It looks as though the mighty Constitution Hill turns out on Cheltenham Festival Trials Day 2025 with Nicky Henderson’s hurdling superstar declared for the Grade 2 International Hurdle on Saturday, 25 January. There are four more races of that level on a terrific card.
Constitution Hill won the 2023 Champion Hurdle, but has only had three races since. He made a successful reappearance at Kempton on Boxing Day when landing a third consecutive Christmas Hurdle. Competition now runs scared from 175-rated hurdler with just four opponents tackling him here despite a Grade 1 penalty.
Elsewhere on the Cheltenham Festival Trials Day card, there are also small fields in the Cotswold Chase and AIS Novices’ Hurdle. Eight runners go for the Cleeve Hurdle and 10 in the Triumph Hurdle Trial. Outside of the Grade 2 action, there are a couple of handicap chases over two-and-a-half miles.
Stormy Eowyn brings forecast rain with it on Thursday and Friday, which should soften underfoot conditions up at Prestbury Park. That is something both punters and traders on Cheltenham betting sites should consider carefully. It strongly hints at a going change from good to soft to more testing ground.
Our experts take a look through the entire card with detailed race by race analysis of all the action in the Cotswolds. See who catches their eye from final declarations in all five Grade 2 contests, plus the handicaps.
Cheltenham Festival Trials Day 2025 Preview
12:40 – 2m 4f 127y Class 2 Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase
Resplendent Grey placed in Listed company over 3m here in November staying on well. Masaccio shaped like he wanted that longer distance at Newbury, but then couldn’t land a blow when upped in trip for the Kauto Star around Kempton over Christmas. Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero have a good hand, meanwhile, with Jagwar and Billytherealbigred.
The former almost came down at the final fence when last in action, so could capitalise on an unchanged mark of 132. Billytherealbigred arrives on a hat-trick after soft ground successes at Bangor and Exeter. Connections pitch this five-year-old in on Cheltenham Festival Trials Day with no hesitation.
Perhaps the each-way angle is course regular GUARD YOUR DREAMS for Sam and Nigel Twiston-Davies. He drops back into novice company after running fourth in the December Gold Cup over this track and trip last month. Guard Your Dreams is the oldest in the line-up aged nine, but again races off 136 and should be on the premises again.
Fellow locally-trained runner Ryan’s Rocket beat the now 133-rated Hasthing, a dual subsequent winner, by 10 lengths at Chepstow in November. He shaped there and around Ascot when runner-up last time out as though going up in distance should suit. Scottish raider Whistle Stop Tour drops back in trip and that won’t necessarily be ideal.
1:15 – 2m 179y Grade 2 Triumph Hurdle Trial (Registered as the Finesse Juvenile Hurdle)
More testing conditions hold no fears for Paul Nicholls’ French import Sauvignon who has a Listed win under his belt. It is a matter of whether or not he needs this run and stable debut after 231 days off the track. There are each-way angles into the Triumph Hurdle Trial, however, with Quantock Hills and Believitanducan two against the field to consider.
The former dead-heated with re-opposing rival Teriferma in another course and distance Trial in December, but Warren Greatrex’s runner raced alone and didn’t have a loose horse to help him. Quantock Hills could therefore hit the frame again, while Believitanducan defeated Liam Swagger at Newbury for Alan King, and that reads well.
French raider Stencil took a backwards step last time out and disappointed on his debut in the JP McManus silks. Mambonumberfive has an even longer racecourse absence to overcome than Sauvignon, meanwhile, and Victory Show debuts over hurdles in quite deep waters. Galactic Charm and Torrent have tons to find.
1:50 – 2m 4f 127y Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap)
Ginny’s Destiny – the @CheltenhamRaces fanboy
🏇 Three runs at Cheltenham
🥇 Three wins
👏 Another cracking performance for @CobdenHarry & @PFNicholls pic.twitter.com/dcWSHG5zjQ— Racing TV (@RacingTV) January 27, 2024
Rain looks as though it arrives just in time for GINNY’S DESTINY to win on Cheltenham Festival Trials Day again off a reduced mark of 152. Nicholls’ charge pulled-up in the Paddy Power Gold Cup here in November, but the ground was too quick for him. Ginny’s Destiny wasn’t disgraced when third in the Peterborough Chase behind subsequent Windsor 1-2 Protektorat and Djelo, who finished the other way around at Huntingdon that day.
He had no chance against horses with official ratings of 165 and 160 on that occasion, but this is easier. Although Ginny’s Destiny has joint-topweight here, there are question marks about his opposition. He racked up plenty of wins over this course and distance last winter, so looks the answer.
Iroko reportedly has the Grand National as his spring target, so this seems an unusual way of preparing him for it in the meantime. He also has an early fall from Ascot before Christmas to overcome. Iroko also appears held on Festival form and past Cheltenham results with Ginny’s Destiny.
Concerns About Majority of Field
Philip Hobbs & Johnson White send Imperial Saint to Prestbury Park after three wins over fences around Aintree. He must prove he can do the business away from Merseyside on a more galloping and testing track than the Mildmay Course. Keiran Burke’s Soul Icon shed the maiden tag in the Desert Orchid at Kempton, but this course and distance could hardly be more different.
December Gold Cup hero Germirande is back for a third Premier Handicap in six weeks at Cheltenham. Little about his sixth place finish on New Year’s Day suggested that Venetia Williams’ charge is up to his revised mark of 144. Paddy Power Gold Cup winner Il Ridoto is also in the Cheltenham Festival Trials Day line-up off 6lb higher.
Maiden chaser Moon D’Orange is a difficult horse to assess after weakening into fourth over 3m 1f in December here, but staying on at 2m 6f around Newbury. Grandeur D’Ame must improve on his Cheltenham fifth from last time. Some Scope is a three-time winner over further in this sphere, while veteran pair Torn And Frayed and Happygolucky (returning from a long absence) make little appeal
2:25 – 3m 1f 56y Grade 2 Cotswold Chase
It’s been 1,068 days, but CHANTRY HOUSE is back in the winner’s enclosure!
What a horse, what a comeback, @sevenbarrows take the Betfair Handicap Chase 👏 pic.twitter.com/HRTLOgxjrj
— CheltenhamRacecourse (@CheltenhamRaces) January 1, 2025
He bounced back to form with course and distance success in a Premier Handicap on New Year’s Day. Chantry House is a veteran now, but won this race on Cheltenham Festival Trials Day three years ago. Victory under a welter burden for McManus, Henderson and Nico de Boinville the last day suggests he still retains some ability.
Stage Star steps up in trip to this distance for the first time with stamina questions to answer. This test also looks sharp enough for Gordon Elliott veteran Delta Work (6lb wrong with his Irish steeplechasing mark) and Tommie Beau. The market has this about right with L’Homme Presse, Mouse Morris raider Gentlemansgame and Chantry House the trio to concentrate on.
3:00 – 2m 179y Grade 2 International Hurdle
Impossible to oppose CONSTITUTION HILL, who should give weight and a beating to his rivals. One of the warm Cheltenham favourites for the Festival, the Champion Hurdle, he is 29lbs and upwards clear of the meagre opposition here. Conceding 6lb to Brentford Hope and 4lb to Fils D’Oudairies is absolutely no cause for anxiety whatsoever.
Granted a clear round on Cheltenham Festival Trials Day, Constitution Hill wins this hands down. It is probably not a betting race as a result with the other two 100/1 rank outsiders. They are Joyeux Machin (132) and Spirits Bay (125), who couldn’t win a race at Haydock last weekend.
These horses simply aren’t in the same league as Constitution Hill and he ought to win on the bridle. The only possible angle into the International Hurdle this season is Brentford Hope each-way for second place. Others must be content to jump round in their own time and picking up minor prize money.
3:35 – 2m 7f 213y Grade 2 Cleeve Hurdle
May boil down to an effective match between dual Long Walk Hurdle winner Crambo and last year’s third STRONG LEADER. Slight preference is for the latter after undergoing wind surgery since a disappointing display around Ascot five weeks ago. Olly Murphy’s charge kept on into the frame 12 months ago and now has regular jockey Sean Bowen aboard.
Strong Leader ran better in the Cleeve on Cheltenham Festival Trials Day than Crambo did in the Stayers’ Hurdle. Of the others, perennially placed horse Gowel Road came in for ante-post support, but that seems only to be cutting down the each-way angle. Pertemps Final winner Monmiral must prove himself at this higher level, meanwhile.
It’s hard to fancy the others with Botox Has exposed and Ga Law opting for this instead of two alternative engagements over fences he had before declarations. While Kerryhill could have a future in staying handicaps, Transmission is over hurdles to protect his mark for either the National Hunt Chase or Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir at the Festival.
4:10 – 2m 4f 56y Grade 2 AIS Novices’ Hurdle (Registered as the Classic)
And finally, POTTERS CHARM has proved a revelation over hurdles this season and took his form to a new level with Grade 1 glory at Aintree on Boxing Day. The Twiston-Davies family have a lively Festival contender on their hands, given options in the Supreme and Baring Bingham. Potters Charm is 10lb and upwards clear of his rivals here and steps back up in trip.
Bill Joyce comprehensively beat re-opposing Quebecois in the Winter Novices’ Hurdle at Sandown, but now concedes a 5lb penalty to his old rival. That should bring the pair closer together, but there is also the fact that the former has gone on to have a hard race when third in the Challow around Newbury over the festive period.
That might mean Quebecois can turn the tables on the Jonjo O’Neill runner. Sixmilebridge steps up markedly in grade for Cheltenham Festival Trials Day after consecutive wins in minor races for Fergal O’Brien. Given his Irish Point background, Wade Out could also have more to offer upped in trip.
