The key British formlines you need to follow at this year's Cheltenham Festival

The Cheltenham Festival is less than two weeks away and with anticipation building towards the four-day spectacular Sean O'Neill has delved into this season's results to identify five races from Britain that it could pay to follow at the festival . . .

Cheltenham Novices' Chase (Cheltenham, December 15)

Ginny’s Destiny continued his rise up the ladder in the Cheltenham & South-West Racing Club Novices' Chase with another bold front-running display under Harry Cobden. The race was ultimately decided by a calamitous mistake at two out from Grey Dawning, who ran a screamer to only finish three-quarters of a length down in second.

Ginny’s Destiny followed up his win here by carrying 12 stone to victory in the Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase, just as his stablemate Stage Star did on his way to winning the Turners last year. Paul Nicholls has made no secret that he thinks the eight-year-old is every bit as good as Stage Star, and he goes to the Turners as the Ditcheat trainer’s main hope of a festival winner.

Grey Dawning has also given the form a boost by subsequently making light work of Apple Away and Broadway Boy in the Grade 2 Hampton Novices’ Chase at Warwick. Dan Skelton has hinted that the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase is his preferred target for the seven-year-old, though he hasn’t ruled out the Turners should it turn up very soft on the week.

The third and fourth, Trelawne and Crebilly, have also acquitted themselves well since, although Trelawne’s trainer Kim Bailey has revealed that he is more likely to run at Uttoxeter on Midlands Grand National day than take up either of his engagements in the Ultima or Kim Muir.

Crebilly looks as though he may be aimed at the Plate Handicap Chase, and having only been raised one pound for winning a three-runner novices’ chase on his latest start at Exeter, he could be well treated.

Long Walk Hurdle (Ascot, December 23)

This year’s Long Walk provided the perfect platform for the Fergal O’Brien-trained Crambo to announce himself as a serious Stayers’ Hurdle candidate after a battle of the ages with Paisley Park.

In a division that has been dominated by older horses of late, Crambo came into this race as the young pretender on the back of an eyecatching third in a handicap hurdle at Haydock. Crambo’s five-year younger legs just got the better of Paisley Park in the dying strides to deny him a record-equalling fourth win in the race. The win puts Crambo at the top of the pecking order of staying hurdlers in Britain, and should he continue on his upward curve, he has a live chance of breaking his trainer’s Cheltenham Festival duck.

Crambo (right) denies Paisley Park (left) and the veteran's legion of supporters with a last-gasp success in the Long Walk Hurdle

Crambo (right): edges past Paisley Park in the Long Walk Hurdle at AscotCredit: Alan Crowhurst

The evergreen Paisley Park has been running consistently well all season and backed this up with another valiant effort in the Cleeve Hurdle, going down by a head to Noble Yeats when conceding 6lb to the winner. While clearly in the twilight of his career, Sire Du Berlais showed last year that age is just a number when winning the Stayers’ as an 11-year-old, and you can be sure that Emma Lavelle’s stable star will be hitting the line strongly in March.

Dashel Drasher, who finished third in the Long Walk and second in last year's Stayers’, will realistically be contending for minor honours again at Prestbury Park, and he'll need his preferred soft ground to do so.

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Silviniaco Conti Chase (Kempton, January 13)

They say good things come to those who wait, and after waiting until early January for suitable ground to unleash Banbridge, trainer Joseph O’Brien’s patience was duly rewarded.

The Irish raider was having his first outing for 275 days, which made his victory over Pic D’Orhy, who was a facile 16-length winner of the race last year, all the more impressive. Banbridge now heads the Ryanair Chase market, where he looks to hold a leading chance providing there isn’t a deluge of rain in the days leading up to the race, which could mean he bypasses the festival for the second year in a row.

The runner-up Pic D’Orhy has since gone on to win the Grade 1 Ascot Chase to help give some substance to the form. However, he will be skipping the festival, with the Melling Chase at Aintree next on his agenda.

Edwardstone finished a disappointing fourth, and trainer Alan King conceded post-race that 2m4½f isn’t the horse’s trip. The 2022 Arkle winner looked much more at home when dropped back to 2m½f on his next start when winning the Game Spirit Chase eased down by 40 lengths. Although the Champion Chase will pose a much greater challenge, the likes of Jonbon have shown that they have mistakes in them, and Edwardstone will be well placed to capitalise should any opportunities present themselves.

Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle (Cheltenham, January 27)

With the participation of Constitution Hill in doubt, arguably no British horse will be going into this year’s festival with a greater weight of expectation than Sir Gino, after he turned what looked like a competitive juvenile hurdle into a procession on Cheltenham Trials day.

Royal Ascot winner Burdett Road came into the race as the ante-post favourite for the Triumph Hurdle after an impressive Grade 2 win at Cheltenham’s November Meeting. Back at the same course, not many could have foreseen the ease with which Sir Gino would pull 10 lengths clear of his rival, leaving Nicky Henderson’s exciting youngster odds-on with most bookmakers for the Triumph.

Sir Gino powers away from the final hurdle

Sir Gino: impressive winner of the JCB Triumph Trial at CheltenhamCredit: JOHN GROSSICK

Burdett Road's trainer James Owen has since disclosed that he will not take his chance in the festival Grade 1 after a setback ruled him out for the rest of the season.

The JP McManus-owned Milan Tino only finished a length behind Burdett Road, and his sole festival entry is in the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle. Milan Tino boasts some smart form behind Grade 1 winner Jigme in France, and with Cheltenham experience under his belt, it will be interesting to see if he can take advantage of being dropped 10lb by the handicapper to a mark of 126.

Cheltenham Novices' Hurdle (Cheltenham, January 27)

Gidleigh Park arrived on Cheltenham Trials day as a hot favourite to extend his unbeaten run after producing a visually taking performance when winning a Newbury novices' hurdle by nine lengths in December.

While managing to get the job done at Cheltenham, it was in more workmanlike fashion than many were hoping, leaving trainer Harry Fry undecided regarding which festival race to run him in.

Gidleigh Park is too good for his rivals

Gidleigh Park: winner in Grade 2 company at Cheltenham on Trials DayCredit: Edward Whitaker

Fry has been keen to stress that we will see the best of this horse as a three-mile chaser and that he won’t decide on his target until closer the time. With some of Willie Mullins’ big guns likely to pitch up in the Baring Bingham, the slightly easier assignment of the Albert Bartlett could be the play, where he would be a leading contender.

The Nicky Henderson-trained Lucky Place made the favourite pull out all of the stops and holds several entries at the festival, including in handicaps and Grade 1s.

Johnnywho finished fourth behind the leading pair, and looks as if he’s been crying out for a step up to three miles all season. We will likely see him take his chance in the Albert Bartlett where he should be more in his comfort zone, and he could have a chance of making the frame.

Read these next:

The key Irish formlines you need to follow at this year's Cheltenham Festival

Cheltenham Festival handicaps: who are the key players and what were last year's cut-off points?

'His temperature has remained normal' - Nicky Henderson provides update on Constitution Hill before next scope on Friday

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Sean O'Neill

Published on 29 February 2024inCheltenham Festival

Last updated 08:00, 29 February 2024

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