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 know how talented Kennedy is, but his bad luck with injuries has ruled him out of the big meeting before. Elliott had to coax Davy Russell out of retirement in 2023 as cover, but he didn’t ride a winner at Prestbury Park.
Kennedy won’t miss the Festival this year, though. After riding the first of 11 Cheltenham winners in 2017, he can look forward to being back in the saddle on some major hopes for Cullentra House where he’s the stable jockey.
Among those Festival successes are seven Grade 1 victories already. They include a successful outside ride in the 2021 Cheltenham Gold Cup on Minella Indo for Henry De Bromhead.
“Today we learned that 2023-24 Irish Champion Jockey Jack Kennedy has been given the green light to get back to race riding for Monday at Leopardstown,” a post on Elliott’s official website said. “He was passed fit by his surgeon Paddy Kenny this morning and will be a great addition to our Cheltenham team as always.”
With Kennedy back in the saddle, we thought it’d only be fitting if we analysed some of the Cheltenham horses that are his main chances at the Festival.
5 Jack Kennedy Rides He Can Now Take at 2025 Cheltenham Festival
Romeo Coolio (Supreme Novices’ Hurdle)
Second in the Champion Bumper 12 months ago. Two from three over hurdles under Sam Ewing since including Grade 1 Future Champions Novice Hurdle win around Leopardstown over Christmas latest.
On Royal Bond second around Fairyhouse when turned over at odds-on, Romeo Coolio looks vulnerable to something with a turn of foot. Kennedy and Elliott come up against the much-improved Kopek Des Bordes in the Festival opener, though.
Romeo Coolio has the pedigree for improvement over further. That may come as a chaser next season, however, and Kennedy may be booked for second place in a race he pulled off a 25/1 shock on aboard Labaik.
Brighterdaysahead (Mares’ Hurdle or Champion Hurdle)
Already one of the successful Jack Kennedy rides prior to his injury this season when landing the Morgiana Hurdle around Punchestown. Brighterdaysahead built on that form with demolition job with the aid of a pacemaker in the December Hurdle at Leopardstown.
That performance marked her down as a major player in the Champion Hurdle division. Connections do have her only career defeat coming here in the Dawn Run in the back of their minds, though.
Brighterdayshaead won’t have Constitution Hill to contend with if stepping back up in trip and going down the Mares’ Hurdle route. Elliott may never get a better shot at Champion Hurdle glory, though, with a decision looming.
The Yellow Clay (Turners Novices’ Hurdle)
The Yellow Clay has a remarkably similar profile to the ill-fated Ginto for the same connections, but that one broke down in the Albert Bartlett. Elliott feels the Turners (Baring Bingham) is where to go with another of the Jack Kennedy rides come the Festival.
Style Wednesday’s opener looks one of the hottest Cheltenham races today, though. The Yellow Clay has Dublin Racing Festival Grade 1 winner Final Demand, Challow Hurdle hero The New Lion and Classic Novices’ Hurdle 1-2 Sixmilebridge and Potters Charm to contend with.
It could be the race of the Festival. The Yellow Clay seems to be doing all of his best work at the business end of his run but, much like the Final Demand camp, Elliott appears reluctant to risk the slog of the Albert Bartlett.
Better Days Ahead (Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase)
Better Days Ahead has since finished an unlucky second in the Leopardstown Long Distance Novice Chase and gone one better in the Ten Up back at Navan. He looks very much like the stable’s first string for the Brown Advisory (Broadway), even though Croke Park just hung on over Christmas.
The problem here is that Cheltenham betting sites have a market that says two Willie Mullins mounts have better chances. Dancing City was too good for Better Days Ahead over hurdles at the Punchestown Festival, having flopped here in the Albert Bartlett but won around Aintree.
Then there is Ballyburn who got his career back on track at the Dublin Racing Festival. The further he went, the better he looked and the facile Baring Bingham win from Cheltenham last season sticks in the mind.
Teahupoo (Stayers’ Hurdle)
One of the stronger Cheltenham favourites this year, a repeat performance should be enough to see him home in front again. Teahupoo wasn’t disgraced at all when runner-up in the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse on his only start.
This is by design from Elliott, who feels breaks between races is the way to get the best out of this horse. The Stayers’ Hurdle division isn’t overly strong with fellow Irish raider Home By The Lee the main market rival to Teahupoo.
Nicky Henderson’s improving and unexposed Lucky Place has claims too. Elliott must decide whether to The Wallpark off topweight in the Pertemps Final, meanwhile, or try him in Grade 1 company again against Teahupoo.
WATCH: Jack Kennedy Winning 2024 Stayers’ Hurdle on Teahupoo
Previous Winning Jack Kennedy Rides at the Cheltenham Festival
- Labaik – 2017 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle
- Veneer Of Charm – 2018 Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle
- Samcro – 2018 Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle
- Shattered Love – 2018 Golden Miller Novices’ Chase
- Farclas – 2018 Triumph Hurdle
- Black Tears – 2021 Mares’ Hurdle
- Galvin – 2021 National Hunt Chase
- Mount Ida – 2021 Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup
- Minella Indo – 2021 Cheltenham Gold Cup
- Delta Work – 2022 Cross Country Chase
- Teahupoo – 2024 Stayers’ Hurdle
