All seven runners in the Brown Advisory Novices Chase of 2025 at the Cheltenham Festival are Irish raiders. Such an approach from the home team hurts their hopes of wresting the Prestbury Cup back from the Emerald Isle.
What has most trainers on side of the Irish Sea running scared, however, is the presence of Ballyburn. A breathless and facile winner of the Baring Bingham on the Style Wednesday Cheltenham race card 12 months ago, he is one of four lining up here for Willie Mullins.
Ballyburn found Kempton Park too tight and sharp a test for his liking over Christmas, but has since completely rehabilitated himself stepping up in trip. A ready winner of a 2m 5f Grade 1 novice chase during the Dublin Racing Festival last time out, he tackles an even longer distance now.
The Brown Advisory Novices Chase in 2025 looks very much as though it takes place on a sound surface. No problem for Ballyburn, who began life under Rules running in yielding and good ground bumpers. For most punters, then, he looks one of the more solid Cheltenham favourites at the Festival this year.
With a Point-to-Point win under his belt before joining current connections, the three-mile trip shouldn’t pose any problems. The main danger to Ballyburn is old rival and stable companion Dancing City. When they met in a Punchestown bumper, six lengths separated them.
There are fences in the way now of course, but Dancing City has something to find with Ballyburn. He is still second-best, according to Cheltenham betting sites, but didn’t run his race at the Festival last year.
Dancing City won every other staying Grade 1 novice hurdle going from the DRF onwards. His Albert Bartlett third stands out as a disappointment.
Better Days Ahead Respected for Brown Advisory Novices Chase in 2025
There is another Cheltenham winner in the line-up against Ballyburn, however, and that’s Martin Pipe hero Better Days Ahead. That Festival success came on ground quite different to what Gordon Elliott’s charge encounters this time around, though.
Better Days Ahead was no match for Dancing City at the Punchestown Festival, but has since won two of three starts over fences like Ballyburn. His sole defeat came with just failing to overhaul Croke Park in the Racing Post Long Distance Novice Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas.
As Better Days Ahead has since landed the Ten Up around Navan, he is another of the Brown Advisory Novices Chase 2025 hopes. It’s fair to say, however, that he would prefer more cut in the ground than other Cheltenham horses in the line-up.
A sounder surface won’t be a problem for Gorgeous Tom, the sole runner for Henry De Bromhead against the Mullins quarter and two from Elliott’s Cullentra House yard. Unexposed as a stayer, he dropped to last in the Drinmore before staying on powerfully and only going down by a length. Gorgeous Tom thus shaped better than bare result of fourth place suggests.
Gigginstown House Stud run two, one each from the Elliott and Mullins stable. As last year’s Cheltenham results show, Stellar Story just got up in the Albert Bartlett. Quai De Bourbon, meanwhile, could only manage third behind Brighterdaysahead.
Another graduate from Gold Cup day in Albert Bartlett fifth Lecky Watson completes the line-up for the Brown Advisory Novices Chase of 2025. A tendency to jump to his right is a major concern, though.
