Jamie Clark

The Champion Hurdle of 2025 is to all intents and purposes a three-horse race. It pits the last two winners of the Grade 1 feature contest from the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival against one another. This isn’t just about a rematch between Constitution Hill and State Man from 2023, however. There’s the small matter of …

The Mares Hurdle at Cheltenham is a bone of contention. Should females with a sufficient high rating to run in the Champion Hurdle instead have this easier option over further? It’s a loophole connections of Lossiemouth try to exploit again this year. There’s a lot of opinion out there on the mares only Grade 1 …

A disappointing turnout of just five runners for the Arkle Chase of 2025 is down to the presence of the greatly-feared Majborough. JP McManus has never won the two-mile Grade 1 novice chase at the Cheltenham Festival, but shouldn’t look this gift horse in the mouth. Up until February, this looked like producing one of …

Just whisper this if you’re in the Kopek Des Bordes camp, but Willie Mullins comes into the Supreme Novices Hurdle of 2025 with just two victories in the Cheltenham Festival opener during the last decade. When your Closutton stable has half of the dozen-strong field, however, you do give yourself plenty of chances. The home …

Nicky Henderson revealed his intention to supplement facile Newbury Premier Handicap heroine Joyeuse for the Festival Mares’ Hurdle on the opening day of Cheltenham. From the same family as the yard’s six-time Grade 1 winner and 2020 Champion Hurdle scorer Epatante, the lightly-raced six-year-old also runs in the colours of JP McManus. Joyeuse will now …

Two races on Champion Hurdle day at the Cheltenham Festival this year have extended titles as the Michael O’Sullivan Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and Princess Royal National Hunt Chase. These amended and extended race names from The Jockey Club are the result of different reasons. Irish professional jockey Michael O’Sullivan tragically died aged just 24 as …

Injuries are an occupational hazard for jockeys, but Jack Kennedy rides again with a book of mounts for Gordon Elliott at Leopardstown on 3 March, ahead of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival. Aged just 25, he has passed the doctors after a sixth broken leg of his career in November. Those who follow horse racing will …