Which northern stars are bound for the 2025 Cheltenham Festival

Forecast temperatures of 1C will surely feel comparatively tropical at Haydock this weekend... I’ll get the Jubblys out.

WHAT’S HAPPENED

A trio of all-weather meetings up at Newcastle in the past week are all there’s to discuss, with no performance quite as taken as that of JUJUBELLA, who 11-length demolition job under the highly-promising Warren Fentiman in the 12f apprentice event on Tuesday (replay below).

Lucinda Russell’s filly had looked every inch a middle-distance type at 3 yrs and benefited no end from the step up to 10f when getting off the mark earlier in the month, though the manner in which she followed up over further still removed any doubt that she’s a much more effective performer over this sort of trip. It’ll be worth clearing out your Saturday night schedule to watch her complete the hat-trick in the 8.30 at Wolverhampton.

And for anyone who may find themself struggling to stick to any resolution made this new year, perhaps it would be worth taking inspiration from the suddenly prolific MONDAMMEJ, who scored for the fourth time this winter there later on the card. As notable for his less-than-straightforward nature as for his Pattern-class level of ability at his peak, Antony Brittain’s eight-year-old long losing streak had seen his mark slip from a peak of 104 down to 68 prior to undergoing a transformative wind-op in October, the thriving son of Lope de Vega will likely be rated close to 90 again when next seen and it’d be foolish to discount further success from the old character in upcoming weeks.

We've also seen the first batch of entries for the Cheltenham Festival in recent days, so I’ve had time to take a long-range look into where might the North see some, if any, success at Prestbury Park come March.

The most notable theme of National Hunt racing in the 2010s has undoubtedly been the stranglehold gained across the sport by top Irish yards, and whilst it hasn’t just been Northern trainers to suffer in that regard, the regional divide in terms of regional quality could barely be starker.

Take Donald McCain, for example. He saddled both Peddlers Cross and Ballabriggs to victory at a successful the 2010 Festival, the pair amongst the 8 runners sent out across the meeting. McCain has been absent from each of the last 5 Festivals, with the results of the yard at the meeting in the years between 2013-2019 reading as an almost astonishingly poor P0P0000P04P0. It was far from one yard propping up the North at the time either - the likes of Ferdy Murphy, John Quinn and Malcolm Jefferson all notched multiple Festival successes in the surrounding years.

So, it’s probably not much of a shock the cupboard is rather bare in terms of potential runners in open Grade 1s; AHOY SENOR, who has the options of the Ryanair and Gold Cup, the sole representative in any of the chases, with Stayers’ Hurdle long-shots KERRYHILL and McCain’s MAXIMILIAN are the only horses in contention for Grade 1 glory over timber.

Of course, the sole Northern-trained horse to be defending their title in 2025 is reigning Hunter Chase champion SINE NOMINE. It hasn’t been plain sailing for Fiona Needham’s grey since stepping out of that familiar company this season, unseating in a listed mares event and taking a late fall when contending for a place in the Rowland Meyrick.

Nevertheless, it’s worth remembering just how well she did to score at the Festival last season, having been squeezed up and forced to manoeuvre off the rail approaching the last before finding plenty up to the hill to overhaul Its On The Line. The betting suggests Emmet Mullins’ gelding is likelier to turn the tables with his conqueror this time around – himself being a year younger than Sine Nomine and in a model of consistency in the top hunter events – but at a best price of 7/1, the mare is by some way the short-priced Northern-trained horse across the ante-post markets.

The race the home team traditionally prove strongest in is the Ultima and the North has contributed well to that record in recent years, Corach Rambler’s double preceded by Vintage Clouds’ much deserved win in the race. APPLE AWAY is a general 20/1 to land this year’s renewal, her second to the progressive Not Staying Long in a listed event at Newbury on Wednesday as good as anything she’d previously achieved as a chaser. She’d be a rather intriguing contender if lining up in the Ultima, still lightly raced in handicaps and with no experience of larger fields over fences, but clearly a thorough stayer and one whose current mark of 140 appeals as workable given the correct circumstances, though whether the race would provide a requisite test of stamina for the mare would be a point of issue.

I’d actually suggest the Russell yard would have a stronger candidate for the race through a favourite of the column in WHISTLE STOP TOUR. I’ve previously mentioned him as a potential player in both the Scottish National and the National Hunt Chase (for which he’s a best price 33/1), but I’d prefer to see him in the environment of a big-field 3m handicap, his smooth-travelling style likely to lend itself particularly well to the demands of the contest. He needs to run once more to qualify for any open Festival handicaps but is entered in the rescheduled Hampton Novices’ Chase at Windsor on Sunday, and I’d be confident he’d still prove competitive even if a positive performance there sees his mark rise towards the mid-140s.

MYRETOWN, another of the Russell runners to be making the trip to Windsor, is available at 25/1 for the Jack Richards’ Novice Handicap Chase. Though he ended up without much to beat, there was plenty to like about the style of his victory at Wetherby on Boxing Day, clearly an adept jumper and his strength at the finish suggesting he’ll prove equally capable over 3m. Similarly to his stablement EL ELEFANTE, a 33/1 shot for the same race, there’d have to be serious concern as to whether he’d make the cut for the Festival contest - a mark of 139 needed to creep into the final renewal of the race’s late relative the Centenary; some way above Myretown’s current rating of 123.

So, if it was already apparent enough, finding a Northern-trained winner at the Festival this season might require a fair bit of thinking outside the box. Ah well, it’s not all about Cheltenham, isn’t it?

WHAT’S HAPPENING?

Haydock’s Peter Marsh Chase card headlines the action in the North this weekend and the feature itself looks a particularly interesting renewal, not least with ROYALE PAGAILLE attempting to complete his long-delayed hat-trick in the contest.

His second Betfair Chase success took at his record at the track to 5-6 and defied a similarly hefty burden when winning the most recent renewal of the Peter Marsh back in 2022. I think his clear class edge will see him do the job - few horses quite as ready-made for the relatively unique test of a Haydock slog as he is – but that’s not to say the race is without dangers.

MR VANGO remains unexposed as a staying handicap chaser, his defeat of subsequent Somerset National winner Collectors Item in the London National last month on the snug side, and there’s no doubt about his capability when the mud is flying, whilst TRELAWNE, game in winning a graduation chase at the track in November but again awkward at Ascot last time, will surely appreciate the return to a left-handed track.

Earlier in the afternoon, ROYAL INFANTRY will attempt to maintain his unbeaten record over hurdles in the Rossington Main. Best of British when eighth in the Champion Bumper last year, he retains Timeform’s large “P” after beating 5 last-time-out winners in facile over C&D last month, again showing a notably potent turn of foot for one with such a stout National Hunt pedigree (Soldier of Fortune out of a Presenting mare).

There’s also a two-day meeting at Ayr early next week, where Olly Murphy’s highly-promising FINGLE BRIDGE would be most exciting runner in the opening novice hurdle on Monday, having barely had to come off the bridle to make light of a 2-year absence at Uttoxeter the previous month.

I’d also be particularly to seen ILIKEDWAYURTHINKIN back on track after producing one of the best rounds of jumping I’ve witnessed all season when scoring over a marathon trip at Newcastle last month. His entry at Ayr is back down at 3m, but he completely regained his mojo in the second half of 2024 and has been in the back of my mind as an potential Eider candidate since his latest success.

The novice handicap on Tuesday has also attracted a strong batch of entries, including DUFFLE COAT (he’s still a novice?!), who as it stands is keeping all bar the aforementioned El Elefante out of the handicap. The likes of INOX ALLEN, COLD SOBAR, and HASHTAG BOUM all strike as having more to offer, so we could be in for a really hot race of its type if the principals stand their ground.

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