47 juveniles have been entered for the 2025 edition of the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle. The contest is the only handicap exclusive to four-year-olds at the Cheltenham Festival and is the penultimate race on Tuesday which has seen some notable shocks in the past decade.
The field this year could well have a continental feel with Stencil among the 47 early possibles for Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm. Based in France and owned by JP McManus, who won this most recently with Brazil in 2022, Stencil was a gallant but distant runner-up to East India Dock in the Grade 2 Triumph Hurdle Trial on his first run on these shores, but that was a performance full of potential.
Willie Mullins was responsible for runner-up Gaelic Warrior when Brazil won three years ago and Willy Du Houelle represents the same connections this season. Having disappointed on his first two starts, he improved to be a close fourth at the Dublin Racing Festival in Grade 1 company and it will be interesting to see how the British handicapper rates him.
Joseph O’Brien sent out a winner in the colours of the Mulryans last term courtesy of Lark In The Mornin. Naturally Nimble could be their mutual representative this year; he beat Willy Du Houelle earlier in the season, while Puturhandstogether and Beyond Your Dreams are both hurdlers in the hands of O’Brien and racing in McManus’s green and gold hoops.
Flying Tiger was the last British runner to win this in 2017. It does not look overly likely that the drought will end this season, but Viyanni has made light work of weaker rivals and competed strongly against some talented ones, while both Lavender Hill Mob and Liam Swagger were useful flat horses for James Owen and could be ready improvers.
Meanwhile, Gordon Elliott has a fine record in this race, with three winners in the last seven renewals. His challenge looks a little thinner this term, but Wendrock is a potential runner for him in the maroon of Gigginstown, as is Lakota Blue, either of whom could prove up to the task.
Fred Winter Entries 2025
| Number | Horse | Trainer |
| 1 | Action Plan | Gerard O’Leary |
| 2 | Belfrina | David Pipe |
| 3 | Beyond Your Dreams | Joseph O’Brien |
| 4 | Bust A Move | Michael & David Easterby |
| 5 | Butter Fingers | Ross O’Sullivan |
| 6 | Chortal | Gordon Elliott |
| 7 | Continuance | Martin Keighley |
| 8 | Drusilla | Cian Collins |
| 9 | Ephesus | Denis Gerard Hogan |
| 10 | Galactic Charm | Gary & Josh Moore |
| 11 | Holy See | William Durkan |
| 12 | Hosaamm | Adrian Paul Keatley |
| 13 | Hot Fuss | Tom Dascombe |
| 14 | Kaptain Bay | Noel Meade |
| 15 | Kool One | Conor David Maxwell |
| 16 | Lady Vega Allen | Willie Mullins |
| 17 | Lakota Blue | Gordon Elliott |
| 18 | Last Kingdom | Willie Mullins |
| 19 | Lavender Hill Mob | James Owen |
| 20 | Liam Swagger | James Owen |
| 21 | Luker’s Tipple | Andrew Kinirons |
| 22 | Mambonumberfive | Ben Pauling |
| 23 | Marche d’Aligre | Jamie Snowden |
| 24 | Mister Cessna | Fergal O’Brien |
| 25 | Moutarde | Anthony Charlton |
| 26 | Murcia | Willie Mullins |
| 27 | Naturally Nimble | Joseph O’Brien |
| 28 | Ocean Request | Nigel Twiston-Davies |
| 29 | Opec | James Owen |
| 30 | Out For A Stroll | Joseph O’Brien |
| 31 | Puturhandstogether | Joseph O’Brien |
| 32 | Quantock Hills | Warren Greatrex |
| 33 | Robbies Rock | Gavin Cromwell |
| 34 | Slurricane | Ross O’Sullivan |
| 35 | Solar Drive | Paul W Flynn |
| 36 | Sony Bill | Willie Mullins |
| 37 | Space Warrior | Thomas Mullins |
| 38 | Star Of Guiting | Nigel Twiston-Davies |
| 39 | Static | Olly Murphy |
| 40 | Stencil | Noel George & Amanda Zetterholm |
| 41 | Teriferma | Jack Jones |
| 42 | Torrent | Nigel Hawke |
| 43 | Total Look | Gavin Cromwell |
| 44 | Turn And Finish | Harry Derham |
| 45 | Viyanni | Harry Derham |
| 46 | Wendrock | Gordon Elliott |
| 47 | Willy Du Houelle | Willie Mullins |