KALENDAR THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE FOR THE HOME OF JUMP RACING 23/24 SEASON
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Welcome to our latest edition of Kalendar Magazine. This is always an exciting time of year as the summer draws to a close and our thoughts turn to the winter and the return of Jump racing ‘proper’ WELCOME T his marks the start of a particularly special season for us at the Home of Jump Racing, as we celebrate the centenary year looks after him every day, in a feature for this magazine, and it is a wonderful insight. We also caught up with the leading Cheltenham Festival trainer, Willie Mullins,
of the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup, an event that we are proud to play our part in and are looking forward to sharing all that this year has in store with you. Last season was full of unforgettable moments, as we saw the best take on the best over four days of extraordinary racing in March. A moment that will long last in all our memories was seeing Honeysuckle enjoy a golden swansong in the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle. Her welcome back into the winner’s enclosure was one of the most emotional moments in recent years and it was brilliant to see the recognition this wonderful mare and her connections received. And who can forget that just 40 minutes before we had seen one of the most impressive performances ever in the Unibet Champion Hurdle, thanks to Constitution Hill who stormed up the Cheltenham hill. He really could be a
who could reach the landmark of 100 Festival winners in 2024. Could he reach his 100th win in the 100th year of the Cheltenham Gold Cup? Racing does have a way of writing the perfect script. Also in Kalendar, we reflect on Brian Hughes’ fantastic career so far, as well as the unbelievable achievement of Patrick Neville with The Real Whacker – a horse that is quickly becoming a Cheltenham specialist. In addition, we speak to a few of Britain’s leading trainers to hear what they have planned for their stable stars, as well as introducing you to several exciting events we have planned for the Cheltenham Gold Cup centenary year. Finally, we would like to thank you for your continued support. It was wonderful
to see so many of you back on our racecourses last season and we look forward to seeing you over the coming months. Best wishes
superstar and we are excited to see what Nicky Henderson and the team have planned for him this season. We learnt
Ian Renton Regional Managing Director The Jockey Club
a little more about this horse from the person who knows him best, Jaden Lee – the man who
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CONTENTS
6 THE SEASON AT CHELTENHAM Key dates to have in your diary for the 2023-2024 racing season 8 AND THEY’RE OFF Josh Stacey on the excitement ahead 12 THE NOVEMBER MEETING Nick Seddon sets the scene for the first blockbuster event of the season
16 THE MICHAEL O’SULLIVAN
28 FESTIVAL TRIALS DAY
35 THE REAL WHACKER Why David Mann hopes his horse will be written into Jump racing folklore 40 MAGIC MOMENT Bradley Gibbs describes the best last-minute career decision he ever made 43 THE WILLIE MULLINS LEGACY The man himself talks about his lifetime of success at Prestbury Park
PHENOMENON The young jockey’s extraordinary success story 21 FIVE TO FOLLOW Paul Nicholls and Nicky Henderson select horses to watch in the coming season 26 NEW YEAR’S DAY Nick Seddon on the treat that’s in store at this time-honoured meeting
The exciting appetiser for the main event in March 30 GOLDEN LEGACY Launching The Gold Cup 100 Community Fund 32 MAN ON A MISSION Brian Hughes talks to Nick Seddon about his drive to ride more winners
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48 THE FESTIVAL Highlights of the last Cheltenham Festival 60 THE ORCHARD Cheltenham’s luxury enclosure 62 CELEBRATING WITH BOODLES The Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Centenary 64 HOSPITALITY The world-class food and drink on offer at Cheltenham 68 CORE ON COURSE BY CLARE SMYTH The three-Michelin-star chef is back for second year
70 ROOM WITH A VIEW Enjoy your travel, hotel and hospitality in one package 72 TRAVEL AND ACCOMMODATION Getting to the Festival and top tips on where to stay 74 HORSE WELFARE Ensuring that our equine stars live their best life 76 KING OF THE HILL Jaydon Lee’s remarkable journey with the formidable Constitution Hill 80 MORE RACING THRILLS Lots to look forward to at Cheltenham
82 EXPERIENCE DAYS Introducing youngsters to the world of racing 84 CONFERENCE AND EVENTS The potential of Cheltenham Racecourse as a live-event venue 86
90 RETRAINING OF RACEHORSES Aftercare upon retirement 92 WEST COUNTRY WEEKEND The best of the South West 94 ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP The benefits of belonging to Cheltenham Racecourse 96 THE BEST IS YET TO COME Opportunities for members 98 THE CHELTENHAM CLUB Cheltenham Racecourse’s most exclusive membership
LIFE OUT OF THE SADDLE Tom Scudamore on his decision to retire from racing 88
JUNIOR JUMPERS Find out about free club membership for under-18s
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FEATURE SEASON DATES
THE SEASON AT CHELTENHAM
Don’t miss out on the key dates in the 2023-2024 season at The Home of Jump Racing.
THE SHOWCASE 27 – 28 October The wait is over. We are back. The Showcase raises the curtain to the 2023/24 Cheltenham season, once again, the thundering hooves, eager participants and excited fans will return to the Home of Jump Racing for another season. The meeting showcases the sport, with Q&A sessions with racing greats, and it sets the scene for the drama, history and heroics that will unfold.
THE NOVEMBER MEETING 17 – 19 November The magic starts at The November Meeting, the pace has quickened, the atmosphere is electric, and the exhilarating racing action will be revealing Cheltenham Festival clues. Off the track, Shop ‘til you drop in the Shopping Village, enjoy the craic in the Guinness Village and party in The Centaur, there is something for everyone at the unmissable three-day meeting.
THE CHRISTMAS MEETING 15 – 16 December Commence the celebrations at The Christmas Meeting over a weekend of top-quality racing. With the festive season about to enter the home straight, The Christmas Meeting brings joy and excitement for all, this two-day meeting is a highlight of the Christmas racing calendar and kick-starts the festive sporting season.
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FEATURE SEASON DATES
NEW YEAR’S DAY 1 January Regardless of how you celebrated New Year’s Eve, there is no better way to jump into 2024 than racing on New Year’s Day at Cheltenham. Thrilling and high-quality racing action, that is sure to provide Cheltenham Festival insight, fresh air, and amazing free family entertainment, makes it the perfect way to start 2024.
CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL 12 – 15 March
Cheltenham Festival 2024 is the pinnacle event of the Jump racing calendar, this year will be bigger than ever as we celebrate 100 years of the Gold Cup across the week. Guaranteed excellence, whether you join on Champion Day on Tuesday, Festival Wednesday, St Patrick’s Thursday or Gold Cup Day on Friday. Each day offers a unique twist on four days of extraordinary.
THE APRIL MEETING 17 – 18 April The April Meeting is a wonderful two-day meeting at the Home of Jump Racing. The spring sunshine shining over the famous Cleeve Hill and hallowed Cheltenham turf provide the perfect backdrop to a brilliant day out with high-quality racing.
FESTIVAL TRIALS DAY 27 January Excitement, anticipation and expectation is building. It is the final opportunity to see the sports protagonists go out to battle on Cheltenham Racecourse’s hallowed turf before the Cheltenham Festival. What horses will catch the eye before those four days of extraordinary in March, will we see returning champions defending their crown? Whilst anything can happen in March, Festival Trials Day may be able to give us a clearer picture.
RACE NIGHT FEATURING HUNTER CHASE RACING 3 May The curtain comes down on the 2023/24 season with Cheltenham’s only evening fixture. It’s a meeting that allows amateur riders and trainers to compete for the ultimate dream of winning at the Home of Jump Racing with seven fiercely fought Hunter Chases.
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FEATURE WHAT’S TO COME
AND THEY’RE OFF…
Josh Stacey anticipates the magic that is Cheltenham
O ne long, drawn-out summer later, we’ve achieved what at first appeared impossible. I’ve reached the end of my tether, pining for this day to come – sunkissed, fresh and champing at the bit for another season of Jump racing. You’ll struggle to unearth another being who’s spent this long fastening a member’s badge to a jacket, but now it’s ready – beautifully aligned and immaculate.
Excitement is off the scale as entries are released on Monday – a flood of endorphins – along with an immediate resignation that I won’t be sleeping during the coming week. I’ll concede that early – indeed on that Monday evening – as I lie in bed, my mind unwilling to shut down. The house is a hive of activity. Preview podcasts blaring, irons burning and hostile squabbles between housemates about who wins the bumper. There’s no room
for weakness in this war of words – you must go on the offensive and land the first blow. We’re ready. Skipping out of the front door at ferocious fractions. Two hours of continued dispute later, the car reaches Cleeve Hill’s zenith. Silence. Eyes catching glimpses of grandstands from a distance, a fleeting moment of weightlessness – and then the descent begins. Helicopters battling with blimps overhead. A melting pot of
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FEATURE WHAT’S TO COME
thrill, tradition and camaraderie inching nearer at every turn. Parked up. Quick tie adjustment in the car window. Is it going to be too hot for a jacket? There’s walking quickly... and then there’s the Cheltenham Racecourse car park walk. Hundreds of eager jumps fans shifting at Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase pace, jostling for race position, the air filled with anticipation and fervour. A satisfying bleep at the barrier and we’re in. A traditional pilgrimage to the Arkle Bar, with full appreciation of the parade ring to the right of us. Just how straight are those lines in the grass? A quick diversion to study the racecourse – still as magnificent as I remember. Guinness ordered. Initial sip taken whilst huddled amid a jovial cluster. Ten minutes prior to the first and the palpable energy is heightening. Off we stroll to the lucky spot – we all have one. Mine in front of the stands, under the letter M. In position. The bookmakers’ shouts echo. Runners down at the start. Gazing in awe at this sporting heaven nestled in the Gloucestershire countryside. A timeless tradition that showcases the unyielding spirit of the sport and the unity it fosters between those who come together to revel in its magic. And they’re off. YOUNG HORSES TO FOLLOW Nothing gets me dreaming as much as an impressive debutant and I’m continually dissecting bumpers in the hope of finding that next standout novice hurdler. Currently, the Willie Mullins-trained Ballyburn is at the top of my table for next season. He’s displayed a devasting turn of foot and a stamina tank Mo Farah would be proud of – a winning combination. On top of his natural athletic assets, his mental development between
his first and second run was out of the ordinary. Keen, lairy and a little awkward to a relaxed, uncomplicated and consummate professional – unrecognisable. Barring injury, I expect Ballyburn to be a headline name for years to come.
While trawling through every Irish Bumper run last season, another leading light was Slade Steel, a well-built five-year-old son of Telescope, trained by Henry de Bromhead. Slade Steel looked a veteran on debut, winning in style against more experienced rivals
“Off we stroll to the lucky spot – we all have one. Mine in front of the stands, under the letter M”
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FEATURE WHAT’S TO COME
“Inthewaterside screams a typical high-class Paul Nicholls three-mile chaser of the future”
Captain Cody and Blizzard Of Oz, who have subsequently boosted that form no end. The former won on his next start and finished a six-length sixth in the Grade 1 Weatherbys Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival, while the latter won at Cork before an agonising second in the Grade 2 Weatherbys National Hunt Flat Race at Aintree’s Grand National Meeting. Slade Steel was held by Ballyburn at the Punchestown Festival, but that’s nothing to be ashamed of. It would be remiss of me to dust over the exciting youngsters trained down
in Ditcheat. Each season without fail, Paul Nicholls assembles a battalion of mouth-watering prospects. Farnoge, Isaac Des Obeaux, Fire Flyer, Captain Teague and Meatloaf all made lasting impressions in bumpers last season. Inthewaterside screams a typical high- class Paul Nicholls three-mile chaser of the future and I’d be disappointed if he weren’t contesting graded races this season. He might even be the one to follow the Bravemansgame-Stage Star-Hermes Allen Challow Hurdle route. Keep Thames Water on side – for a gargantuan animal, he had no business
coming off a slow pace in a strong Ascot Bumper and winning as his did. He’s got a tinge of Bravemansgame about him. Fresh from the Paul Nicholls training ranks, the 2022/23 season was a mammoth one for Harry Derham, the latest training star off the Ditcheat conveyor belt. Harry displayed a sharp eye for placing horses and this came with great success. Although no stable star yet, I believe Il Va De Soi could fill that void this season and after two extremely encouraging runs in bumpers, he’s one who could notch up a couple of wins before venturing into higher grade.
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35 48 BLACK TYPE RACES winners of last season ENVOI ALLEN winner of 2023 Ryanair Chase, Gr. 1 purchased at Tattersalls Cheltenham
Cheltenham
FORTHCOMING SALES DATES
Cheltenham November Sale Friday 17 November * Cheltenham December Sale Friday 15 December * Cheltenham January Sale Saturday 27 January * Cheltenham February Sale Friday 16 February Cheltenham Festival Sale Thursday 14 March * Cheltenham April Sale Thursday 25 April Cheltenham May Sale Thursday 16 May
*Sales held after racing
If you would like to know how to attend or purchase at Tattersalls Cheltenham Sales Contact: Shirley Anderson-Jolag | +44 7488 708 343 tattersallscheltenham.com
The transition from Flat racing to Jump racing is a steady one, but most people view The November Meeting as the first blockbuster event of the new season. With plenty on the line, excitement and drama is assured across three pulsating days of racing, as Nick Seddon explains… THE NOVEMBER MEETING
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FEATURE THE NOVEMBER MEETING
I t’s no secret that racing fans love to bicker – particularly if there is a going stick within eyeshot – and the debate as to when the ‘jumps season proper’ begins is one of our sport’s great imponderables. It’s certainly not the job of this magazine to provide a solution, though it’s undeniable that the campaign steps up a notch or two with The November Meeting, a three-day ‘mini festival’ that plenty view as the weekend where things get serious. This is the moment when the big names on either side of the Irish Sea arise from their collective slumber, and it isn’t difficult to see why, with four Grade Two races on the line up and more than half a million in prize money
on offer across the three days. The form always proves to be
staggeringly strong as a result and we saw some notable names strike at this meeting last year, with the roll of honour including the likes of the subsequent Grade One Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase winner, The Real Whacker, as well as two future Randox Grand National Festival heroes
would be an understatement, however, as it provided a poignant moment at the Home of Jump Racing for Ga Law’s owners, The Footie Partnership, as trainer Jamie Snowden explains: “It’s right up there. We were very lucky to have a Festival winner at an early stage – our third-ever winner at Cheltenham was at The Festival – but these big days are what it’s all about. Who knows how good he can be, but let’s enjoy today first! “The Footie Partnership was set up for a chap called ‘Footie’ – Nick Foot – who died of cancer. There was a group of six of them who always came racing to Cheltenham and they set up this partnership with the idea of coming here and hopefully winning a big race at Cheltenham. “Here it is and it’s all credit to this wonderful team of five guys. Nick Foot would have had a grandson
yesterday I think it was, so it came together lovely.” Things arguably reach a crescendo with the third and final day of the meeting on the Sunday, when Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase hopefuls enter the stage for the Grade Two Shloer Chase. Best known for being the opening scene of Sprinter Sacre’s remarkable comeback journey in the 2015-16 campaign, the race has quickly become one of the key features of the two-mile season since its establishment in 2009, producing two subsequent champion chasers (Sprinter Sacre and Put The Kettle On) and a Ryanair Chase winner to boot in Uxizandre. A successful assault on The Festival ultimately didn’t pan out on this occasion for last year’s winner, Nube Negra, but his eight-length success did kickstart a remarkable run of winning
in Fennor Cross and Banbridge. Centre stage at The November
Meeting is the first major contest of the Jump season – Saturday’s Paddy Power Gold Cup. Run over an extended two-and-a-half miles and first staged back in 1960, the roll of honour for the Premier Handicap chase features some legendary performers, including Champion Chase heroes Fortria and Dunkirk, as well as the Grand National winner, Gay Trip. It takes a classy horse to win the Paddy Power and the victors regularly go on to bigger and better things, as last season’s winner, Ga Law, showed when finishing a fine fifth in the Grade One Ryanair Chase at The Festival. To say that the Paddy Power serves as a stepping stone to other things
“The form is always staggeringly strong and we saw some notable names strike at this meeting last year”
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FEATURE THE NOVEMBER MEETING
“His eight-length success did kickstart a remarkable run of winning weekends for his trainer Dan Skelton”
weekends for his trainer Dan Skelton, whose red-hot run of form would see him go on to win each of the Betfair Chase, the Ladbrokes Trophy and the Becher Chase in consecutive weekends thereafter. Joining the Shloer on centre stage on the Sunday is the Unibet Greatwood Handicap Hurdle over an extended two miles, which much like the Paddy Power, certainly isn’t for the faint-hearted. This high-class handicap was inaugurated in 1987 when it went to Celtic Shot, a horse that captured the Champion Hurdle later in the same season, a feat matched by Rooster Booster in 2003/04. Another good winner was Sizing Europe, who later excelled over fences with successes including the Queen Mother Champion Chase, and trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies couldn’t hide his delight at last year’s winner,
I Like To Move It, who defied top weight when rolling to a five-and-a- half-length success. Having trained high-class two milers The New One, Ballyandy and Old Guard in recent years, Twiston-Davies has an eye for a smart one and he wasn’t shy in revealing his Champion Hurdle aspirations after the race. He said: “It was absolutely superb off 12 stone around there. Taking the hurdles out didn’t help him but he was awesome. He [Sam Twiston-Davies] was very positive on him. He definitely would like softer ground and he stays the two miles well. He was unlucky in the Betfair. He is a proper horse. “He will follow in the hoofprints of a good horse we had called Guard Your Dreams and The New One used to frequent this race before [the International Hurdle]. That is the idea at the moment.”
Victory in the Grade Two Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton later in the campaign and an engagement in the Unibet Champion Hurdle that March for I Like To Move It would ultimately prove Twiston-Davies right, and considering that he’s still only six, it certainly seems as though The November Meeting has uncovered yet another gem.
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ASSOCIATE PARTNER OF THE JOCKEY CLUB
The 23-year-old jockey arrived at Prestbury Park in March with a huge chance in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle on what was just his second Cheltenham Festival ride and what followed will go down in Cheltenham folklore, as Nick Seddon finds out… THE MICHAEL O’SULLIVAN PHENOMENON
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FEATURE MICHAEL O’SULLIVAN
I t feels a bit too much like marketing talk to say that dreams are made at the Cheltenham Festival, though with Michael O’Sullivan that certainly feels the case. It doesn’t happen often, but occasionally, we are met with a story that feels more like Hollywood than it does reality. And if a scriptwriter was to choose a scenario from last season, they would hone in on jockey Michael O’Sullivan, who arrived at the Festival having turned professional just six months earlier. O’Sullivan had only had one ride at the Festival prior to March but found himself with a huge opportunity on board the Barry Connell-trained Marine Nationale, a strongly fancied 9-2 chance for the opening Grade One Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. Together, the pair would not just triumph but leave the impression
that this was just the beginning of something special – and in O’Sullivan’s case it’s certainly in his pedigree. The 23-year-old hails from a proud racing family that has enjoyed plenty of success at the Festival, with both his father, Willie (Lovely Citizen in 1991), and his cousin, Maxine (It Came To Pass in 2020), winning the St James’s Place Festival Hunters’ Chase for his uncle Eugene O’Sullivan. Horseracing runs in the family and O’Sullivan explains that he has been involved with horses for as long as he can remember: “I grew up on a farm, my father is a dairy farmer and my uncle Eugene is a horse trainer. That’s all on the same farm, so I grew up surrounded by animals and horses. “Everyone rode horses, so I just started riding ponies myself. I did a lot of showjumping, eventing
“Occasionally, we are met with a story that feels more like Hollywood than it does reality”
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FEATURE MICHAEL O’SULLIVAN
Marine Nationale and Michael O’Sullivan after winning the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) at this year’s Cheltenham Festival
O’Sullivan receiving the award for champion conditional jockey at Punchestown Festival in April 2023 for the Irish season
and hunting with The Pony Club and that’s where it all started. I did a lot of point-to-pointing. I think I had something like 400 rides and 34 winners, so I got a lot of good experience. Then I got a degree as well at University College Dublin, studying animal science. “I finished that last year around May time, after four years of studying, so I rode as an amateur and turned professional that September.” Having finished university, it would be with trainer Barry Connell and a certain Marine Nationale that O’Sullivan would get his big break, and he reveals that it was a partnership that was struck up in rather unusual circumstances – while he was milking cows on his dad’s farm: “There was a meeting coming up at Punchestown last May and I was at home working around the cows with my father. I was checking through the entries for the bumpers, which I’d do all the time and then I’d try and call round and get rides. “I’d ridden for Barry once before and had nothing to lose, so I just texted him to ask if he was OK for the bumper. He replied and I got the ride on him, thank God, and that text has gone a long way for me since! “He won that day first time out, when we didn’t really expect him to win, and I’ve ridden him every day
since and I’ve won on him every day since, so it’s been brilliant and I’m very lucky.” Marine Nationale hasn’t looked back since that debut success at Punchestown and he would go on to win his next three starts under O’Sullivan, providing him with a first Grade One success in the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse that December. The scene was set for the Supreme and you would expect a jockey who was having just his second ride at the Festival to be nervous, but O’Sullivan explains that the day instead passed as a blur. He says: “It was my second-ever ride at the Festival, so it was exciting, obviously, and I didn’t feel any pressure as you can’t expect to win a race like that. “It all happens so quickly. Once you get back after riding out and put on your suit, you’re back at the track and the race is on before you know it. “It wouldn’t be normal if you didn’t get some nerves, but I really like the pressure of riding on those bigger days. Luckily, everything went smoothly and he was really good on the day – it’s amazing how smoothly it went, really. “I had a moment of worry when Paul [Townend] kicked for home on Facile Vega. He nicked a couple of
“I’d ridden for Barry once before and had nothing to lose, so I texted him to ask if he was OK for the bumper”
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FEATURE MICHAEL O’SULLIVAN
lengths on me off the bend. I wasn’t sure how much I’d find, but the horse just kicked into overdrive. “He was amazing that day and finished the season unbeaten, so hopefully, the best days are ahead of us. He’s a very special horse, but he needs to train on now and win this season and the next to be a great horse. “He’s French-bred and I suppose you’d have that small bit of worry that he might not train on, but there’s no reason why he won’t. He’s very sound and he’s a pleasure to do anything with. He’s out in the field as we chat, but he’s due in soon, and then the hard work starts again.” Any jockey would tell you that they would settle for just the one winner at the Festival, but things would get even better for O’Sullivan, who would strike again on the Gordon Elliott-trained Jazzy Matty in the penultimate Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle. Jazzy Matty was an 18-1 chance for one of the most competitive handicaps of the week, and O’Sullivan admits that he didn’t think he had any more than a puncher’s chance for the race. He says: “Jazzy Matty was a nice surprise really. I was riding him on a cloud and feeling no pressure.
I went out there just hoping to get a good spin on him. You could have given him a little chance, but I wouldn’t have said he had a serious chance. “We just got into a really good rhythm and he travelled and jumped and I felt like I was always going to win once I’d turned for home. “Even though it was such a tight finish, I always felt like I was going to win. Gordon had him perfect on the day, so it was a special moment.” O’Sullivan has since ridden out his claim, and looking forward, he reveals that he has his eye on more success at the Festival. He continues: “Now that I’ve lost my claim, I’ll have to really put my head down and keep connections and things like that. I won’t have the benefit of the claim now, but I hope that I can get the support of some of the bigger trainers. You also need the smaller trainers to keep you going. “It will be very hard to be a champion jockey unless I am the main jockey at one of the two stables, so I will focus on quality over quantity and try to win some more Grade One races and pick up some more Festival winners.”
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GALLOPS & GLORY 2023 24 SEASON OCTOBER MAY VIEW OUR 16 RACEDAYS
FEATURE SPOTLIGHT ON HORSES
FIVE TO FOLLOW Paul Nicholls and Nicky Henderson pick five of the best horses to follow over this coming season…
PAUL NICHOLLS
BRAVEMANSGAME “He ran a blinding race in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup last year. He was beaten by a very good horse (Galopin Des Champs) and there were no excuses. We think he got the trip. Possibly, if Harry (Cobden) rode the race again he might have ridden him with a bit more restraint, but the plan was to always ride him forward. “As a King George (VI Chase) winner we knew that he would run well in the Gold Cup, and so it proved. It was only in the last 50 yards that he ran out of petrol. He jumped brilliantly though, and we were delighted with him. “He had a good season in winning the King George at Kempton Park and the Charlie Hall at Wetherby and he ran very well in defeat at Punchestown. He is in good shape, but I don’t know where I’m going to start him. If the ground was decent it could well be the Betfair Chase at Haydock Park.
HERMES ALLEN “He had a wind operation over the summer and I’m hoping that will bring out some improvement. He will go novice chasing this season and is one that could run over anything between two-and-a-half miles and three miles. “At Cheltenham in the spring he could go over two-and- a-half miles for the Turners or three miles for the Brown Advisory, depending on the ground and what we do with some of the others. He is obviously a high-class horse. “It didn’t quite go to plan at Cheltenham or Aintree, but I think his breathing was troubling him from the start last season, hence why I put a tongue tie on him for his first run. “I think he appreciated running on good ground at the start of the season at Stratford and Cheltenham and that helped his breathing. He got the run of the race in the Challow Hurdle, plus he was the class horse in that race. He jumps nicely and he will be very interesting. “If Hermes Allen and Stay Away Fay ran in the same race I wouldn’t be able to split them I don’t think at this stage.”
“After the King George we will then make a plan whether we go straight to Cheltenham. “If he had a couple of runs this side of Christmas and a couple after Christmas that would probably suit him. “If he ran in four championship races with a chance in all of them you’d be happy with that.”
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STAGE STAR “He won at the Cheltenham Festival last season in the Turners Novices’ Chase, but he will have to step up if he is to go for the Ryanair Chase. I don’t see why he can’t, as all last season he just seemed to keep on improving and the Ryanair is probably what we will train him for. He won well at Warwick, then the ground was a little bit too firm at Newbury, as they all underperformed there. “He came back and won well at Plumpton before winning at Cheltenham in January and then winning back there at the Festival. At the end of the season, at Aintree, we realised we ran him a bit too soon after Cheltenham. “When he is really right and well, and fresh, he is a good horse. His win at Cheltenham in January pointed us in the right direction. He was so good that day with 12 stone on his back and that gave us a lot of belief in him and the track seemed to suit him, so it was all ideal. “I thought he had to improve again in the Turners to win it, but he did and Harry gave him an exceptional ride. He jumped well and he galloped on strong. The biggest key to him so far is that he has needed to go left-handed. “He might start off in the race at Newton Abbot and then go from there, but we will see.”
STAY AWAY FAY “He is likely to be aimed at the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, but he could go for the National Hunt Chase. I think he is capable of doing one or the other. He is a good, strong, solid stayer and I’m convinced that he will jump well. “He pleased us when he made his debut at Newbury and he then should, in my opinion, have won at Doncaster, but it just didn’t work out right. “He then improved again and won very nicely at Cheltenham in the Albert Bartlett. It did surprise me that day the level of form he showed. “He ran well at Aintree, but I think as he had been prepared for Cheltenham, he didn’t win. I think he is going to be a really smart novice chaser. “He has won a point-to-point and he has jumped baby fences at home, so I don’t see it being an issue at all.”
PIC D’ORHY “He could be one that if we change tack with him, the Ryanair could be a race for him. He won his Grade One up at Aintree last season and he does seem to act well on
flat tracks, but he does act at Ascot,
which is undulating. “I wouldn’t see any issue at Cheltenham if the ground was decent. He could definitely be a Ryanair type, as he is a good horse that is improving. He is not set in stone to go to Cheltenham at the moment, but it is definitely a possibility this season. “I think what has helped him develop is just a bit of patience on our part. He has also matured and started to jump nicely and he seems to now have a lot of belief in himself. “I think the fall he had at Newbury the season before last, when he would have won, just woke him up a bit as he has been good since then. He is a good solid jumper now. “He would have to step up again to win a Ryanair, but he has got to be in the mix with all those top horses if he improves a bit. His owner Johnny de la Hey has been a good supporter of the yard and it is important for him to have a good horse like this. He was thrilled with last season.”
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FEATURE SPOTLIGHT ON HORSES
NICKY HENDERSON
JONBON “He has only been beaten twice, both times at Cheltenham. Once by Constitution Hill and once in the Arkle, but I don’t think that was him in the Arkle. His jumping was very good all the way through last season, except for Cheltenham where he didn’t jump as well as he can. “There were just a few things we ironed out before his next two races, but they weren’t complicated things, as he was a miles better horse at Sandown than he was at Cheltenham. “He was very good at Aintree, then I did a very un-Henderson like thing, which was to bring him out a fortnight later. I wanted to find out if he was a two-miler or not. “I was leaning towards going two- and-a-half miles with him at Aintree, but the two-mile race was much weaker, so we decided to stay at two miles. After that I was thinking ‘crikey you are a two-miler, so let’s really find out’, and the only way to do that was to take on the older two-milers. “I think I even surprised JP (McManus, owner) when I said I’ve got a plan, but he was up for it and the horse had looked fantastic all winter. I wanted to see how he compared to the two-milers and he answered the question, so we know where we start. I would have said that all roads lead to the Tingle Creek to start with.”
CONSTITUTION HILL “It couldn’t have gone any better last season. Things went ridiculously smoothly. This is what you can do with a horse in a season if you are lucky enough not to miss one single day’s work. He never had a snotty nose, he never had a cough, he never trod on a stone. Nothing went wrong. “The only thing that varied was the ground was too quick at Ascot and we just moved him back a week. It did cost us, as we had to finish first and second instead of winning two. “His domination of the Champion Hurdle last season was a performance that was as dominant as you have ever seen. It was that one turn of foot and the race was over. It’s possible Constitution Hill could be the best horse I’ve trained. We are very lucky to have him. He is becoming a public horse and I’m the curator. “Of course, there is pressure on me. He has to perform, because anything bar something spectacular doesn’t satisfy, so that is what we have got to
deliver. He was flawless throughout the whole of the last campaign. We have now got to decide which way we are going to go. If we go hurdling it would be the same plan. But the International Hurdle has now been moved to Trials Day, which means if he went down that route he would get an extra race. That would be good for all of us, as everybody says we don’t see enough of these horses. “By changing that programme I’ve another race we could go for if we stick to hurdles. If we decide to go chasing, it is pretty obvious you work back from the Arkle. You will probably find yourself going to the Kingmaker and the likes. It is what Jonbon did last season. You could go two-and- a-half with him if you wanted to but you would probably hang around the two-mile mark. “The plan, which you have to have, is luck on your side. We can all talk about dreamland of how it is going to go, but you have got to be lucky to carry out a plan as precisely as that.”
“It’s possible Constitution Hill could be the best horse I’ve trained. We are very lucky to have him”
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FEATURE SPOTLIGHT ON HORSES
SHISHKIN “I’ve got a three-miler on my hands in Shishkin now. The King George VI Chase will be our first main objective, but he will obviously have a run before it. Two of the three times he has been beaten over fences have come at Cheltenham, otherwise he has been nearly flawless. “He was very good at Aintree when we stepped him up to three miles. He has been finishing his races really well and he jumped very well that day at Aintree. “I didn’t originally think we would end up over this sort of trip, as we started off in the Tingle Creek, but he blatantly got outpaced. It became perfectly obvious he wasn’t a two-miler, but he was still good enough and he misled us a bit by being very good in things like the Arkle, however he blatantly stays. “Let’s see how he gets on first before we start thinking about the Cheltenham Gold Cup. He is a true Grade One horse, there is no doubt about it. The race at Aintree was a good race and he produced a good performance.”
MARIE’S ROCK “She will have a look at those nice mares’ races and then the Stayers’ Hurdle. It didn’t quite go her way at Aintree over the extended three miles but she was very impressive on New Year’s Day at Cheltenham in the Relkeel Hurdle, and she did win the Mares’ Hurdle at The Festival the season before, so she was entitled to be doing something like that. “The one race that went wrong for us at Cheltenham last season was the Mares’ Hurdle. We ran three in the race and I couldn’t split them. “I thought it was one of our strongest races of the meeting, bar the Champion Hurdle. I would have thought you might possibly be looking at this as her last season, but one never knows. “She is racing for a syndicate and Middleham Park are probably more interested in racing as opposed to breeding, but we will see how she goes. “I very much would like to think there is another big race inside her.”
WALKING ON AIR “I’ve always liked Walking On Air and I can’t believe he is not going to make up into a decent horse. I don’t think he had a lot of luck in the Pertemps Final at Cheltenham and he had no luck in running at Punchestown. He will go over fences this season and be a three-mile novice chaser. “I still think we haven’t seen the best of him yet. He got no run coming down the hill at Cheltenham then he travelled like a good horse at Punchestown and he kicked the third last out of the ground and then made a shocking mistake at the second last. He couldn’t finish a race like that doing what he did. He is not an obvious one but he looks fantastic. “He is rated 138 over hurdles, so the handicapper must think he is okay. Once he jumps a fence I think he will be okay. I would say we would start him off back over either two-and-a-half miles or two miles-six, as three miles is a long way to go first time out for a novice chaser.”
PERFECTLY BRITISH
FEATURE NEW YEAR’S DAY
NEW YEAR’S DAY For many racing fans, heading out to Cheltenham on New Year’s Day is a time-honoured tradition. And those who make the pilgrimage to the Home of Jump Racing are in for a treat, as Nick Seddon explains…
I t may take place during the depths of winter, but there’s more than enough on Cheltenham’s New Year’s Day card to get your heart racing, provided that the mulled wine from the night before hasn’t finished you off. The festive racing season is breathless and this meeting serves as a fitting bookend to King George Day at Kempton Park six days before. Considering that the Guinness pumps will be in full flow from the moment the gates open, some resolutions will be almost certainly broken before the first race. However, if New Year traditions are your thing, the Grade Two Relkeel Hurdle over an extended
two-and-a-half miles is a race that has a habit of providing clues for The Festival. Serving as a ‘halfway house’ between the Unibet Champion Hurdle and the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle, the race is an ideal fit for those looking to test their stamina against a quality field, an assignment that subsequent Stayers’ hero, More Of That, passed with flying colours in 2013-14. And history came rather close to repeating itself last term with the 2022 Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle winner, Marie’s Rock, who was sent off as a 9-4 joint favourite for a repeat success on the back of a six-length victory in this
race, only for a certain Honeysuckle to have other ideas. There is also plenty of excitement elsewhere on the card, particularly in the £100,000 Grade Three Paddy Power New Year’s Day Chase, which Dan and Harry Skelton have won for two of the past three years. Meanwhile, anyone interested in finding a star of the future need look no further than the two Listed events, the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle and the ‘Junior’ National Hunt Flat Race, ensuring the meeting not only caters for all types of racing fan, but also blows away the cobwebs from the night before in the process.
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FEATURE NEW YEAR’S DAY
FAMILY FUN As well as the fantastic racing, New Year’s Day also offers free family entertainment in the CLUB/TATTS enclosure, with live shows and inflatables as well as activities for older children to enjoy.
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FESTIVAL TRIALS DAY
There are few standalone meetings that can rival Festival Trials Day for its excitement and quality. Nick Seddon examines why this day is the ideal appetiser before the main event in March…
T he build-up and anticipation for the Cheltenham Festival is something that seems to begin earlier each year, to the point that some would argue the excitement for next year’s Festival begins the second you exit the gates on Cheltenham Gold Cup Day. Some have more patience than others, but the majority of the waiting has been done by the time the final Saturday in January arrives, when Festival Trials Day provides an unmissable prelude to Jump racing’s most important week of year. Held this season on
Saturday 27 January, the seven-race card gives a taste of what is to come, offering a last chance for a dress rehearsal at Jump Racing HQ before one of the 28 races during Festival week. As such, each race on the card acts as a direct route to The Festival, as the Paul Nicholls-trained Stage Star showed last year, following up his win in the Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase with Grade One glory in the Turners Novices’ Chase. The pathway from Trials Day to Festival glory is a proven one and no race provides better clues for
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FEATURE FESTIVAL TRIALS DAY
the showpiece than the Grade Two Cotswold Chase, which is seen as one of the key pointers for the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup. Run over an extended three miles and one furlong, the contest is about a furlong short of what any contender can expect here in March, but like the Gold Cup, it is run on the New Course. Three horses have completed the Cotswold Chase and Cheltenham Gold Cup double since its inception in 1980 – Little Owl (1981), Master Oats (1995) and Looks Like Trouble (2000). Several have come close to emulating that trio since the millennium – none more so than Santini, who got within a neck of Al Boum Photo in 2020 – and it’s impossible to say just how close we came in last year’s renewal, seeing as the Lucinda Russell-trained Ahoy Senor was still travelling well in front when falling at six from home in the blue riband. Not only has the race served as a useful pointer towards the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup, it has also thrown up other future Festival winners, with the Paul Nicholls-trained Frodon claiming the 2019 edition just weeks before landing the Ryanair Chase. An added dimension to Festival Trials in 2024 is the Grade Two International Hurdle. Previously staged at Cheltenham in December, its new position in the calendar should help it serve as a better trial for the Unibet Champion Hurdle. It will be 21 years in 2024 since Rooster Booster won both races in one season.
Also on the card is the Grade Two Cleeve Hurdle, which also has an impressive list of previous winners. Run over three miles, the race has become a strong pointer for the Grade One Stayers’ Hurdle, with several horses winning both races in the same season. Inglis Drever won the race on his way to claiming a third Stayers’ Hurdle crown back in 2008, while the legendary Big Buck’s bookended his record tally of four Stayers’ Hurdle successes by winning this race on route in both 2009 and 2012 for Paul Nicholls. Thistlecrack was another who achieved the feat in 2016 as did Paisley Park in 2019, with Emma Lavelle’s gelding subsequently coming back to win both the 2020 and 2022 renewals of the Cleeve Hurdle. There was no double last season, but victory in last year’s contest for the Gabriel Leenders-trained Gold Tweet was significant, as he became the first French- trained winner of the Cleeve Hurdle. His three-length success was momentous as it encouraged not one but two French horses to head over and challenge for Stayers’ glory that March, with Hugo Merienne also bringing Henri Le Farceur across the Channel. The Cotswold Chase and Cleeve Hurdle might take star billing, but the supporting card is no back number, with both the Grade Two Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle and Grade Two JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle being two other contests on the day that can have an important bearing on results at The Festival.
“The seven-race card offers a last chance for a dress rehearsal at Jump Racing HQ”
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FEATURE GOLD CUP 100
The Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup is a race that has captured the hearts of the nation for a century, and 2024 will be a momentous year as The Jockey Club celebrates and remembers those greatest moments over the past 100 years GOLDEN LEGACY R acegoers will enjoy rewatching famous duels like the 2018 race starring Native River and Might Bite or historic head-to-
heads like Arkle taking on Mill House, while telling stories about where they were when Best Mate completed the hat-trick – the centenary year will be aiming to leave a golden legacy. The local community is at the heart of The Jockey Club’s ethos, and one of the objectives of the Gold Cup Centennial year is to fundraise for worthy causes. Cheltenham Racecourse will be launching a community fund run in partnership with the Rotary Clubs of Cheltenham to assist with neighbourhood projects. The Community Grant will be awarded to registered charities – recognised, established community groups promoting sport, art, music, health and well-being, schools and playgroups, sporting, art or music groups or societies and not-for-profit organisations. These grants will support life-enhancing projects and initiatives operating within the boundaries of the Cheltenham- specific postcodes: GL50, GL51,
GL52, GL53 and GL54. Over the next 12 months, several fundraising events will take place to raise funds for the Community Grant before a panel made up of representatives from the Rotary Clubs and The Jockey Club to accept applications and ensure that the funding goes to the best possible causes for the community. Assistant General Manager of Cheltenham, Andre Klein, has led recent campaigns within the local community, such as Love Our Turf. He said: “We
always try to ensure that the local community is at the heart of what we do. We want people to be proud to live in a town that is home to this great sporting arena, and we know it is important to help and support the community where we can. “Gold Cup 100 is an incredibly exciting project, and it really is a once-in-a-lifetime event to be a part of. We want to leave a legacy from the celebrations that will truly help and enhance our local area, and this felt like a great way to do that.”
To find out more about the Gold Cup 100 Community Fund and how to apply for a grant, please visit our website.
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Earlier this year, the Cheltenham Racecourse team joined forces with WellChild to transform the communal space in the Cotswold RDA.
“Gold Cup 100 is an incredibly exciting project, and it really is a once-in-a-lifetime event to be a part of”
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