Matt Brocklebank looks back on Cheltenham's December meeting and has a spring handicap specialist in mind, plus an early eyecatcher for the Fred Winter.
Destined for greater things
Jagwar shaped like much more than a handicapper in Saturday’s Support The Hunt Family Fund December Gold Cup Handicap Chase.
You don’t always get a genuine top-notcher in this event these days, but plenty have featured over the years – Fakir d’Oudairies was fifth in the Cheltenham race on his way down the ratings, admittedly, in the 2023 renewal, Frodon won it twice in 2018 and 2016, while in between that famous double his fellow King George-winning stablemate Clan Des Obeaux was a brave second when trying to concede eventual winner Guitar Pete 19lb in weight in the 2017 December Gold Cup.
There were shades of Clan Des Obeaux about Jagwar’s effort, not just the considerable weight concession to Saturday’s scorer Glengouly but also the way in which he was quite scruffy in his jumping early on before really warming to the task late on, as was the case too when landing the Plate back in March.
Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero had suggested pre-race that the Ryanair Chase would ideally be Jagwar’s big target at the Festival this time around, but he’s not been given an entry in the Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase back here on New Year’s Day (more on that to follow) so maybe he’ll be tackling three miles next time we see him as he’s definitely shaping more and more like a stayer.
Either way, having been raised just 1lb to a mark of 149, there’s clearly still scope to go for another handicap before the sights are raised in the spring. I don’t think an entry in the Gold Cup would be too fanciful, personally.
Junior learning his trade
Sticking with Cheltenham Saturday, the juvenile picture became a little bit clearer thanks to Minella Study’s runaway victory in the three-year-old race, although the beaten horses might be of greater interest for the purposes of this column seeing as Adam Nicol – trainer of the winner – understandably has his eyes on the Grade 1 Triumph itself for his horse.
Nicky Henderson has run lots of promising types in the JCB Triumph Trial at the December fixture and it could be worth giving another opportunity to the easy-to-back Macshadow Des Crai, who already had a spin over jumps during his time in France but has yet to receive a BHA mark after last week’s first run in the UK saw him well held.
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Sam Drinkwater’s Wolf Rayet, beaten 11 lengths in fourth behind Minella Study after suffering some trouble after the turn for home, should be competitive off his opening rating of 119, but when it comes to the Fred Winter at the Festival it could be weekend runner-up Winston Junior who has the more realistic credentials.
Waited with under quite considerable restraint by Harry Cobden, he looked to be making good headway before briefly being blocked in his intended run up the stands' side rail. Forced to switch, Winston Junior ended up jumping the final flight right out in the centre of the track and he wasn’t given a hard time on the run-in.
This performance can be marked up significantly and he's been given a figure of 124 which looks eminently exploitable for his in-fashion trainer, Faye Bramley, of Glengouly fame.
Still a spring chicken
The other one who deserves a mention from the same card is Sans Bruit, a very moderate 20-length fifth behind the thriving David’s Well on the face of it. This was his third quiet-ish run of the campaign but he’s just not got going properly yet and it’s worth underlining this horse’s career form figures during the month of April, including while trained in France, which read 121121311.
Paul Nicholls will have spotted this a mile off and is probably already looking forward to getting San Bruit cherry-ripe for the big spring Festivals. He’s skipped Cheltenham for the past two years (wouldn’t have made the cut for the Grand Annual in 2023) – and maybe he just doesn’t really like the undulations – but he’s been dropped another 2lb to 139 on the back of this latest display and, if the Festival is calling, he clearly won’t be balloted out of much given that sort of mark.
It’s precisely the same one from which he won the Sussex Champion Chase Handicap Chase at Plumpton (you guessed it) last April, and you can pretty much count on him coming good again after the annual January lull in Ditcheat. He's only seven, rising eight, after all.
On Friday, Martin Keighley could be forgiven for feeling a little bit unlucky with Continuance and Pike Road, his pair having been beaten half a length and a length and a quarter respectively in fairly competitive events.
Pike Road was messed about late on in the stayers’ event and can remain competitive despite going up 1lb to 116 for ultimately finishing fourth, but Continuance is of more interest in the short term.
Still only four, he bumped into Dan Skelton’s obvious County Hurdle project Fortune De Mer, who won with any amount in hand to be fair, and a 3lb rise for finishing a gallant second doesn’t look too harsh for Continuance. He raced over a mile and a half on the Flat and should be capable of stepping up in trip as he progresses over hurdles.
The promised Land
The aforementioned Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase – won last year by the subsequently ill-fated Springwell Bay – comes up next in the series of competitive handicaps over fences around the intermediate trip at Prestbury Park.
Last week's star Glengouly featured among the 27 entries which were published this week, while the likes of Vincenzo, Hoe Joly Smoke, Imperial Saint, Il Ridoto, Colonel Harry, Martator and Es Perfecto could all reoppose.
Last month’s Peter O’Sullevan winner Booster Bob, raised 7lb to 139 for his comfortable comeback success at Newbury, is one of the fresher faces in this sort of field, while In d’Or – favourably mentioned here last week – skips the Howden Silver Cup Handicap Chase at Ascot this Saturday and could now be rerouted to Cheltenham instead.
It would represent a drop in trip for Fergal O’Brien’s charge, while that would also be the case for Stuart Edmunds’ mare Marsh Wren, who disappointed in a three-mile Listed mares' race at Market Rasen last time.
Among the more interesting at this early stage are top-weight Jungle Boogie, who has been on the move again – this time switching to Venetia Williams from from Henry De Bromhead – and Just Over Land who is at the opposite end of the handicap.
Sam Thomas seems to have progressive young chasers coming out of his ears at the moment and Just Over Land has gone up 6lb to 120 after completing a November-December double over two and a half miles at Fontwell and Chepstow. He’s got deep-ground form in the book from his hurdling days and is a full-brother to the same connections’ Good Risk At All, who showed the odd flash of real quality and peaked at a BHA mark of 143.
Published at 15:00 GMT on 17/12/25
Handicap Hints series
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