Christmas festivals wrap

The dust settles on the Christmas racing festivals, and you take stock.  Half-term report in the 2024/25 National Hunt season. 

The Christmas festivals promised much, and they delivered all of it, even if the fog enveloped some of it.  The stars of the game appeared, returned, performed, attracted the crowds and most delivered the performances that we hoped they would.  The clashes happened, the much-anticipated matches, and the winners emerged.  And a few youngsters continued the forward marches that they had instigated in the autumn.

When Constitution Hill lined up at the start in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on St Stephen’s Day, he was lining up at the start of a race for the first time in a year.  It was 12 months to the day since he had lined up in the 2023 version of the Christmas Hurdle and, sent off at the severely restricted odds of 1/12, won doing handsprings. 

Much had happened in the 366 days that had flowed under the bridge in the interim, wind surgery and missed engagements and public gallops and lots of public comment, and Nicky Henderson’s horse had a serious rival in this season’s Christmas Hurdle in Lossiemouth, Willie Mullins’ top-class mare, race-fit, to whom he had to concede the 7lb mares’ allowance.  

But he was brilliant.  He travelled with his trademark verve for Nico de Boinville, just behind the pace, and he cleared away to win his third Christmas Hurdle, the first horse ever to win three.

Lossiemouth wasn’t at her best on the day.  She didn’t travel as well as she can, she didn’t jump as well as she can.  Even so, Constitution Hill could hardly have been much more impressive than he was in winning.  He should improve for this too, his first run in a year, and, all things being equal, the 2023 Champion Hurdle winner is the one they all have to beat again in this year’s renewal.

Galopin Des Champs was brilliant too in winning the Savills Chase at Leopardstown.  Just like Constitution Hill, Willie Mullins’ horse had to prove that he was still as good as ever, still the champion, after his colours had been lowered by Fact To File on his seasonal return in the John Durkan Chase at Punchestown.

But he was beaten in the John Durkan Chase at Punchestown on his seasonal return last year too, before he went to Leopardstown at Christmas and won the Savills Chase by 23 lengths.

It wasn’t 23 lengths this time, but it was still emphatic, unequivocal, he came away from his rivals on the run-in under a perfectly-judged ride by Paul Townend, and he regained his position at the top of the market for the Gold Cup.

That took Galopin Des Champs’ record at Leopardstown over fences to 111111.  Six runs, six wins.  His record at Cheltenham is equally impressive, 1F11, the F in the Tuners Chase in 2022, 12 lengths clear and coasting when he came down at the final fence. 

Importantly, the last two 1s were in the Gold Cup, winner in 2023, winner in 2024, he will bid to etch his name in history this year, become a modern-day three-time Gold Cup winner, join the club that is comprised of only Best Mate and Arkle and Cottage Rake since Golden Miller won the fifth of his five in 1936.  He is 6/4 now to do that, no better.  Evens in places.

It was some week for Joseph O’Brien, with Solness winning the Paddys Rewards Club Chase and Home By The Lee landing the Savills Chase at Leopardstown, both under JJ Slevin, and Banbridge winning the King George VI Chase at Kempton, delivered with an irresistible run – Paul Townend again – to collar long-time leader Il Est Francais on Kempton’s run-in.

Common consensus in the aftermath of the race was that Banbridge was a Ryanair Chase horse, not a Gold Cup horse, and that consensus is reflected in the ante post Cheltenham markets: no better than 6/1 for the Ryanair, as big as 33/1 for the Gold Cup. 

We didn’t know that Banbridge could stay three miles before he won the King George.  It is a rare horse who has the pace to win a Grade 1 contest over two miles in open company and the stamina to win a King George – think Kauto Star, think Edredon Bleu, think One Man – but Banbridge has now joined that select group.

It is because of his pace that the markets are favouring the Ryanair, but we now know that Banbridge has stamina too.

The Race iQ figures tell you that he truly stayed the King George trip.  Banbridge was faster than all his rivals through each of the last four furlongs.  Taken as a collective, he was 2.26secs faster from four furlongs out to the winning line than his fastest rival, and that is significant.  Also significant is the fact that the second fastest horse in the race through that final section was Il Est Francais, the runner-up, who led to the final fence.  That tells you that it wasn’t the case that Banbridge was the beneficiary of a pace collapse.

A dual winner at Cheltenham, he would have two and a half more furlongs to cover if connections did decide to go down the Gold Cup route, but he would not be a forlorn hope. 

And Brighterdaysahead would not be a forlorn hope if connections decided to go down the Champion Hurdle route.  Gordon Elliott’s mare reached another level in winning the Neville Hotels Hurdle at Leopardstown, going fast early on and maintaining that gallop under Sam Ewing to put 30 lengths between herself and her rivals by the time she reached the winning line.

It wasn’t State Man’s day, it wasn’t his true running, and he was caught for second by Winter Fog.  Even so, it would have taken some performance by the reigning Champion Hurdler to get the better of the Gigginstown House mare on the day, and the temptation to go to the Champion Hurdle now at Cheltenham instead of the Mares’ Hurdle may be too strong for connections to resist. 

Sir Gino was seriously impressive in winning the Wayward Lad Chase at Kempton on his chasing bow.  His main rival Ballyburn could never get into his racing rhythm, and will surely be more comfortable now going back out in trip.  Sir Gino’s main rival now in the two-mile novice chasing division may be Majborough, fellow sophomore, last year’s Triumph Hurdle winner who was just as impressive, if not quite as high-profile, in winning a hot beginners’ chase at Fairyhouse three weeks ago on his chasing bow.

Some of the top staying novice chasers went about enhancing their respective reputations, with The Jukebox Man winning the Kauto Star Chase at Kempton and Impaire Et Passe landing the Faugheen Chase at Limerick.  At Leopardstown, Croke Park got the better of an in-house scrap with stable companion Better Days Ahead in the Racing Post Long Distance Novice Chase.  Both horses are obviously highly talented staying novice chasers, and their trainer Gordon Elliott may decide that they will go down disparate paths now but, if they do meet again, it is not certain that they will finish in the same order.

Some of the top novice hurdlers were out too.  Romeo Coolio restored his reputation after defeat in the Royal Bond Hurdle when he won the Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown, while Potters Charm looked good in winning the Formby Hurdle at Aintree over two miles and a furlong, a trip that is surely shorter than ideal for him, and The New Lion looked really good in winning the Challow Hurdle at Newbury.

There will be a few more top novice hurdlers out today, weather permitting, in the Grade 1 Lawlor’s of Naas Novice Hurdle at Naas.   

It’s a continuum.  The dust doesn't settle for too long.

© The Sunday Times, 5th January 2024