Weekend Racing Recap: Festival Clues and Emerging Stars
The weekend’s racing delivered plenty to dissect, with strong performances across the cards and several results that will have implications going forward. From established names reaffirming their quality to emerging contenders putting themselves firmly on the radar, there was no shortage of talking points. Whether it was a standout graded potential, an eye-catching handicap performance, or a run that hinted at much more to come, the weekend provided valuable clues as we look ahead to the coming weeks of the season.
Old Star Park Shines in Cheltenham Opener
Cheltenham 12:05 - British EBF “National Hunt” Novices’ Hurdle (2m1f)
The opening novice hurdle at Cheltenham saw
Old Star Park
(Nicky Henderson) deliver a deeply impressive performance, marking himself down as a serious prospect for the spring. Fresh from lowering the colours of the well-regarded Un Sens A La Vie at Kempton in November, he took a significant step forward here.
While Old Star Park received 6lb when beating that rival by three lengths on debut, he was conceding fitness at the time, making that success all the more encouraging. This, however, was a different level altogether. Sent off 5/2 second favourite after being back and forth at the head of the market with Kingston Queen, he simply blew his rivals away.
Traveling powerfully on the pace, he always looked the best horse in the race and Nico de Boinville barely had to move until turning in. Once asked to stretch in the straight, Old Star Park quickly put the race to bed, pulling clear in devastating fashion.
This was a performance of real substance, and with Cheltenham experience now in the book, he firmly enters the conversation for the leading novice hurdles later in the season and at the Cheltenham Festival. Nicky Henderson hinted post-race that the gelding may want further in time, but connections appear happy to stick with two miles for now, pointing towards the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle as his likely spring target.
He is currently a 10/1 chance for the Supreme with BetMGM.
Fortune De Mer Strengthens County Hurdle Credentials
Cheltenham 1:15 - Catesby Estates Handicap Hurdle (2m1f)
The 1:15 at Cheltenham featured another superbly judged ride from Harry Skelton, who produced
Fortune De Mer
late to land the handicap and notch up a further success. Dan Skelton has previously made no secret of the fact that this horse is being aimed at the County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, and this victory has done little to dent those plans.
Winning off a mark of 127, Fortune De Mer is almost certain to receive a few pounds rise, but that may prove no bad thing if it helps secure his place in the County Hurdle field. He doesn’t look the easiest of rides, despite Skelton making it appear straightforward, and he is clearly a horse who needs to be delivered late off a strong gallop.
That scenario is exactly what he is likely to encounter in a big-field Festival handicap. Whether he is quite good enough to win a race of that nature remains the key question, and much will depend on his revised mark. Once that is known, a clearer assessment can be made of just how competitive he may prove to be in March.
Small Friday Mention
A small Friday mention for
Gamesters Guy, a horse I really like for Greenall and Guerriero, who picked up a pleasing win over fences at Doncaster when stepped up to three miles. The move up in trip clearly suited him, and it was encouraging to see him see it out so well.
Importantly, that run also means he is now qualified for the National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, having placed over the distance. That opens up a realistic Festival option, and I can easily see him thriving over the extended trip, particularly if the ground were to come up on the softer side.
Saturday gave us plenty to think about.
Minella Study struts his stuff
Cheltenham 12:10 JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle (2m1f)
Minella Study
was a massively impressive winner of the opening race at Cheltenham on Saturday and this 3 year old looks very exciting. A listed winner the run before at Wetherby after running 2nd on a fitness spin on the flat this horse took a huge step forward again and looks a real quality juvenile hurdler for Adam Nichol. One Horse Town was a strong in the market odds on favourite for this but Minella Study made him look average at best. He was a little keen throughout but to be honest he travelled all over them and turning in was asked to kick away and he did in decisive fashion, he jumped really well for only his second run and winged the last and put the race to bet. Clearly no a leading contender for the UK when it comes to the Triumph hurdle and comments from Nichol suggest one more run at Musselburgh is the plan then onto the Cheltenham Festival.
Currently 20/1 for the Triumph with BetMGM
Zertakt Stays On Powerfully to Land Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase
Cheltenham 12:40 - Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase (3m1½f)
Another impressive staying performance here from the Venetia Williams trained
Zertakt,
who looks every inch an out-and-out stayer based on the way he won. Turning for home it didn’t appear likely, with the front four kicking clear, but Charlie Deutsch produced a superb ride, galvanising his mount and lifting him all the way to the line.
Zertakt stayed on relentlessly to collar the leader close home, getting up by a neck. He was particularly fluent at the final two fences and was doing all his best work in the closing stages. A strong-staying second-season chaser, he could easily find himself lining up in a Cheltenham Festival handicap now, depending on his revised mark.
Overall, this was a thoroughly encouraging display that suggests there is still more to come from him over trips like this and beyond.
Carlenrig Emerges as a Leading UK Staying Novice
Cheltenham 3:00 - Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (3m)
This looked a strong race on paper and it certainly delivered, with just a neck and a head separating the first three home. The winner,
Carlenrig
for Dan Skelton, took a significant step forward from his hurdles debut. A big, imposing type, he looks every inch a staying chaser in the making, but for now he can make his mark in the staying novice hurdle division. All roads will surely lead to the Albert Bartlett at the Cheltenham Festival.
Both They Call Me Hugo and Conman John also emerge with plenty of credit and look to have bright futures. Conman John, in particular, can be marked up: beaten only a short distance while conceding 3lb, he was forced to set the pace and, despite looking a sitting duck late on, battled all the way to the line. The Olly Murphy runner is one to keep firmly onside going forward.
There are still question marks as to whether this trio can mix it with the very best of the Irish in the Grade 1 come March, but in terms of the UK staying novice scene, this was an encouraging contest. Horses like these give the division a brighter look, and hopefully they can continue to progress to a high level.
One horse from Sunday we have to talk about.
Oh My Word Announces Himself as a Champion Bumper Contender
Navan 3:35 - Irish Stallion Farms EBF Future Champions INH Flat Race
Oh My Word
produced a performance that can only be described as outstanding, landing this prestigious bumper that has previously been won by top-class horses such as Envoi Allen and Sir Gerhard. Trained by Thomas Cleary and ridden by Derek O’Connor, the gelding showed plenty of keenness early on, but once into his rhythm he travelled powerfully throughout.
Turning for home, everything was happening smoothly and it took very little encouragement for O’Connor to press the button. What followed was a genuinely electric turn of foot, as Oh My Word quickly put the race to bed. The acceleration he showed marked him down as a horse with a huge future.
Still available at a double-figure price for the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival, this could prove generous if he continues on this trajectory. I don’t often get involved in bumpers this early, but if he lines up at the Dublin Racing Festival as expected and delivers again, that price is likely to contract sharply.
One final note, when a horse from a smaller yard looks this good, you can’t help but wonder whether a chequebook might soon appear. With that in mind, now could be a very good time to have Oh My Word onside in your ante-post book.
Final Word
Overall, this weekend felt like an important one as the road to the Cheltenham Festival continues to take shape. Several key players strengthened their credentials, while a handful of emerging talents gave the UK scene genuine cause for optimism across the novice divisions. From polished Cheltenham performances to an eye-catching bumper winner in Ireland, there were plenty of runs that will stand up to deeper scrutiny as the season unfolds. With trials, handicaps and Festival clues now coming thick and fast, the next few weeks promise to be fascinating as these horses either confirm their promise or take the next step towards the spring targets that now firmly come into view.
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
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