Weekend Racing Recap: Festival Ante Post Markets Get A Shake Up
Another brilliant weekend of racing where we saw some of the leading stars strut their stuff and put their grade 1 and potential
Cheltenham Festival
credentials on the line and they did not disappoint. Lets get into it.
Rising Star Emerges as UK Leading Contender for the Turners Novices’ Hurdle
Betfair Winter Novices Grade 2
No Drama This End once again delivered a hugely impressive performance, one that not only reinforced his reputation but also propelled him to the forefront of the market for the Turners Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. Each run seems to show another layer of class, authority, and natural progression, and it’s no surprise that bookmakers have wasted little time in tightening his odds for March. The next planned assignment is the Challow Hurdle Grade 1 at Newbury, a race that traditionally attracts some of the strongest novice hurdlers and was won last season by The New Lion. It’s a proper mid-winter test, often run in demanding conditions, and should offer further clarity on exactly how high his ceiling might be.
At this stage, he already looks right up there with the very best novice hurdlers in the UK, if not the standout. His jumping has sharpened, his cruising speed looks effortless, and he has a lovely way of putting races to bed once pressure is applied. The one question still lingering is how he’ll fare when he eventually meets the best of the Irish, who will inevitably set the standard come festival time. That challenge will arrive soon enough, and it will be the true measure of where he sits in the overall pecking order.
For now, though, he has ticked every box that could reasonably be asked of him, and it’s clear Paul Nicholls has a seriously talented horse on his hands one capable of climbing all the way to the top.
Currently 6/1 for the Turners Novice Hurdle with BetMGM
Macktoad Emerges as an Exciting New Juvenile for the Moore Team
Introductory Juvenile Hurdle
We all remember the heartbreak of Goshen’s fall in the Triumph Hurdle when victory looked absolutely certain, and it seems the Moore team may now have another seriously talented juvenile on their hands. Macktoad made a striking impression on debut, travelling powerfully throughout and quickening clear in the manner of a horse with plenty more to offer.
While the form will need time to settle and mature, the visual impression alone was enough to spark real interest. It’s far too early to be making bold plays in the Triumph market, juveniles can progress or regress quickly but Macktoad’s performance suggested there is a good engine beneath him. Under a confident and well-judged ride from Caoilin Quinn, he appeared to win with plenty in reserve, never coming off the bridle in any meaningful way.
If he continues to improve with experience and stronger tests, he could easily develop into a major player later in the season. For now, though, he stands out as another exciting recruit for the yard, one who has already caught the eye and looks capable of climbing much higher.
Currently 12/1 for the Triumph Hurdle with BetMGM
Lulamba Lays Down a Serious Arkle Marker
Henry VIII Novices Chase
There’s absolutely no denying just how impressive this horse was on Saturday. From the moment the tapes went up he travelled like a class act, moving through the race with a smooth, effortless rhythm that immediately caught the eye. He absolutely tanked along, never looking in trouble, and when the pace lifted he was the one who always seemed to be doing it the easiest. Be Aware set a sensible gallop out in front, but Lulamba shadowed him throughout, travelling all over the field as if he had an extra gear to call upon whenever required.
Turning for home, it became clear he was the one with the most to offer. He quickened well, picked up beautifully, and put the race to bed with any amount in hand. It was the sort of performance that makes you sit back and take notice, the sort that forces a reassessment of his abilities over the minimum trip. He has certainly given me a lot to think about. I’ve been a huge supporter of Kopek Des Bordes for the Arkle, he still remains a high-class prospect but Lulamba has firmly inserted himself into the conversation with this display.
What’s particularly striking is how well he is coping with the minimum trip. Yes, in time he will almost certainly relish a step up to two and a half miles, but at the moment he’s showing more than enough pace and precision to be a serious operator over two miles. That versatility only strengthens his profile going forward.
If both horses continue on their upward curves, we could be heading towards one of the clashes of the Festival come March, a mouth-watering head-to-head that could define the novice chase division. For now, it’s over to Kopek Des Bordes, and all eyes turn to Leopardstown at Christmas.
Currently 2/1 for the Arkle with BetMGM
Il Etait Temps Throws the Champion Chase Picture Into Chaos
Tingle Creek Grade 1
The Champion Chase market has been blown wide open this weekend, and it’s hard to recall a more dramatic shake-up to the division in recent years. The catalyst, of course, was Il Etait Temps producing a demolition job in the Tingle Creek, a performance so emphatic that it left Jonbon, previously considered the standard-setter trailing home a distant second. It wasn’t simply the winning margin that impressed, but the manner of it, fluent, fast, sharp at his fences, and travelling like a horse who has finally learned how to utilise all of his natural ability. As a result, he now finds himself a rightful favourite for the Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, something that would have seemed unlikely not too long ago.
However, as with every emerging star, the deeper you dig, the more questions you uncover. The big sticking point for many will be his Cheltenham record finishing 5-5-3 on his three previous visits. On paper, it’s hardly the résumé of a future Champion Chase winner. The question is whether we can forgive those runs in light of what now appears to be a horse reaching full maturity and finally knitting everything together. For me, the answer is leaning towards yes. He looks a different model this season more professional, more settled, and showing a turn of foot that wasn’t always evident in earlier campaigns.
Part of this reassessment also comes from looking at the rest of the market, which feels unusually vulnerable. Sir Gino still sits in some lists despite seemingly heading back over hurdles. Marine Nationale may not reappear until the latter half of the season, making his preparation far from ideal. Majborough, who I’ll come to later, is incredibly talented but remains inexperienced and untested in the heat of a championship-level chase. And beyond that, you’re left with a cluster of horses who are either inconsistent, fragile, or lacking the proven class required to win a Champion Chase.
So as I work through the field, the more convinced I become that Il Etait Temps deserves far more credit than his critics offer. Horses improve. They strengthen. They sharpen up. And right now, he looks every inch a more complete and polished performer compared to the raw, quirky version we saw in previous seasons. At this moment in time, he is absolutely the one they all have to beat and I’m increasingly inclined to get him onside.
Currently 11/4 for the Champion Chase with BetMGM
Majborough still has the jumping issues.
The final horse I want to reflect on is Majborough, and he’s a tricky one to assess. Last season he looked an absolute weapon, a horse with raw talent to burn, even if his jumping always carried a few warning signs. Those flaws ultimately cost him in the Arkle, and based on what we’ve seen so far this term, it doesn’t appear he has taken the necessary step forward in that department. He still seems uncomfortable going left-handed, repeatedly shifting into his fences, meeting them wrong, and giving backers heart-in-mouth moments. For those who trusted him at short odds, it was a painful watch.
So the big question now is what the plan should be, and whether he can still mould himself into a genuine Champion Chase contender. For me, he gets one more chance. One more crack over two miles, now with a run under his belt and back going right-handed, might allow him to show the version of himself we all thought we were getting. He is unquestionably talented, but he needs to take a monumental step forward to get anywhere near the level Il Etait Temps is operating at right now.
Of course Majborough could still do it, but perhaps it’s becoming a bigger ask than we first imagined. It may even be that a step up in trip becomes the obvious move if things don’t click on his next outing. At the moment, though, the picture is getting clearer, Il Etait Temps looks the standout in the Champion Chase division, and he might simply be the one we all need to latch onto.
Currently 6/1 for the Champion Chase with BetMGM
Ante post takeaways
Im sticking with what seems like the obvious this week with a selection.
Il Etait Temps 11/4 for the Champion Chase
Question marks again the rest and I'm going to bravely forgive his 3 past runs at Cheltenham and have him onside here.
Every week I will be analysing the weeks horse racing betting and comparing the latest betting odds and finding us the best value horse racing tips from the ante post markets. Identify potential horses from the weeks action that may go onto to make big impacts in the big spring festivals such as the 2026
Cheltenham Festival.
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