Road To Cheltenham: holding out for a Closutton hero

Slight change of plan this week in that this third festive column focuses solely on the novice hurdlers. I’ll catch up with the novice chasers and tackle juvenile for the first time next week.

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that every Festival Grade One in possession of a good ante-post market, must be in want of a Willie Mullins-trained favourite.

Both the Sky Bet Supreme and Turners Novices’ Hurdle markets have the air of an increasingly desperate 19th century mother, waiting for an eligible bachelor to relieve her of at least one otherwise-soon-to-be-destitute daughter. Picture Alison Steadman reading out the betting.

But what – gasp – if our Darcy never comes? What if we’ve already seen the best of the Closutton Order’s next generation and there’s not going to be a brooding novice emerging from the lake in a clinging white dress shirt.

Plainly, a Darcy – or even just an amiable if easily led Bingley – might yet break cover this week, with two traditionally informative graded novice hurdles to be run in Ireland. Certainly, this column won’t be available to read for long before we discover whether my liking for the Mullins-trained Saint Baco is misplaced.

Here’s an André Preview smuggled into this here Review

He’s among the same nine horses – plus one addition, Leopardstown maiden winner Frankie John – declared for Friday’s Grade One Ballymore Slaney Novice Hurdle when rescheduled after last Sunday’s intended Naas fixture was cancelled due to plummeting temperatures.

(This is the former Lawlor’s Of Naas. The titles of important races shouldn’t be subsumed by their sponsor. Stripped of their identity they become anonymous, devaluing their own coin when that sponsor inevitably moves on, and making it impossible for fans and even participants to identify key races. That’s not good for communicating about the sport, so we all lose in the end. Racing’s Commercial Short-Termism Dressed Up As Clever Income Maximisation #Example 4,112,543)

Unusually for a Mullins-trained odds-on favourite, Saint Baco’s Navan success wasn’t a gimme – unlike – for example – Friday's rival Classical Creek’s earlier success there, when his opponents politely ushered him into an easy lead from first footfall. Now, the latter might develop to be a talented stayer – even if he does tend to drift or jump right, has held his head high and suffered from lameness issues – but Friday’s race will be his first proper test.

By contrast, his Cullentra stablemate Lazare De Star – subsequently upped in trip and the winner of a 2m4f Leopardstown maiden over Christmas – attempted to lay down the final challenge to Saint Baco when they met, but the latter scooted away likeably before the last. The winner, a half-brother to Grade One-winning novice chaser and subsequent underarm campaigner Saint Roi, will need to sharpen up his jumping but should handle the ground.

Saint Baco’s main threat could be friendly fire in the form of comfortable Cork maiden winner Sortudo, the mount of Patrick Mullins. He reeled away from Jalon D’Oudairies – a half-length second to Frankie John over Christmas but 13 lengths clear of the rest – on his hurdles debut at Cork, despite being involved in some jostling after the fourth last and getting into the bottom of the second last. A rallying seventh in the Champion Bumper last March, he’ll relish the step up in trip.

Of the rest, zesty bargain-buy I’ll Sort That might find his stamina stretched at this track whereas Letos will be better suited to this 2m4f task than when outstayed on a British mark of 131 over 3m1f in a Carlisle handicap after travelling strongly. Switch From Diesel, sole mare in the line-up, has a turn of foot and will be better served by other ground/track combinations.

Fruit De Mer threw his Rules debut away at Limerick when hanging left and twice bumping his main rival, causing the stewards to demote him to second. He still looked raw when beating the Elliott-trained Newbrook Diamond – subsequently out-speeded when dropped in trip at Punchestown – at this track on his hurdling debut but could do better granted a lead.

Lord Rouge, described as a “big honest” future chaser by Elliott, saw off Dani Donadoni at Cork by almost two lengths, with the third Mahon Falls 24 lengths back, despite fluffing two of the last three flights and will enjoy stepping up in trip. Yet the Mullins-trained runner-up whom he defeated failed to settle or jump satisfactorily when a well-beaten fifth in that same Frankie John race.

Pricey Kovanis completes the Cullentra trio – all of whom have been ridden over hurdles by Jack Kennedy, who favours Classical Creek – and has improved with each start. Yet he appeared to lack gears when beaten into third by the Mullins-trained Doctor Steinberg in the Grade Two Navan Hurdle in early December.

After wandering on his approach to obstacles early doors in that four-runner affair, the winner increasingly attacked his hurdles with relish and came right away by nearly five lengths from Paul Nolan’s Thedeviluno – who could represent the form in Sunday’s Grade Two Moscow Flyer at Punchestown, dropping half a mile in trip.

There, he could face the highly promising Elliott representative Road Exile, who knuckled down takingly to see off the doughty challenge of the Mullins-trained Copacobana when clashing at Navan last month, the pair drawing 11 lengths clear of I Started A Joke. That horse was wayward at his hurdles, however, and made a cataclysmic error four out when beaten at Evens at Limerick over Christmas by strong-travelling hurdling debutant (favoured at the weights) King Rasko Grey.

Mullins could field the ante-post favourite on Sunday, the 2025 Queen Alexandra winner Sober who also won a Killarney novice back in – wah! wah! – May but was also a dual Group Two winner for Andre Fabre. French recruit Free Spirit – carrying, like King Rasko Grey, the Galopin Des Champs silks of Audrey Turley – is another option for the yard.

Which brings me back to whether Closutton have – at least for now – more Mr Collins than usual in this division. In the Grade One Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle, both Love Me Tender and Le Divin Enfant came up short.

Love Me Tender was returning from a break after winning at Tipperary in October and Kilbeggan in July, but a summer success is rarely indicative of a horse held in Grade One regard behind the abbey walls. He seemed at full revs on good ground over two miles and probably needs to be upped in trip and dropped in grade. Le Divin Enfant didn’t fully settle when pestered on the lead and looks a raw future chasing talent.

At the business end, improving Talk The Talk was in the process of walking the walk when slightly overjumping and knuckling on landing at the last. However, whilst he’s clearly a vital talent, his fall didn’t come out of the blue. Having landed back-legs-first three out and taken a massive guess-up at the second last, it’s testament to his ability that he snapped back on the bridle each time. His naïve hurdling would worry me for a Supreme, though, for which he’s now third favourite.

It should be noted Kennedy hadn’t gone for much on the winner Skylight Hustle – merely asking for concentration on the final flight – and his mount ran on strongly to the line, keeping talented strong-staying mare Carrigmorna Spruce at bay by five lengths. However, he would surely have been outpaced by Talk The Talk, who’d taken off at the final flight marginally sooner after Sam Ewing had extricated him from a pocket in the straight.

Royal Bond winner Koktail Brut has long shaped like stayer but was nonetheless a big disappointment, finishing last and found to have bled.

On St Stephen’s Day at Leopardstown, the Closutton Order was also spurned. In the opening two-mile maiden, which they took with subsequent Supreme winners Klassical Dream in 2018 and Kopek Des Bordes last year – favourite Leader D’Allier appeared to lack the pace for two miles on good ground. A five-time bumper winner in France, he was outpaced on the home turn and hung left in the straight before getting in too close to the last whilst adjusting right.

Meanwhile, the Elliott-trained Ballyfad controlled the race, despite a tendency to adjust right, with a solo lead from the outset bar a brief challenge two out from the mare Saveforarainyday, where she was outjumped. The winner drew clear impressively in the straight, somewhat surprising his trainer and jockey who’d each worried whether he’d have the pace for this task.

The well-positioned Shoda finished third, subsequently filling the same position in a mares' maiden hurdle at Clonmel today (Thursday January 8). She is straightforward and now qualified for handicaps. Further back, Straight John will do better upped in trip and newcomer Gonewild very much caught the eye for the future.

The next race produced the new Supreme ante-post favourite – but one that did not end up in the winner’s enclosure. That honour went to Murat, who despite pulling like stink into a long solo lead from the second and wandering on his approach to many hurdles, remarkably had enough left to repel the rallying Doctor Du Mesnil by a nose.

But both would have occupied the places had El Cairos not suffered his unfortunate fall after the last when on his way to victory. Purchased at Tattersalls Cheltenham as part of former owner-rider David Maxwell’s dispersal sale, this horse had previously finished a roughhoused fifth in the Festival’s Champion Bumper when trained by the Moores. Now with Elliott at a cost of £410,000, he looks the real deal.

Having let the front three run loose ahead – Murat, clear of eventual third Kilgame disputing second with ultimately well-beaten Urban War – he smoothly took close order three out, angled out to make his challenge in the straight and breezed past into the lead approaching the last. But he got into the bottom of the hurdle and rapped it, causing him to land awkwardly and then become unbalanced, eventually succumbing to gravity many yards later.

He walked away feelingly but has since been reported to be fine. The plan is a novice next, rather than being upped to graded company at the Dublin Racing Festival (DRF), and then the Supreme. He looks well up to that task and may well end up being Ireland’s leading contender. He did throw away likely victory for his former connections at Punchestown last May, however, by hanging badly left.

On Saturday at Cork, The Reverend made his hurdling debut for Mullins, bringing a Flat rating of 102 from when he was trained by William Haggas and won the Old Borough Cup on his final start. He certainly didn’t back off the obstacles, with Paul Townend remarking afterwards how much his mount “loves jumping – he was kind of looking for the next hurdle”.

But as his rider also said: “You’d have been disappointed if he couldn’t account for the rest of them on the form he has.” Asked whether he would be capable at graded level, he added: “He’s not big but he’s hardy and jumps well. If he can transfer his level on the Flat to Jumps, he’d be a good ride somewhere, anyway.” I’ll file that under Not Resounding.

In recent days, true disciples of the Closutton Order have seized upon Fou De Toi. Yet to race for Mullins and with merely a third in France to his name back in May 2024, when fully jacked up with a hood and tongue-tie combo, he’s been nibbled at in the Supreme ante-post market. Mad indeed. For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbours, and laugh at them in our turn?

Going into the Christmas period, the Skeltons’ unbeaten Mydaddypaddy was an unfeasibly short price for the Supreme, but he was beaten by a smart rival in one of the many farcical races served up by Aintree on Boxing Day.

This year it was the low sun, to which the Mildmay track is so vulnerable at this time of year, rather than bottomless ground that highlighted its unsuitability as a replacement venue for Kempton at Christmas. Four of the six races with obstacles were marred by fences or hurdles having to be omitted, including all the feature races. Meanwhile, the King George served up one of the best finishes of recent times.

Little more than half the intended hurdles were in play for the Grade One Formby Novices’ Hurdle, with all three flights in the straight bypassed. This turned the event into a greater test of stamina and a lesser test of jumping, thereby placing the odds-on favourite at a disadvantage – a factor more than compounded by Harry Skelton employing exaggerated settling tactics.

Ruby Walsh has suggested Mydaddypaddy has developed a tendency to get racing too soon, hence the Skeltons’ tactical approach to the Formby, which is unlikely to be effective in the Supreme. However, we rely on trainers to resolve such issues and jockeys to execute and for a horse of such ability to quadruple in price in one place (from a too-short base of 5-1, admittedly) felt like an overreaction. He’s now broadly 10-1 and heads straight to the Festival.

His vanquisher Idaho Sun is no slouch. A dual prior hurdle winner himself, he was also sixth in the Festival’s Champion Bumper – his sole career defeat to date, when an atypically steady pace saw him outpaced entering the home turn before finishing off the race in really taking fashion under suitably sympathetic handling.

He, too, heads Supreme-wards and should not be underestimated, but ultimately shapes as though further would suit. He hails from a high-class family, his dam a half-sister to talented stayer and Ultima third Oscar Elite from the family of Gold Cup winner Lord Windermere. Back in third, highly experienced The Last Cloud shaped well for a step back up in trip and a return to handicap company.

Three days later, No Drama This End maintained his unbeaten record over hurdle and his lofty reputation when bringing Paul Nicholls his seventh Grade One Challow Hurdle success. Harry Cobden’s mount didn’t need to improve on his Sandown success and controlled a steadily run affair from the front, even easing down near the line under a hands-and-heels ride.

These weren’t the circumstances for a big-figure or big-headline performance but the fluency of his jumping and professionalism of his manner were taking. He did this in the manner of a horse who’s come of age. He acquitted himself well when ninth in the Champion Bumper last March, travelling well, then getting outpaced in the sprint but sticking to his task well. The Turners looks an ideal target for him. He even seems to handle all types of ground.

Runner-up Klimt Madrik continues to enhance his status. Patiently ridden by Kevin Brogan, he fluffed two out when yet to be produced and then wobbled greenly when asked to fiish off his race. Despite this, he still managed to nose ahead of the harder ridden Tiptoptim – who was staying on well himself – at the post.

A chaser in the making, Sandown’s EBF Novices Hurdle on Imperial Cup day is the standout race for Klimt Madrik. He’s not ready for Cheltenham, but he’s got a future.

Four-year-old Montmares got outpaced but stuck to his task in the straight whereas Etna Blanco never quite had the pace to get on terms. Having been prominently positioned, well-regarded Kalkbrenner never looked comfortable. He pitched mildly on landing three out before weakening from the next. It’s possible the sound surface was against him.

Earlier on the same card, Nicholls couldn’t hide his relish in beating his former charge Act Of Innocence with pricey three-year-old Minella Yoga in the opening Introductory Hurdle. The winner is a £360,000 a graduate of Ireland’s upwardly mobile Academy Hurdle system – an upgrade on the concept introduced in Britain a few years ago.

Receiving 20lb from the odds-on favourite two years his senior, Minella Yoga jumped confidently – with a tendency to adjust right – and slipstreamed that rival, who’d been granted a solo up front, into the straight before heading him under a furlong from home.

He wasn’t even put under maximum pressure from Harry Cobden to do so, and the pair pulled 12 lengths clear of Blues Singer and My Drogo’s half-brother Razors Edge – both of whom showed promise for down the line in a different context.

An enthusiastic Nicholls afterwards spoke of the Triumph for the winner – which I’ll address in next week’s column, along with the juvenile scene to date – but the quality of this success might be underestimated at a best-priced 20-1.

Defeat caused Henderson – who acquired Act Of Innocence and Old Park Star in a clutch of horses that Gordon and Su Hall moved on from Nicholls – to flip his thinking with those key novice hurdlers

“I thought Act Of Innocence ran brilliantly, and he might be the one, out of him and Old Park Star, who might step up to two and a half miles,” Henderson told the Racing Post. “Originally, Old Park Star might have been the two-and-a-half-mile horse and Act Of Innocence the two-miler, but with what we have seen there and Cheltenham, it looks like they’ll go the other way.”

At Cheltenham in December, Old Park Star had skipped readily away from his rivals by 12 lengths in a steadily run NH novices’ hurdle event – a race Henderson has used in the past to showcase the talents of Chantry House and Darlan, both of whom went on to be placed in a Supreme. However, you’d have wanted runner-up Glance At Midnight to represent that form rather better than a distant, never-involved fifth in an admittedly odd edition of the Formby.

Nonetheless, Old Park Star heads to Haydock’s Rossington Main on Saturday week whereas Act Of Innocence will have the choice of contests at Cheltenham on Trials Day at the end of the month or at Huntingdon for the Sidney Banks [in the first Thursday of February.

Finally, Harry Derham has a smart prospect in the shape of well-related Mossy Fen Road, who dominated a Chepstow novice hurdle on Welsh Grand National day.

In a fluent-jumping, strong-travelling performance full of vitality, he was always on the pace and drew clear of the majority of the field with his two closest market rivals – dual previous hurdling winner Spectacularsunriseand Tennessee Tango – in the back straight. However, the winner just ran away from them in the straight.

A half-brother to Grade One-winning novice chaser Fury Road and from the wider family of Festival winner City Island, he will stay further in time but has the Supreme on his dance-card this term.

Advised 28/11/25: William Munny at 12/1 (10/1 also acceptable) for the Unibet Champion Hurdle [likely non-runner according to trainer]

Advised 21/12/25: Majborough at 6/1 for the BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase with the sponsors, William Hill or Bet365

He says nothing. He talks to no-one. He knows what he believes. Don’t need to wear it on his sleeve.