Cheltenham Festival 2025: @RoadCheltenham Casts His Eye Over The Irish Festive Fayre

The festive period in Ireland is always eye-opening but it can be full on and it often proves useful to reflect in early January. Here, I’m going to look back at the best of the action at Leopardstown, Limerick and more throughout the busy Christmas period.

We’re less than nine weeks out from the 2025 Cheltenham Festival and excitement is starting to build ahead of the showpiece event of the jumps season. The Dublin Racing Festival is on the horizon but Cheltenham is the word on everyone’s lips.

It’s time to get stuck into the Irish Christmas racing but firstly, I’d like to wish all readers a Happy New Year for 2025 – may the punting gods be on your side! So, here it goes...

We’ll start with Down Royal and the Hunters' Chase, it looks like David Christie has another nice type in BIG INTEREST. He was a comprehensive winner on the day, jumping his rivals silly to pull clear of the field. ITS ON THE LINE was a late eyecatcher but the winner had put the race to bed a couple of furlongs from home.

I visited Closutton in November and the yard were very keen on KOPEK DES BORDES so I was delighted to see him make a winning start over hurdles. There was plenty of room for improvement in the jumping department but he reportedly schooled well at home so I’d be hopeful this was a minor blip. All roads lead to the Dublin Racing Festival.

WORKAHEAD was just as impressive, pulling clear of the well regarded William Munny in second. Henry de Bromhead’s horse was some 10 lengths behind Jasmin De Vaux on debut but came on massively for that run and he looks very nice. It’ll be interesting to see where he goes next.

Gavin Cromwell has a classy juvenile in HELLO NEIGHBOUR and he could be a warm order for the Triumph Hurdle if he backs up his Leopardstown win at the DRF. He isn’t the most fluent jumper but he has a huge engine and he’s very exciting. The horse in second, LADY VEGA ALLEN, emerged with credit too and is worth keeping onside.

It’s time to put some respect on CROKE PARK’s name. While he’s not got the sexiest profile in the novice chase division, he is a two-time Grade 1 winner and he is tough as old boots. Fences were always going to be the making of him and I wonder if he could follow the Gerri Colombe route and head to the Scilly Isles Novices Chase next.

I have a lot of time for the Mariga family and I was thrilled to see THE BIG WESTERNER win the Grade 2 novice hurdle at Limerick. Connections very kindly provided an update after the race, suggesting that she’ll be given a few weeks off before being trained for the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle. She is a top prospect.

It was great to see SOLNESS win the Grade 1 2m race at Christmas, with connections feeling that they were unlucky to miss out in the Fortria Chase. He’s a brilliant jumper and he is an interesting figure in the Champion Chase division. Willie Mullins was open about GAELIC WARRIOR’s preparation and he ran a nice race, all things considered.

ROMEO COOLIO sets the standard in the two mile novice hurdle division after his win at Leopardstown over Christmas and it was great to see him make amends for his surprise defeat in the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse. He’d have to improve again if he is to win a Supreme but that’s not beyond the realms of possibility.

Did we see the Mares’ Chase winner in BIOLUMINESCENCE? I wouldn’t bet against her if the ground came up soft at Cheltenham. She’s always looked like a chaser and she is very well regarded at Gavin Cromwell’s yard. I was particularly taken with her jumping at Limerick and she could be overpriced in the betting for March.

There were two very exciting prospects in the 2m maiden hurdle at Leopardstown on 28th December and KAID D’AUTHIE came out on top against KOKTAIL DIVIN, with both horses emerging as potential Cheltenham Festival contenders. The winner looks speedy and he could be a Supreme horse while the runner up is more of a staying type.

Speaking of staying types, HOME BY THE LEE was a strong NAP in my festive antepost column and he bolted up in the Savills Hurdle to cement his status as one of the main rivals to Teahupoo in the Stayers' Hurdle division. BOB OLINGER travelled strongly but he isn’t a three miler and the winner was going further and further clear at the finish.

GALOPIN DES CHAMPS produced a scintillating performance once again in the Savills Chase, reversing the 2024 John Durkan form with FACT TO FILE. The loser emerged with credit but I’m adamant he runs too keenly to stay the 3m2f Cheltenham Gold Cup trip and he’d be a strong selection in the Ryanair Chase if he was to go that way.

We saw a proper horse in FINAL DEMAND at Limerick and he looks tailor-made for the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle to my eye. He looks like a big, chasing type and he could be campaigned lightly this year but I’d be inclined to go for the 2m6f Grade 1 novice hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival before going up in trip at Cheltenham.

IMPAIRE ET PASSE was much the best in the Grade 1 Faugheen Novice Chase and I’m hoping Willie Mullins sees sense and steps him up to three miles at the Festival. There’s no doubt that the Turners Novices Chase would’ve been perfect for him but he settles in his races and I’m confident he’d be fine with the Brown Advisory trip.

Wow. Just wow. That was my immediate reaction to BRIGHTERDAYSAHEAD after her 30 lengths demolition job in the Leopardstown Hurdle and she’s certainly silenced some of her critics. Connections seem pretty intent on going down the Mares' Hurdle route but I know plenty think she’s up to winning a Champion Hurdle.

From one talented mare to another, SAINTE LUCIE was a hot order in the market for her debut and she justified her price – pulling away from the field with minimal intervention from Paul Townend. She’s a potential Triumph Hurdle mare and it’ll be interesting to see how she fares against her peers at the Dublin Racing Festival.

It looked like SOUNDS VICTORIUS was going to fall out the back of the television when they turned for home in the 2m4f maiden hurdle at Fairyhouse on New Year’s Day but he kept finding for pressure. While his trainer called him laid back, I’d call him lazy and you need a persistent jockey to get the best out of him. He’s a chaser in the making.

When ALLEGORIE DE VASSY is good, she’s very good and she was certainly on a going day in the Grade 2 Mares' Chase at Fairyhouse. She put her rivals to the sword, making the likes of Limerick Lace and Malina Girl look average enough. She’s inconsistent and that makes her impossible to trust but she’s always been talented.

Another Willie Mullins horse for the list – CHAMP KIELY gave his trainer another winner on New Year’s Day and it was great to see him make a winning return after so long off the track. He jumped like a buck and looks up to Graded novice chases so I’d expect to see him line up in a big race next time out. Watch this space.

MONTY’S STAR is touted as a potential Cheltenham Gold Cup horse but I was slightly underwhelmed with his comeback run at Tramore. Henry de Bromhead is brilliant at getting one ready for March though, so I wouldn’t dismiss him entirely. The winner, EMBASSY GARDENS, was given a terrific ride and he looks more Ryanair than Gold Cup to me.

I was a huge fan of ILE ATLANTIQUE last season and I’m glad that we are finally seeing the best of him. He was a terrific jumper over hurdles and he’s just as good over a fence, wasting little time in the air. He pulled clear of FIREFOX and INTHEPOCKET – two well fancied horses – easily and has likely booked his ticket to the Arkle.

JASMIN DE VAUX was the disappointment of the race in the Grade 1 Lawlor’s of Naas, jumping poorly throughout the contest but he has a huge engine and he could be one for the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle. The New Course at Cheltenham is likely to suit with its configuration and he intrigues me as a possible stayer.

Credit where credit is due – THE YELLOW CLAY is unbeaten in four starts over hurdles, winning a Grade 3, a Grade 2 and a Grade 1. He’s a tough horse and Sam Ewing seems to have a real connection with him, finding a way to win no matter whether the race was run to suit or not. I want to see him in the Albert Bartlett.