeting has been and gone, and Christmas is just around the corner – the jumps season is in full swing and we’re starting to see some of the better winter horses in action.

It was a slow enough start to the campaign given ground conditions but it feels like the intensity has gone up a notch over the past few weeks. Here, I look back at the last seven days in the world of racing, starting with a shock at Lingfield on Monday...

METKAYINA was fourth in the Grade 2 Mares Bumper at Aintree in April, finishing some six lengths adrift of DIVA LUNA but Noel Williams’ mount reversed form with the highly touted Ben Pauling runner. The winner had the benefit of a recent run but it was still very disappointing to see the 4/11 favourite flop on hurdles debut.

There was no such problem for DANCING CITY at Punchestown on Tuesday as the three-time Grade 1 winner made a faultless start to his chasing career. It looked a hot enough Beginners Chase and Paul Townend was full of praise for his mount after the race. He looks like he could make into a top novice chaser.

YOU OUGHTA KNOW bolted up in the 2m maiden hurdle but the race sort of fell apart after Port Joulain was pulled up early on. The winner was impressive on the eye but the form of the race must be questioned, with the horse 11 lengths back in third still a maiden after seven starts over timber.

The star of the show at Punchestown was KITZBUHEL, who exceeded all expectations when bolting up in the Members Club 2025 Hurdle. There were whispers regarding his homework that suggested the 4-year-old could be good but he beat the 146-rated Colonel Mustard off level weights – that was an excellent performance.

Harry Skelton gave CHERIE D’AM a peach of a ride in the Listed Mares Novices’ Chase at Warwick on Thursday, kicking on at the right time to pull away from the field. YOU WEAR IT WELL was given a ‘tentative’ ride by Gavin Sheehan and she’ll likely be better off when ridden more prominently next time out.

There was a ton of money for LEGAL WEAPON in the bumper and he justified the market support by narrowly edging TORMUND GIANTSBANE, who ran a huge race giving 7lbs to his rival. Both horses are worth keeping onside going forward while SUTHERLAND, less than a length adrift in third, will be a nice horse when he goes over hurdles.

All eyes were on two French recruits in the opener at Cork on Friday and it was KEL HISTOIRE who lived up to the hype, recording a cosy success on hurdles debut for Willie Mullins. He looks a real Supreme Novices’ Hurdle type and he put the race to bed easily enough while the highly touted KILGAME was disappointing back in fifth.

Another Closutton inmate to keep tabs on is FANCY GIRL and she bolted up to win the mares maiden hurdle by 13 lengths. While there are question marks over the substance of the form, there’s no doubting that she is talented and hopefully she stays fit and well for the campaign as she could be one for a nice mares race down the line.

It looked like SPINDLEBERRY was booked for second in the Mares Beginners Chase but the imperious Paul Townend galvanised his mare to get up and deny MAJESTIC FORCE in the closing embers of the race. With a better jump at the last, the runner up may have prevailed but the winner stayed 2m5f very strongly and is a nice recruit to chasing.

Over at Cheltenham, odds on favourite THAT’S NICE flopped in the 2m maiden hurdle and COUNTRY MILE took full advantage. That result gave a boost to the form of the Haydock Grade 2 Novice Hurdle won by Roadlesstravelled and it’ll be interesting to see a rematch on nicer ground as the Skelton horse thrived on the faster surface.

JANGO BAIE put in a fantastic round of jumping to win the 2m4f Novices’ Chase and I’d say it was a decent enough renewal of the race. SPRINGWELL BAY is no mug and he ran a lovely race in second while CALDWELL POTTER finished 13 lengths behind the winner but there were positives to take from his effort.

We saw KING TURGEON, rerouted from the Becher Chase to Cheltenham this weekend after Aintree was abandoned, stay on stoutly to win the 3m2f Handicap Chase and he is a force to be reckoned with in the spring. OUR POWER ran a huge race in second while my fingers are well and truly crossed for CHIANTI CLASSICO after he suffered a serious injury in the race.

Not too far Keith, not too far! That was my immediate reaction to STUMPTOWN’s victory in the Cross Country Handicap Chase and you could just tell by the body language of the jockey that they believe he has plenty of scope in his mark. All roads lead to the Festival and all eyes will be on the handicapper after his cosy success.

I’d say there’s a good chance we saw the Arkle winner at Fairyhouse on Saturday – I was blown away by the performance of MAJBOROUGH. He did the donkey work out in front, jumping like a stag and showing a lovely turn of foot to put the race to bed. Yes, he was getting the weight allowance but to do what he did against older, more experienced horses was very impressive indeed. 

JUDICIEUSE ALLEN secured a quickfire double for Willie Mullins, though it needed the brilliance of Townend to get his mount up late. While it might not have been the deepest race in the world, it was great to see the mare give weight to a nice type of Tom Gibney’s and she showed her battling qualities to come out on top.

We saw another mare produce a quality performance in the bumper, with the talented FUTURE PROSPECT bolting up to record a statement victory. Visually, it was super impressive – the horse 10 lengths adrift in third cost a whopping €320,000 at the sales last year. The winner looks very good and could head to the Dublin Racing Festival.

I have a soft spot for QUANTOCK HILLS and I thought he ran a massive race but hit the front too soon in the Triumph Hurdle trial at Cheltenham on Saturday. He’s likely one for the Fred Winter rather than the Grade 1 at the Festival but he is well worth keeping in the tracker as his French form is rock solid.

LIBBERTY HUNTER was firmly on my radar for a Grand Annual redemption bid this year but the handicapper may have something to say about that after Saturday’s facile win at Cheltenham. Running off a mark of 144, he won in the manner of a very good horse and I’d say he could make into a Graded chaser in the coming months.

Credit goes to Gordon Elliott for the training performance of the weekend, with WODHOOH coming over and winning at Cheltenham on her seasonal reappearance. Off the track since January, she is now six from six over hurdles and she’s got a bright future. I’d say JOYEUSE will take some beating next time out as well.

The Navan bumper was the main race of interest for me on Sunday afternoon and I must say KALYPSO’CHANCE really impressed me on the whole. He travelled in snatches but showed a wicket turn of foot to put the race to bed, pulling over four lengths clear of his rivals under Patrick Mullins. He’s a fair animal, I’d say.