Cheltenham Festival Races

Punchestown Win Puts Solwhit on Course for Cheltenham
Victory at the Irish Champion Hurdle at Punchestown has put Solwhit in contention for next year's Cheltenham Festival

Exotic Dancer Can Step Into The Fellow's Shoes
Ron Cox: Exotic Dancer can make it third time lucky in the Cheltenham Gold Cup

Master Minded Shows Genius As Walsh Completes Treble
Cheltenham Festival: Ireland dominate as the jockey enjoys the finest afternoon of his career

Cooldine Romps Away With Rsa Chase Despite Late Injury Scare
Greg Wood: Mullins and Walsh continue their domination of the Cheltenham Festival

Henderson Gets That Champion Feeling
22-1 outsider Punjabi saw off stablemate Binocular to give Barry Geraghty the first Cheltenham Festival winner with his new yard

Sundance Kid Revels in the Drama As Mccoy Tastes Triumph and Disaster
Paul Hayward: JP McManus's favorite jockey illustrated the ups and downs of the Cheltenham Festival

First Champion Hurdle Triumph for Geraghty As 22-1 Outsider Punjabi Hangs on
Greg Wood: Barry Geraghty completed a first-day double at the Cheltenham Festival on the 22-1 Champion Hurdle outsider Punjabi

Business As Usual for Walsh the High-risk Rider
Ruby Walsh tells Greg Wood why he risks riding multiple times so close to the Cheltenham Festival, where he is favorite to be top jockey

Cheltenham on Course to Defy the Slump With Ticket Sales Boom on Eve of Festival
Ticket sales have surged in the last week before the Festival, although corporate sales are down 20% from last year

Zestful Denman Firms for Gold Cup
Paul Nicholls' Denman has thrown off his early-season lethargy and is now as short as 9-2 second-favorite for the Cheltenham Gold Cup next week

Gillespie Confident Cheltenham will be a Success
A preview to the imminent Cheltenham festival. Includes opinions held by managing director, Edward Gillespie, and top trainer, Paul Nicholls.

Likely Favoruites for Cheltenham Festival Highlights
A look ahead to the likely favorites in some of the major races at the 2009 Cheltenham Festival.

Ruby Walsh Sides with Kauto Star in 2009 Cheltenham Gold Cup
The Cheltneham Gold Cup is one of the feature races in the National Hunt Calendar. This article looks at this year's leading contenders and the choice of leading Jumps Jockey, Ruby Walsh, to side with favorite Kauto Star.

Festival Subplot to Pandorama Drama
Despite many Cheltenham-bound horses having their final runs before the festival, the picture regarding the top novice events remains unclear

Denman Defeat Prompts Grand National Withdrawal
Last season's Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Denman has been taken out of the Grand National following his shock comeback defeat at Kempton

Denman Suffers Shock Defeat in Gold Cup Trial at Kempton
Racing: Denman is well beaten behind 12-1 shot Madison Du Berlais in his Cheltenham Gold Cup trial race at Kempton

The Allure of the Cheltenham Festival
The Cheltenham Festival is fast approaching and as one of the best known events in the horse racing calendar this article considers just what is the allure of the Festival to so many people.

Brady's Grey Hints at Festival Party
Having overcome health scares, Oliver Brady hopes to fulfill his dream of a Cheltenham Festival winner

Master Minded Continues to Impress in Build Up to Cheltenham
Master Minded is currently rated as the number one horse in National Hunt racing in the UK and Ireland. He remains unbeat so far this season and is the strong favorite to win the Queen Mother Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March. This article takes a look at his racing career so far and considers his potential to be one of the best chasers ever.

Royal and Sun Alliance Chase Likely to be Tough Assignment for Cheltenham Youngsters
The Royal and Sun Alliance Chase is one of the toughest races to find the winner of at the Cheltenham Festival. This article considers what it takes to win the tough Novice Chase and looks towards Trafford Lad as being the likely winner of the 2009 race.

Henderson Eyes Champion Trail With Binocular
Lambourn trainer Nicky Henderson, who has had 31 winners at the Cheltenham Festival, has high hopes ahead of a key weekend

Gold Cup Winner Jodami Dies at 23
The Cheltenham Gold Cup winner of 1993 Jodami has been put down after suffering a bad leg injury

Cheltenham Gold Cup Puzzle Remains Very Much Unsolved
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is one of the best-known horse races in the World. It is the feature race at the Cheltenham Festival and is of huge interest to the media and racing fans alike. This article takes a look at some of the contenders for the 2009 Gold Cup, considering whether dominant trainer, Paul Nicholls, can once again rule supreme.

Leading Jockey, Sam Thomas, Continues to Fall Out of Favour
Leading National Hunt jockey, Sam Thomas, has ridden many big name winners in his career, including the current Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, Denman. However, in the past few weeks he has been hitting the headlines for the wrong reasons, thanks to a run of bad luck. This article looks at the possible implications of his current form and the likelihood of him returning to winning ways.

Kicking King Retires
The 2005 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner has retired after struggling for form after a tendon injury

Kauto Star Strides to Victory in Jnwine.com Champion Chase
The 2007 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner triumphs at Down Royal

Cheltenham Learn Lessons From Festival
Following last year's poor weather, racing at the Cheltenham festival will start thirty minutes earlier next year

Festival Winners Often Find the Going Tough at Aintree
Ron Cox: Don't bank on Cheltenham Festival winners to hit peak form again just three weeks later at Aintree

Cheltenham Ponders Earlier Festival Start Times
Horse racing: The managing director of the Cheltenham Festival said there are lessons to be learned from a successful but testing week

Denman Deserves Place in History
Even with the high level of anticipation, this year's Cheltenham Festival delivered all that it promised, writes Eddie Freemantle

Denman Claims Gold Cup Victory
Cheltenham Gold Cup: Denman won his eagerly-awaited showdown with Kauto Star to claim the Cheltenham Gold Cup

Money Piles in for Kauto Clash
Cheltenham: A record amount of money is expected to be laid on the Gold Cup today

Festival Left Counting Huge Cost As 50mph Gales Wipe Out Action
Cheltenham: The second day of the Cheltenham Festival was abandoned after high winds led to concerns over safety

Bookies Eye Record £300m Gold Cup Day
Cheltenham: After the cancellation of a day's racing, a record amount of money is set to be placed on the Gold Cup

Despite His Advanced Years Inglis Drever Still Has the World at His Feet
Cheltenham: Inglis Drever will make Festival history if he wins the Ladbrokes World Hurdle for a third time

Cheltenham Abandoned Because of High Winds
This afternoon's meeting at the Cheltenham Festival has been abandoned due to high winds

Television Prize is Up for Grabs
Digger: Television executives are eyeing joint bids for Champions League rights as they network at the Cheltenham Festival, writes Matt Scott

Katchit Takes Champion Hurdle Crown
Alan King's Katchit claimed a surprise win in the the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle on the opening day of the 2008 Cheltenham Festival

The Thrill of the Chase
Yes, animals die and gamblers lose their homes, but don't let that put you off. The Cheltenham Festival is an experience like no other, says lifelong horse racing fan Stephen Moss

Brace Yourself for the Hipflask Festival
Horse racing: It will feel just like old times as chilly Cheltenham waits for the biggest Gold Cup in years, reports Greg Wood

Jumping Brains Trust Make Franchoek and Kauto the Bankers
Cheltenham 2008: Greg Wood, Robert Thornton, Ron Cox, Paul Jones and Charlie Longsdon give their predictions for the festival

Course on Storm Alert Ahead of Opening Day
Cheltenham 2008: Preparations for the festival have been brought forward due to expectations of a severe storm

Denman's Fit, Harry's Game, the Money's Down
Horse racing: The Cheltenham Gold Cup will be a buzz for Britain's most flamboyant owner-punter Harry Findlay, he tells Greg Wood

McCoy Makes It Champion Fit for Festival
Horse racing: Tony McCoy returns from injury at Sandown with thoughts dominated by next week's Cheltenham Festival

Kicking King Will Miss Gold Cup
Horse racing: 2005 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Kicking King has been ruled out of this year's race because of poor form

Dancer Faces Gold Cup D-day Gallop
Horse racing: The third-favorite for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Exotic Dancer, is facing a battle to be fit for the festival

McCoy on Course for Cheltenham
Horse racing: Tony McCoy will return to action today after six weeks out as he eyes the Cheltenham Festival

McCoy Fit for Cheltenham
Tony McCoy, the 12-time champion jockey, will be fit to ride at the Cheltenham Festival after recovering from a back injury

Relief As Kauto Injury is Only a Minor Infection
Horse racing: Initial fears that Kauto Star could miss the Cheltenham Gold Cup have been allayed

Nicholls Confident on Kauto
Horse racing: Trainer Paul Nicholls expects Kauto Star to be fit to defend his tote sport Cheltenham Gold Cup crown

Nicholls Backs Ascot Over Star Watering Row
Horse racing: Kauto Star is certain to start at long odds-on in his final outing before the Cheltenham Festival

Forpady's Win Sets Up Raucous Trip to Festival
Horse racing: Forpadydeplasterer is already generating excitement ahead of the Cheltenham Festival

Listener Gets the Glory But May Miss Gold
The lure of the Cheltenham Gold Cup may not be enough for The Listener, says Greg Wood

Fractured Jaw Leaves Crocked Lee Facing Cheltenham Knockout
Horse racing: Graham Lee could miss next month's Cheltenham Festival after a heavy fall at Huntington

Pulled Muscle Keeps Dancer Out of Limelight
Horse racing: Exotic Dancer will miss his intended warm up for the Cheltenham Gold Cup due to a pulled muscle

Like Father, Like Son As Scudamore Aims for Festival High
Horse racing: Tom Scudamore explains how he hopes to break his duck at this year's Cheltenham Festival

Doubles All Round for Young Pipe and O'regan
Denis O'Regan had a sparkling double on Tidal Bay in the novices' chase and Tamarinbleu in the Boylesports.com Gold Cup at Cheltenham

McCoy and Pipe Ready to Clean Up With the Well-treated Abragante
Horse racing: New Little Bric may be the favourite but the smart money is on Abragante in the Gold Cup Chase at Cheltenham

More Cheltenham Glory for L'antartique
Horse racing: L'Antartique can come good for Ferdy Murphy in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham

Horse Racing: Betfair Pay Up £1m But Will Ponder Changes for Next Season
Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Kauto Star has been awarded this year's Betfair Million, but the format might change for next season.

Cheltenham Gold Cup: Kauto Star Wins Blue Riband Event
Soccer: Kauto Star landed a massive public gamble when he romped to victory in the Gold Cup.

Cheltenham Festival 2007: Drever Regains World Hurdle Title
Horse Racing: Inglis Drever won the Ladbrokes World Hurdle again after favourite Black Jack Ketchum crashed out.

Cheltenham Festival - Live!!!
Good afternoon all and welcome to our coverage from the third day of the Festival.

Cheltenham Festival, Day Two: Voy Por Ustedes Wins Queen Mother Champion Chase
Horse Racing: Voy Por Ustedes proved too good for last year's winner Newmill and even-money favourite Well Chief as he romped to victory in the Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase, the feature race on the second day of the 2007 Cheltenham Festival.

Cheltenham: Sublimity Stuns Rivals to Claim Champion Hurdle
Horse Racing: Sublimity upset the form book to win the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle on day one of the Cheltenham Festival.

Horse Racing: Cheltenham Festival, Day One, Live!
Day one: Follow all the action from day one of the Festival with Sean Ingle now.

Horse Racing: Former Farmer Williams Now in a Happier State
Evan Williams has high hopes for his horse State of Play in the Gold Cup at Cheltenham next week, he tells Greg Wood.

Horse Racing: Carberry May Miss Festival
Paul Carberry will find out on Sunday whether he can ride at the Cheltenham Festival after a horse stood on his foot.

Horse Racing: Kicking King Out for the Season
The 2005 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, Kicking King, has aggravated a tendon injury.

Horse Racing: Kauto Confirmed for Speed Test This Saturday
Kauto Star, early favourite for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, is a surprise runner in the Tingle Creek Chase on Saturday.

Horse Racing: Desert Orchid Dies Aged 27
Much-loved 1989 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner passes on peacefully in his stable.

Horse Racing: Chilling to Down Vodka in Gold Cup
Chilling Place has the pace to go all the way in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham.

Horse Racing: War Destroys the Field to Complete Double
War of Attrition completed a Cheltenham-Punchestown double with a routine victory in the Guinness Gold Cup.

Horse Racing: Murphy Strikes Gold on Festival Flop Celestial
After an early exit in the Gold Cup at Cheltenham last month, Celestial Gold's victory in the Grade Two Betfair Bowl suggests good fortune may be on the way for Timmy Murphy and Martin Pipe.

Horse Racing: Cheltenham the Victim of Its Own Success After a Festival That Lacked Fizz
For all the excellent efforts of horses like Brave Inca, War Of Attrition, and My Way De Solzen, this year's Cheltenham Festival never really caught fire, says Greg Wood.

Horse Racing: Festival Race Faces Axe As Racecourse Worried By Deaths
The future of the National Hunt Chase looks bleak after the death of three horses during the running of this year's race.

Second Gold Cup Win for Conor O'dwyer
Horse Racing: War Of Attrition lands Cheltenham Gold Cup to lead Irish 1-2-3 on St Patrick's Day.

Cheltenham Festival - Live!
Horse Racing: Hoof-by-hoof report: Follow all the action from World Hurdle day with Sean Ingle NOW.

Cheltenham Festival - Live!
Horse Racing: Day one: Follow all the action from Prestbury Park, including the Champion Hurdle, with James Dart NOW.

Horse Racing: Police to Monitor Cheltenham Festival
Gloucestershire Police will be keeping a close eye on betting patterns at the upcoming Cheltenham Festival to make sure no punters are attempting to launder cash from the recent heist in Tonbridge.

Horse Racing: Royal Up for the Cup
After strollling to victory in the Rendlesham Hurdle at Haydock Royal Emperor is shaping up nicely for the Gold Cup at Cheltenham.

Courtroom Drama to Clash With Cheltenham
Digger: The court case between racing broadcaster Attheraces and the Racecourse Association has been listed for the day before the start of the Cheltenham Festival.

Horse Racing: Beef Or Salmon Looking Good
Beef Or Salmon warmed up for the Cheltenham Festival with an impressive win in the Hennessy Gold Cup yesterday.

Horse Racing: Joaaci to Defy the Weight in Classic
Martin Pipe may yet commit Joaaci to a tilt at the Cheltenham Gold Cup if he triumphs in the totesport Classic Chase at Warwick this afternoon.

Racing: Kicking King Reigns Supreme
Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Kicking King added the Guiness Gold Cup to his collection and gave the Irish something to cheer on home territory at Punchestown.

Steve Cotterill
The Burnley manager on Howard Wilkinson, the Cheltenham Festival and Kylie's "magnificent" bum.

Kicking King Takes Gold Cup
Horse Racing: Cheltenham Festival: Irish horse Kicking King landed a heavy gamble today to take the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup on the final day of the Festival.

Cheltenham Festival - Live!
Horse Racing: Gallop-by-gallop report: Follow all the action with Paul Doyle NOW.

Cheltenham: Curse Strikes Gold Cup Again
Horse Racing: Farmer Jack, who was set to run in the Gold Cup, died on Philip Hobbs's gallops after suffering a suspected heart attack.

Cheltenham: Sluggish Kingscliff Out of Gold Cup
Horse Racing: Joint-favourite Kingscliff has been ruled out of the Gold Cup after his trainer Robert Alner said he was working poorly.

Cheltenham Festival - Live!
Horse Racing: Follow the action with Lawrence Booth's race-by-race report NOW.

Cheltenham: Pipe Can Strike Gold With Celestial
The improved stayer's turn of foot should prove decisive up the final hill, says Eddie Fremantle.

Cheltenham Festival: Wylie Wakes Up to Delights
The big-buying new kid on the jump owners' block, Graham Wylie, stands on the verge of a major breakthrough, says Greg Wood.

Cheltenham Festival: Punters Face Losses
A training setback has robbed the Cheltenham Festival of its star attraction Best Mate and blown the Gold Cup wide open.

Horse Racing: Thornton Goes for Gold With Kingscliff
Former Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Andrew Thornton will ride second-favourite Kingscliff in this year's race.

Trabolgan Carries Flag for Henderson
Nicky Henderson, who has trained 25 winners at the Cheltenham Festival, thinks Trabolgan is his best chance of adding to that tally.

Horse Racing, the Cheltenham Festival: Irish Money Says Champion Hurdle Ours for the Taking
Ireland's six contenders at Cheltenham represent a 20-1 on chance that the prize will go west for the fifth time in the last seven runnings.

Horse Racing: Fundamentalist on Gold Trail
November 30: Trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies has mapped out Fundamentalist's route to the Cheltenham Gold Cup despite defeat at Newbury.

Horse Racing: Best Mate Does Enough to Remain the Punters' Friend
November 20: The triple Gold Cup winner Best Mate gained a gritty but close victory in his first race since Cheltenham in March.

Horse Racing: Powerful Case for Monkerhostin
Guide to the races on TV. Already the winner of a valuable handicap hurdle at Cheltenham, Monkerhostin is weighted to follow up over fences in the Paddy Power Gold Cup today.

Horse Racing: Best Mate's Trainer, Henrietta Knight, Runs Her Own Gauntlet
Henrietta Knight, Best Mate's trainer, watched her horse win the Cheltenham Gold Cup for a third time from a cramped tent.

Best Mate Rides Into History
Best Mate joined racing's greats today when he clung on to win an exciting Cheltenham Gold Cup for the third successive year. Henrietta Knight's brilliant nine-year-old emulated the feat of the legendary Arkle - but he had to dig very deep to hold off Sir Rembrandt and Harbour Pilot...

Brave Desert Orchid Gets to the Heart of the Matter
This week in 1989: The courage of a sleek, grey chaser won him a race that seemed lost, and put him among the great Cheltenham Gold Cup winners.

Cheltenham Festival: Paul Weaver on a Great Day for the Irish
Paul Weaver: The widest of all the Irish smiles came from Dessie Hughes, the trainer of Hardy Eustace, who once conquered Cheltenham as a jockey.

Cheltenham Festival: Ron Cox's Tips
Ron Cox: Azertyuiop has what it takes to topple Moscow Flyer in the Queen Mother Champion Chase.

Interview: Henrietta Knight
Cheltenham will see Henrietta Knight's familiar blue suit on Gold Cup day but will it also see the familiar Best Mate victory ? She thinks so.

Horse Racing: Jair Du Cochet Put Down After Fracturing Leg
March 10: Jair Du Cochet, a contender for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, has been put down after fracturing his leg on the gallops.

Best Blame the Bad Weather
November 23: Best Mate hopes to win a third consecutive Cheltenham Gold Cup in March, but was second best to Jair du Cochet at Huntingdon.

Red noses and Festival fun under heavy skies
Now at least, as we tremble on the brink of a worrying and potentially disastrous armed conflict, we know where John McCririck stands. "These are troubled times for everyone" was his greeting on the first day of the Cheltenham Festival.

Rejoice! Punters win, bookies lose
Giving bookmakers a thorough financial kicking must be every punter's dream, and last week, at the Cheltenham Festival, that dream came true.

Why Three Into Four Won't Go
Will Buckley says the Cheltenham Festival should not 'kick on' for a fourth day.

Best Mate's Gold strike ranks him with Arkle
Cheltenham: With Irish novice Beef Or Salmon chewing turf in his wake, Best Mate won his second Gold Cup without breaking sweat.

The Queen and punters are all smiles at Festival of fun
History was made all right at Cheltenham yesterday. The superlative Best Mate became the first horse to win back-to-back runnings of the Gold Cup since L'Escargot 32 years ago.

Hard call for Maguire
Adrian Maguire was back at Cheltenham yesterday but it would be pushing things to say he was was enjoying it. The former Gold Cup winner, who a little over a year ago fell and broke his neck bringing to a premature end a magnificent career, was summarising for the Attheraces TV channel, but by his own admission it was a poor substitute for the thrill of riding winners.

Irish Pin Hopes on Beef Or Salmon
March 13: Victory for Beef Or Salmon in the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup, however unlikely, would cap a great week for the Irish.

Doors open on the £20m madhouse
There's more than one Festival occasion in Cheltenham these days. The world-renowned music and literary gatherings in July and October have their devotees, as does the cricket festival each summer. Throughout the Cotswolds, though, from the sleepiest country village to the busiest market town, every resident knows that the region is never more humming with life than during the three pulsating days of the National Hunt Festival.

Henderson fears fast-ground Festival
Chepstow abandoned racing due to waterlogging on Saturday, Sandown was almost unraceable and today's fixture at Plumpton had to survive an inspection due to heavy rain. But remarkably, the Cheltenham Festival may start tomorrow on what one top trainer is fearing could be fast ground.

Testing time for internet betting
Bookmakers were preparing yesterday for the most concerted betting spree in British racing with predictions that turnover on the three-day Cheltenham Festival will reach at least £200m.

From Tipperary to Temple, punts and pints flow freely
Cheltenham may be the greatest racing festival in the world but it is also the trickiest at which to beat the bookies regularly. When the action gets under way in the Cotswolds next Tuesday, many of the 50,000-odd punters who will be present each day and the many thousands more watching on TV or in a betting shop will be wishing they had a little bit of legitimate inside information to give them an edge.

Beef Or Salmon is in the Pink
March 5: Beef Or Salmon, second favourite for next week's Cheltenham Gold Cup, pleased trainer Michael Hourigan when galloping yesterday.

Isio can stamp his Festival mark
Midweek jump racing steps up a gear with good prizes to be won at Warwick and Huntingdon today. With an eye on the Cheltenham Festival, Warwick's Michael Page Kingmaker Novice Chase promises to be particularly informative.

Tattenham Corner
The Cheltenham Festival looms large on the horizon and while the Gold Cup, Champion Chase and Stayers' Hurdle have all been eagerly awaited, the standard of the Champion Hurdle field looks poor this year, even given Rhinestone Cowboy's impressive success at Wincanton yesterday.

Henry hits back
Horse racing: Valley Henry put his last disappointing run behind him with a worthy win in the Aon Chase and restored his claims as a Cheltenham Gold Cup outsider.

Behrajan makes slow progress
Horse racing: Behrajan booked his place in the Gold Cup with a brave 14-length front-running defeat of Foly Pleasant in Saturday's Pillar Chase at Cheltenham, but the 16-1 on offer doesn't look tempting.

Bacchanal Looks the Part
January 25: Bacchanal can book his place in this year's Cheltenham Gold Cup line-up by beating five other hopefuls in the Pillar Property Chase.

Rith Dubh can foil Pipe's late Horus switch
Martin Pipe's decision to switch Horus from the Tripleprint Gold Cup to this afternoon's Lombard Properties Chase at Cheltenham will have proved costly for many ante-post punters.

Cyfor Malta to Contest Tripleprint Chase
December 10: Cyfor Malta returns to Cheltenham, scene of his Thomas Pink triumph, in Saturday's Tripleprint Gold Cup Chase.

National Hunt braced for a fall as new economic reality sets in
Jim Lewis has a string of high-quality National Hunt horses including the Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Best Mate, an exciting chaser who makes his eagerly awaited seasonal return today at Huntingdon. He says: "I've only had jumpers and I wouldn't ever buy a Flat horse.

Sponsors in uproar over racecards
The Grand National and King George VI, the two most prestigious National Hunt jump races of the year, could lose their sponsorship if the British Horseracing Board carry out their proposal to levy a massive increase on national newspapers for the publication of racecards.

Rooster Boosts Title Hopes
November 18: Rooster Booster put down a solid marker for the Festival next March when powering to success under top-weight in the Showcase Handicap at Cheltenham yesterday.

Quazar can reward loyal supporters
Quazar was a costly failure for me last season when in mid-division in the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival but he redeemed himself when returning to his best at Aintree and Punchestown, although he was not burdened with my money on those two outings.

Heavy Weather
The roll of honour for Kempton Park's King George VI Chase includes the names of Arkle and Desert Orchid, and now a great deal rests on the shoulders of Best Mate, last season's Cheltenham Gold Cup winner who has the potential to become the next National Hunt superstar.

Curtain up on Festival fever talk
Nags: Iris's Gift will run at the Cheltenham Festival. There was an instant reminder yesterday, if any were needed, that in jump racing all roads lead to the Cheltenham Festival when Iris's Gift won the first race of the season at the course by 25 lengths and was immediately nominated by his trainer Jonjo O'Neill as a runner at the showcase meeting in March.

Best Mate Wins the Gold Cup
Best Mate justified the confidence of his connections with victory at 7-1 in the £300,000 Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup this afternoon. The seven-year-old, tackling the testing trip of three and a quarter miles for the first time took the blue riband event of steeplechasing by a length and...

Barton and Seebald look promising for Cheltenham
Everything points to a vintage renewal of the Arkle Trophy at Cheltenham in March. Barton and Seebald advertised their claims with wide-margin wins on Saturday and both could head for the Festival without another run. Apart from one mistake, Barton jumped impeccably on his way to a...

Marauder in quest for gold
Red Marauder, last year's Martell Grand National winner, could have his first race of the season in the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup in March. The 12-year-old has had leg trouble since his victory by a distance over Smarty in the Aintree mud, but is reported to be in brilliant form...