Welsh Champion Hurdle 1-2 Celtic Dino and Alexei could meet again in the £100,000 Greatwood Hurdle of 2025 on the third and final day of Cheltenham’s November Meeting, Sunday, 16 November. The Chepstow rivals were among 24 penultimate declarations for the first two-mile Premier Handicap hurdle race of the core jumps season.
Sam Thomas’ Celtic Dino defied topweight on home turf under stable jockey Dylan Johnston, still a conditional for now but close to riding out his claim. Alexei seemed to put in a tired leap at the final flight, but stripped fitter for that reappearance and went one better at Ascot last time out. This Welsh Champion pair could meet off exactly the same terms again here as the handicapper raised both by 7lb apiece.
A progressive duo at the head of the betting makes sense, but neither has visited Cheltenham races before. Celtic Dino spent the middle of last season in graded novice hurdles, while Joe Tizzard’s Alexei has marginally more experience of the hustle and bustle of handicapping. Relative youth is also on the side of Brocade Racing’s five-year-old Tai Chi gelding. Celtic Dino is only six himself and both have just half-a-dozen hurdle races under their belts.
Celtic Dino wins the ‘Welsh Champion’ Hurdle for @SammyTRacing and @D_Johnston01!
The top-weight travelled nicely into contention and found plenty for pressure to hold off Alexei on the run for home at @Chepstow_Racing… pic.twitter.com/sAUNKUgjt2
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) October 12, 2025
Bookmakers also fear Dan Skelton new recruit Mirabad. He has course form and now represents a yard that has sent out two Greatwood Hurdle winners since 2016 and as many seconds in the last decade. Mirabad, also a six-year-old, is effectively a whole stone higher in the weights than when scoring for previous connections last December when a 5lb claimer scored on him off 120.
As seen with the recent exploits of Thistle Ask, however, the Skelton stable, who could also run veteran pair Faivoir and Knickbockerglory, can take horses from other yards and scale new heights with them.
King Pair Interesting in Amongst Lots of Old Favourites
A number of horses to have run in the race before could return for another go. Headed by 2023 Greatwood Hurdle hero Iberico Lord (now 13lb higher) for Nicky Henderson, last year’s sixth Fiercely Proud and tenth Cacking Rhapsody are back for more. Both of those have won their races away from Cheltenham with the former successful in the Ladbroke at Ascot and latter a force to be reckoned with in Scotland.
Brian Ellison’s Cormier and No Ordinary Joe, now with Faye Bramley, first ran in this race back in 2020 and 2021 respectively. Recapturing their best form is no easy task, and the Cheltenham odds on offer for such types reflect that. Of those, time is only really on the side of Ben Pauling runner Fiercely Proud, but he’s half-a-stone higher in the handicap now and needs riding more prominently than 12 months ago.
Alan King boasts a formidable record of having horses placed in the Greatwood Hurdle since 2017, also enjoying two winners, but a third and four fifths to boot. On that basis, both Castle Carrock and Helnwein are worth closer inspection. The former is a lightly-raced six-year-old that landed his stable and hurdling bow after moving from Nicky Richards. Castle Carrock could make his handicap debut off 133.
👀 Surprise in the opener
£100,000 buy Castle Carrock beats Diva Luna @Sandownpark pic.twitter.com/zzkOvudi3j
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) January 24, 2025
On his level weights defeat of Dawn Run third Diva Luna from Sandown (the fourth has come out and won over fences), he could have a say here. Going chasing just didn’t work out for Helnwein last term, meanwhile, and he reverted back to hurdles with a couple of spring seconds including in the Swinton at Haydock for the Noel Fehily Racing Syndicate. Nudged up another 1lb, this seven-year-old could be on the premises again.
More to Come from Gibbs Island, Laafi, Leloopa, Rubber Ball in Greatwood Hurdle
Four four-year-olds have won this race since 2013 including Burdett Road last season, so don’t discount that younger generation. Gibbs Island represents this age bracket for Tom Lacey. With a 3-5 record over hurdles, the Iffraaj gelding earned a crack at his elders for the first time after defying topweight against his contemporaries at Chepstow.
Gibbs Island saw his juvenile form franked when Give It To Me Oj landed the Masterson Holdings Hurdle on the Showcase Cheltenham race card last month. Battle-hardened by previous Flat campaigns, he has a career high mark of 140 to overcome. The BHA assessor has lightly-raced Irish raider Laafi 2lb behind Gibbs Island, if he comes over for a third hurdles start and back to the UK,
William Durkan’s five-year-old Cloth Of Stars gelding ran on the Flat for William Haggas. Should he line up in the Greatwood Hurdle of 2025, then Laafi makes his handicapping bow in this sphere. Leloopa needs defections to make the cut for the Cheltenham local Fergal O’Brien stable, meanwhile, who could also run Serious Challenge. It’s the five-year-old Wings Of Eagles mare with course form, however.
An IMPRESSIVE win 🏆
Leloopa flies home in the Foundation Developments Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle 👏 pic.twitter.com/uW1pYzO4q3
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) October 24, 2025
Leloopa landed a conditional jockeys’ handicap hurdle here in October, but a 6lb rise might not be enough to sneak in to the final field. If she does get a run, Tom Broughton can claim 5lb off her back. Neil King’s Rubber Ball was an intended runner in that Showcase Meeting race, but wasn’t risked on quicker ground. He looks well-handicapped, but has had some beginners’ chase entries as well this autumn.
It isn’t clear what connections of this five-year-old Yorgunnabelucky gelding have planned. If declared, and he’s the last one guaranteed a run, then Rubber Ball appears well-weighted. His tailed off effort in an Aintree Grade 1 novice hurdle is best forgotten.
Greatwood Hurdle 2025 Shortlist & Verdict
A competitive event for traders on Cheltenham betting sites to price up. Progressive pair Celtic Dino and ALEXEI have every right to be at the front of the market. Preference is for the latter, however. Alexei didn’t look extended when accounting for the gambled Indemnity by three lengths at Ascot, so can follow-up.
Mirabad faces a taller order than his price suggests, but King duo Castle Carrock and Helnwein appeal each-way. Should Leloopa somehow sneak in, she too can outrun her odds. Rubber Ball could cause a shock if he lines up. Most of the others don’t look well-handicapped or open to as much progress as the market principals.
