Cheltenham Festival horses for courses | four to watch
Tony McFadden highlights four horses with handicap entries at Cheltenham who have run well at the Festival before.
Happygolucky
Ultima Handicap Chase
Happygolucky faced a stiff task when he first competed at the Cheltenham Festival in 2020 as he was thrown into the ultra-competitive environment of the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle on the back of only three starts under Rules. He emerged with plenty of credit in fourth, however, running on well despite being hampered at the final flight.
Happygolucky was a 25/1 shot on that occasion but he was a much shorter price when he returned to the Festival the following year, going off as the 100/30 favourite in the Ultima Handicap Chase. Happygolucky, who had won a novice chase at Cheltenham on his previous outing, had to settle for second in the Ultima but he ran very well behind a rejuvenated veteran who was taking advantage of a drop in the weights.
A decisive victory at Aintree confirmed his status as a well-handicapped chaser, but he missed all of last season and didn't reappear until November 2022, when he finished a promising third in the Rehearsal Handicap Chase at Newcastle. His only subsequent effort in a competitive handicap chase at Cheltenham wasn't so good, but the two-and-a-half mile trip offered an obvious excuse and he should be seen to better effect back over this more suitable distance.
Langer Dan
Coral Cup or Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle
Langer Dan didn't get the opportunity to show what he can do when brought down at the second flight having been sent off favourite for the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle at last year's Festival. But Langer Dan's strength in the market owed plenty to his performance at the previous year's meeting when he found only Galopin des Champs too strong in the same race.
Langer Dan was understandably no match for Galopin des Champs, who went on to win a Punchestown Grade 1 by 12 lengths on his next start and has since developed into a red-hot favourite for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, but he pulled nine lengths clear of the third after impressing with how he travelled through the race.
That was on Cheltenham's New Course but Langer Dan had already run well on the Old Course, finishing a creditable sixth in the 2020 Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle when he was beaten less than five lengths.
Victories in the 2021 Imperial Cup, just six days before his excellent effort behind Galopin des Champs, and in a handicap hurdle at Aintree last season, three weeks after his mishap at Cheltenham, further demonstrate his effectiveness in big-field, competitive environments.
Andy Dufresne
Grand Annual Handicap Chase
Andy Dufresne was well-backed for last season's Grand Annual on his handicap debut and, while he was unable to reward that support, he posted a career-best effort on Timeform's figures to finish runner-up behind Global Citizen, a rival who had fallen a long way in the weights since showing smart form as a novice.
Andy Dufresne impressed with how he moved through that race, looking capable of winning a big prize off a BHA mark of 155, and he catches the eye from the same rating this time around.
He's been disappointing on his last couple of starts but is clearly effective around Cheltenham and around another crack at the Grand Annual has probably been his big aim.
Sharjah
County Hurdle
There's a chance Sharjah isn't quite the force of old given he's now ten and has failed to win in three starts this season, but he's still shown a very smart level of form this term which suggests a BHA mark of 155 could be lenient if connections opt to go down the handicap route in the County Hurdle.
Sharjah is best known for his exploits in Leopardstown's Matheson Hurdle, a Grade 1 he won four times in succession between 2018 and 2021, while he has also won two editions of the Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown.
Sharjah has not won at Cheltenham in four starts but once he was brought down through no fault of his own and he has shown high-class form to finish runner-up in the Champion Hurdle on his last couple of visits to the Festival. Those performances came on the Old Course, but, given how he is often dropped in and ridden with patience, he promises to be suited by the New Course where those in front often commit too soon and leave themselves vulnerable to a closer. It's also worth noting his only previous outing in a handicap hurdle resulted in victory in the ultra-competitive Galway Hurdle in 2018.
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