THIS is the second of my pre–Cheltenham Festival 2025 pieces with five handicappers for the festival and next week I am marking up five Irish trained runners across the graded races and handicaps.
Earlier this month in my five Ante-Post selections Transmission was noted for the Ultima Handicap Chase, in which he now hasn’t been entered, however he is currently in the National Hunt Challenge Cup Novices’ Handicap Chase over 3m 6f at Unibet 8/1 and the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase over 3m 2f for which he is Unibet 12/1.He loves Cheltenham and definitely has a good chance in either race.
Cheers
The Wine Tipster
Tuesday March 11th
2.40 – Ultima Handicap Chase (3m 1f)
Happygolucky is now an eleven-year-old and you’ve got to go back to 2021 to when he last finished in the frame in the Ultima beaten by Vintage Clouds, who showed that eleven-year-olds can when this handicap.
He will be having only his fourteenth career start, as he’s only seen a racecourse five times since then, with injury keeping him off for the best part of two years after fading from two out when ninth in the 2023 Ultima.
Happygolucky then reappeared this year at Cheltenham in January on Festival Trials Day over a trip too short for him, though he looked as if retaining much of his old ability and certainly his enthusiasm, when sticking to the task to finish a respectable fifth after being tapped for pace.
The handicapper has given him another helping hand, dropping him another 3lb, which gives him a lovely racing weight for the Ultima, and at a big price his chance should not be dismissed.
Wednesday 12th March
4.40 Jonny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Steeple Chase Challenge Cup (2m)
Unexpected Party the 2024 winner finds himself 6lb higher this time around but that looks more than fair when you consider he’s actually 6lb better off with the runner-up Libberty Hunter this year.
That’s down mainly to the way they have been campaigned since, Libberty Hunter a ready course and distance winner here in November and followed that up with an excellent second in the Game Spirit at Newbury last time, whereas Unexpected Party’s campaign has seen him take in the Old Roan, where he found the trip too far, a Graduation Chase at Carlisle and then try his luck against Jonbon in the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham at the November meeting.
Given a break after that, he came back to run Matata to ten lengths at Windsor in January, which signified a return to form (not that he’s been disgraced at any time this season) when showing his usual enthusiasm and willing attitude. He is a good jumper, whose running style is suited to Cheltenham and has clearly been lined up with a repeat of this in mind.
Thursday 13th March
2.40 – Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle (3m)
Doddiethegreat trained by Unibet Ambassador Nicky Henderson has been a regular in my Unibet blogs going back to February 2024 when he finished fourth in the big handicap hurdle at Newbury, with a step up in trip looking on the cards.
That duly happened with him finishing midfield in the big handicap hurdle over 2m 5f on the Wednesday of the festival, when as well documented Seven Barrows were not firing at the time. He then never travelled on his next and final race of the campaign at Ayr in April.
This has been a strange season for Doddiethegreat – a quickly aborted chase campaign, pulled up early once reverted to hurdles at Kempton after being badly hampered at the start, then gave up very quickly at Ascot and again suffered another pulled-up effort but then seemingly from nowhere, equipped with cheekpieces, a much better effort on his first start over three miles when second to One Big Bang at Haydock, the pair nicely clear of the rest and that run qualifying him for the Pertemps.
Doddiethegreat ran and jumped enthusically that day looking like he was finally back on track over what could be exactly the right trip for him as he stayed on to the line. There’s still time for this nine-year-old to get it all together on only his thirteenth career start and post a win in a valuable handicap, which he’s threatened to do in the past.
Friday 14th March
2.00 – County Handicap Hurdle (2m 1f)
Kabral Du Mathan is a five-year-old with form figures this season of 122 and with the Ditcheat team having hit form he has to be in the mix. Even when the yard were not achieving their customary strike rate Kabral Du Mathan was one of those that not only looked really well but gave his running and showed that there was more progression to come.
He was beaten two lengths by the well-handicapped Secret Squirrel in a very competitive race at Windsor in January, which merely backed up the good impression he had created when narrowly beaten by Fiercely Proud at Ascot in December in another deep handicap.
If you rewatch those two races he gives the impression there’s more to come once his stamina is tested a bit harder, and Cheltenham looks sure to bring out the best in this unexposed five-year-old.
5.20 – Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle (2m 4½f)
No Ordinary Joe trained by Unibet Ambassador Nicky Henderson is also entered for the Handicap Hurdle over 2m 5f on the Wednesday, however it looks more likely he will go for the Martin Pipe again.
A very respectable seventh in the Martin Pipe last year and second to Iroko in 2023, he has only raced three times this season, but it was a much better effort at Warwick last time, despite not looking entirely fit. He was close enough two out to throw down a challenge but was not given a hard ride by Callum Pritchard, who nudged him along to stay on after the last, beaten just a shade over two lengths in fourth.
The handicapper left him alone for that, meaning a mark of 138 will be 2lb lower than last year, and the fact they let Callum Pritchard take the ride last time would suggest that he’ll be booked for the Martin Pipe.
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