Wednesday afternoon brings extra high-class motion from Prestbury Park as day two of the 2025 Cheltenham Competition will get underway.
Jonbon is a heat favorite for that contest as Nicky Henderson’s star seems to be to emulate former secure greats Altior and Sprinter Sacre in profitable the race beneath Nico De Boinville.
Elsewhere on the cardboard there may be loads extra thrilling motion, together with one other three Grade 1s and the much-loved Cross Nation Chase.
Right here’s what’s in retailer…
Massive Race Preview: Champion Chase
Twenty profession begins, 17 wins, 9 of them in Grade 1s and greater than £1million accrued in prize cash. By no means exterior the highest two in his life, Jonbon has shed the tag of his quirky early days to turn into nearly probably the most constant horse in coaching. And but…
The shortage of a Cheltenham Competition victory stays a gaping gap on the nine-year-old’s CV and, certainly, has been the topic of a lot preview night time debate. There was little disgrace in ending second to Structure Hill as a novice hurdler, nor an on-song El Fabiolo within the Arkle, however throw in a shock defeat on Trials Day in 2024 and it stays an inarguable proven fact that Jonbon’s solely three defeats ever have come at this observe.
That’s nearly the one stick to which to beat the odds-on favourites, other than the quirk that short-priced runners have a bizarrely poor document within the Champion Chase.
Adam Davy/PA Wire
Past the favorite, this doesn’t look a deep renewal. Willie Mullins’s Energumene has received the race twice earlier than however is unquestionably previous his peak and would really like softer floor.
Marine Nationale, the winner of the Supreme Novices’s Hurdle two years in the past, is probably the challenger with most untapped potential and could be a massively common winner given his affiliation with Michael O’Sullivan, the younger jockey tragically killed in a racecourse fall at Thurles final month.
Solness should show that back-to-back Grade 1 triumphs when allowed to front-run at Leopardstown can translate throughout the Irish Sea, whereas Discovered A Fifty might want to rediscover his early season type to bother the locations.
The document of British novice hurdlers on the Cheltenham Competition has not been good lately and for these coming to the assembly on the again of Challow Hurdle success earlier within the season it’s even worse.
Dan Skelton’s The New Lion will look to buck each traits in Wednesday’s opener, the Turners Novices’ Hurdle, towards a robust Irish problem that’s headed by Remaining Demand, a massively spectacular winner on the Dublin Racing Competition final month.
The British hand within the Brown Advisory Novices’s Chase, nonetheless, was weakened considerably earlier within the marketing campaign with the harm to Ben Pauling’s massively promising The Jukebox Man. As an alternative, Mullins seems to have a robust grip on the competition, with Ballyburn – a winner on this very card final 12 months – favorite to see off stablemate Dancing Metropolis, a Grade 1 winner at Aintree and Punchestown over hurdles final time period.
Harry Skelton overseas The New Lion
Getty Photos
The Cross Nation Chase has offered some Competition highlights lately however takes on a unique form this 12 months having been reverted to a handicap, one in all three on the cardboard alongside the helter-skelter Grand Annual and the notoriously difficult Coral Cup.
Lastly, what seems to be an open renewal of the Champion Bumper brings the seven-race card to a detailed.
Cheltenham Competition 2025 day 2 schedule
13.20: Turners Novices’ Hurdle
14.00: Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase
15.20: Cross Nation Steeple Chase
16.40: Grand Annual Steeple Chase Problem Cup
