We’re just four weeks away now from the Cheltenham Festival, so it’s high time we take a look at the state of play in the four novice chases.
Sir Gino out the Arkle!
Now we can’t not start with the Arkle. After the news broke Monday morning, that very short price ante post favourite Sir Gino had been ruled out for the season after missing his intended target in the Game Spirit Chase at Newbury at the weekend, with many from Seven Barrows commenting that he was sound and it was just a minor setback. Therefore, it came as a shock when the report came through that the fighting fifth winner would be missing the remainder of the campaign. This has now seemingly left Majborough with the Arkle at his mercy. And for all that, we’ve been robbed of a clash of the five-year-olds. It’s great that we still get to see the huge talent that is last year’s Triumph Hurdle winner, strutting his stuff around Prestbury Park.
Brown Advisory
Once again, the Brown Advisory Novices Chase still looks an open enough affair, with Ballyburn heading the betting after he was readily put in his place by the aforementioned Sir Gino over two miles around Kempton in December. He looked much happier back up in distance over two-mile-five last time out at Leopardstown, where he got back to winning ways with a very impressive performance in a grade one. The winner of last season’s Gallagher’s Novices Hurdle, the two-mile-five grade one looks to have every chance of winning another festival contest.
National Hunt Novices Chase
Now, there have been plenty of changes made to this year’s Cheltenham Festival, and one such race which came under the microscope once more was the National Hunt Novices Chase. The 2025 edition of the race will no longer be restricted to amateur jockeys, and a handicap for horses with a rating of up to 145 that has been introduced. Now is the hour Currently heads the betting despite not yet winning a race over fences. He stayed on well when last seen in a beginners chase, and might look a potential lurker in the handicap.
Jack Richards Novice Handicap Chase
With stamina aplenty, the Jack Richards Novices Handicap Chase, previously the Turners Novices Chase, which was also run in recent years as the Marsh or the JLT Chase, is the second race on day three of the Cheltenham Festival. Registered as the Golden Miller, the new Jack Richards Novices Chase has considerable changes, now being a grade two two-mile Limited Novices Handicap Chase. Jagwar looks teed up perfectly for the race in the green and gold hoops of JP McManus after winning three of his four Chase starts, including one at Cheltenham. When last seen, he looked sure to go well again for his very shrewd connections.
