Cheltenham New Year's Day review and free video replays

Magic moment for Edmunds

Miami Magic cast a spell over his rivals to open his account over fences and set up a trip to the Cheltenham Festival with victory in the Ellenborough Park Hotel ‘Chasing Excellence’ Novices’ Chase.

Although failing to totally convince on his first two starts over fences the Leading Light gelding looked a natural over them on this occasion when taking a step to an extended two and a half miles in his stride.

Right from the word go the 13/2 chance, who was as big as 18/1 on Thursday morning, looked a different animal over the larger obstacles after measuring the first few fences well at the sharp end of the race alongside favourite Regent’s Stroll.

Turning for home all bar Knight Of Allan appeared to hold some kind of chance, but despite jumping the last big the seven-year-old, who finished second in the Grade One Formby Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree last season, bounded away up the run in to score by four lengths from Regent’s Stroll.

Edmunds said: “He had some good form over hurdles, but he just hadn’t bent his back and jumped his chase fences as he should, but today he has.

“I don’t think he has given him a smack. He went very long once or twice and I thought in a minute he is going to miss one short, but he didn’t and he kept coming.

“I think good ground really suits him as he loves to bounce off good ground. We have mainly campaigned him over two miles, although Kempton Park was two miles two (furlongs), but he was always on it and they were pushing him along. You just have to be delighted today.

“He is a horse that wouldn’t take too much racing as he is quite revvy, before and after, more than during a race. I was expecting to finish third or fourth today and come back here in March for the two and a half mile novices’ handicap off a nice mark, but we’ve f*&?ed that! It is a nice problem to have."

Classy Matata back in the groove

Matata ensured it was a real family affair after securing his first win in almost a year when showing his rivals a clean pair of hooves in the Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase.

Without a win to his name since putting in a bold display of front running at Windsor last January the eight-year-old gelding finally snapped his losing sequence in the £100,000 test.

Switching from his usual front running tactics to more patient ones paid dividends for the Nigel and Willy Twiston-Davies-trained son of Vadamos who was not for stopping at the end of the extended two and a half miles test.

Moving stylishly through his rivals in the hands of Sam Twiston-Davies the 6/1 chance cleared the final two fences in taking fashion before powering clear late on to score by nine and a half lengths to leave connections mulling a return to Grade One company.

Nigel Twiston-Davies said: “He does love it around Cheltenham, but he has never been at his best around Cheltenham funnily enough as because he has been so free he has had trouble getting up the hill.

“He has learnt to settle for the first time ever today and he has got his two and a half miles well.

"He settled going away, but he got a bit revvy coming around the bottom bend, but I think Sam did a brilliant job settling him. He is still a lunatic at home though. He was cantering at the top of the hill, it was just a case as if he was going to get up the hill, which he did, which was lovely.

“We have been wanting to go this distance for a long time, but the fact he settled so beautifully was great. Sam has ridden him nearly every day at home this last week and he absolutely loves him. I think that all helps. We can think about the Ryanair again."

Fine Greatrex form continues

Warren Greatrex has next season’s Welsh Grand National in mind for Herakles Westwood, but a trip to the Festival beckons before that after he got his season up and running in the Betfair Handicap Chase.

On what was his third appearance at the Gloucestershire circuit this season the nine-year-old finally gained a deserved first success of the campaign when building on two solid efforts in defeat in the extended three mile one furlong prize.

In a race that was not short of drama, with Excello taking a spectacular tumble mid race, and both Does He Know and Jasmin De Grugy also falling, the 11/2 chance managed to keep on his feet to come with a sustained challenge towards the penultimate fence.

Victory for a fleeting moment after the last looked to be going the way of Katate Dori, however Herakles Westwood was not to be denied with James Bowen getting the response he required from his mount before the pair struck gold by half a length.

Greatrex said: “He stays any trip you want and he is a very solid horse. The horses have been brilliant all season and he deserved that and he gave him a great ride.

“We just wanted a free run as Sean (Bowen), when he came in the last day, half kicked himself as he didn’t really know him. He said I should have kept on at him down the hill as he hit a bit of a flat spot and then flew home after thinking I would be beaten quite a way.

“He is some jumper and he is very honest and he stays forever. Once he jumped the last he was never going to be beat as he is so tough. I’m chuffed for the horse as he has been knocking at the door.

“He loves Cheltenham and he gives it everything he has got. I’m chuffed for the owners too and it is a great start to the year. I might give him a break and come straight back here as he has had three fairly quick runs.

“The Ultima is one race and the Kim Muir is another and I think next season he is a Welsh Grand National horse."

Gethings breaks Cheltenham duck

Cierran Gethings welcomed in 2026 in perfect fashion by celebrating his first winner at Cheltenham aboard Step Ahead in the Enquire About The Cheltenham Bloodstock Club Maiden Hurdle.

Having found only Moneygarrow too strong on his hurdling debut at Warwick last time out, the Kim Bailey and Mat Nicholls-trained six-year-old went one better after putting in a tenacious display in the extended two and a half mile test.

Always to the fore, the 3/1 chance pressed on into a slender lead approaching the last, where he was stalked by favourite and eventual runner-up Just Golden, who still appeared to be travelling full of zest under Harry Skelton.

However, after jumping the last almost as one it was the son of Walk In The Park that was to get better of an entertaining battle on the run to the line with Gethings, who had been out of luck in his previous 81 rides at the track, driving his mount home by a neck.

Gethings said: “It is my first Cheltenham winner and it is a relief. I’ve had more than 80 rides here and I only live 15 minutes away as well, and my godson was here to watch as well which was great.

"It kind of did go to plan. We kind of knew that there would be competition for the lead. I was happy to go forward over the first couple then when Paul (O’Brien on Kiwi Rush) went on he relaxed in second.

“I knew it was close, but I was quite confident he (Just Golden) was not getting past. He always felt like he was finding a bit. He is a clever horse as he keeps a bit up his sleeve.

“I think he is a very good horse. He will probably go over three miles before long, but early on in a race is crucial as he has to relax. His jumping is a big asset and he is a horse with a big future.”

And equally delighted with the result was joint-trainer Nicholls, who believes Step Ahead will be seen to better effect over three miles and when switched to fences.

Nicholls said: “He had good bumper form and we thought he was pretty smart. We were a bit gutted to get beat first time at Warwick, but the winner had experience and he was a one hundred and twenty eight rated horse.

“We thought the track would suit him, but I was slightly concerned about the ground.

“He will get further, but it is great to have a winner at Cheltenham on the first day of the new year. He is a proper horse and he will be a three mile chaser in time. It is a shame his owner is not here as he is a good bloke.

“I said to him you’ve got a runner at Cheltenham at 12.15pm, but he said he would be lucky if would be awake by that time as by all accounts he was having a big New Year’s Eve!"

Cobden cool as you like

Ma Shantou continued to stake a claim to be Emma Lavelle’s new stable flagbearer after getting his career back on track in the Best Odds On The Betfair Exchange Handicap Hurdle.

Having made a winning return at the track in October the seven-year-old then failed to land a blow last time out at Haydock Park, however he showed that run to be all wrong when proving too strong for his rivals in the three mile test.

Produced to challenge on the dash to the line from the back of the last the 3/1 chance quickened up well to defeat 7/4 favourite Ace Of Spades by a length and a quarter to leave Lavelle mulling over stepping the Shantou gelding up in class again.

Lavelle said: “I’ve no idea what happened at Haydock Park as we expected him to go and run a massive race, but he just flopped so badly. Watching him walk around the paddock today I thought he looked really good in his skin and his coat and he was just bouncing.

“He is going up in the weights, and he is going to go up again, but he likes this track. For whatever reason it really suits him and Harry (Cobden) said he had a bit left under the bonnet.

“Clearly the Pertemps would probably make more sense, but would you throw him in a Stayers’ Hurdle. He will have an entry in both.

“He is qualified for the Pertemps, but I think we will make an entry for the Stayers’ Hurdle and look. The Cleeve Hurdle is a possibility, but we will see how he comes out of this. I would love to say yes, let’s bring him here for the Cleeve and get an idea whether he is at that level or not, but we will see how he comes out of this and make a decision. I think he is worth a try back in a graded race.”

Gold takes top spot again

Solly’s Gold maintained his unbeaten record to give the Value Racing Club their first ever winner at the track when bursting through late on in the 18-24 Get Your Racepass ‘Junior’ National Hunt Flat Race.

Arriving on the back of a stylish win at Wetherby 26 days ago the Soldier Of Fortune gelding backed that up when demonstrating his class under champion jockey Sean Bowen in the Listed heat.

With Bowen keen not to hit the front too soon on the James Owen-trained 9/4 favourite he produced the market leader to come with a well-timed run late on in the two miles one furlong test before steering him to glory by two and a half lengths.

James Couldwell, Value Racing Club manager, said: “I have dreamed of a Cheltenham winner for a long time. I’ve been in racing for more than twenty years and I’ve been running Value Racing for twelve seasons.

“We have had a couple of placed horses here, but never a winner. We have always come here with double figure pokes so there was a bit of pressure on today.

“I spoke to James last night and he said everything he does at home he wouldn’t swap him for the world. All he had to do was settle. He was quite keen for the first two or three furlongs but Sean did a great job covering him up.

“He is bred to stay, but he has got a turn of boot which suggests he is a nice horse. We will look for another Listed bumper as we want to save him for hurdles next season."

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