A spectacular week comes to a close on Friday as the 2025 Cheltenham Festival reaches a crescendo. GG’s in-house tipster looks to end the week on a high, including with a 50/1 shot in the final race of the meeting…
2.00 Cheltenham – William Hill County Handicap Hurdle
Although Paul Townend will be aboard Kargese, preference is for ABSURDE to go back-to-back in the County Hurdle with Danny Mullins up top this time. He was aboard Jimmy Du Seuil in the Coral Cup on Wednesday, and it may just be that there is little to choose between Mullins’ top runners when it comes to jockey bookings.
The seven-year-old was given a confident and clever ride to win this last year, but he probably had loads in hand at the ratings. Given what runner-up L’Eau du Sud has achieved this season, that was probably a serious effort to concede weight to him, while Absurde has since won at Listed level on the flat, and finished a close fifth in the Melbourne Cup.
Ground is no issue for him at all, and though he has not run over obstacles since his 2024 County victory, that has almost certainly been a deliberate ploy to keep his mark down. He is confidently expected to go very close again.
2.40 Cheltenham – Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase (Grade 2)
Dinoblue is definitely the most solid option and should reverse form with the out-of-form Limerick Lace from last year’s running, but it is striking that her only really disappointing run in the last two seasons came on the only start she has had with “good” in the going description.
She is consistent, but she is beatable. It is also noteworthy that Keith Donoghue, who rode Limerick Lace to success last season, has jumped ship to BRIDES HILL and she may well be Gavin Cromwell’s main hope this year. She has suffered odds-on reverses the last twice, but might be coming to the boil at the right time.
The eight-year-old peaked in the spring last season, thumping her rivals in the Punchestown equivalent of this race by 21 lengths and more. She was well below her best at Doncaster in December, but was better last time behind a progressing rival, conceding her 6lb. With the suspicion that she is about to come good, she can cause a minor upset.
4.40 – St James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase
This is a notoriously tricky race to call given the amateur riders and background of the horses racing. Nevertheless, there is a clear standout in ANGELS DAWN, a former winner of the Kim Muir over course and distance two years ago and who has taken well to a return to point-to-points this season.
She was booked for second in last year’s Kim Muir off a mark of 142 when falling at the second last last season, so she was still performing to a high standard in traditional handicaps as recently as 12 months ago. She had also been a close third in the Thyestes Chase at Gowran.
Since November, she has won both points, and the runner-up in the second of those has since won a hunter chase at Naas by 12 lengths, beating Its On The Line among others. While Emmet Mullins’ charge is feared given his record in this race, Angels Dawn may just have too much class as a ten-year-old who would appear to remain near the peak of her powers.
5.20 – Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle
There is no doubt that Kopeck De Mee might prove the best-treated horse of the entire Festival in handicap company. However, having complete confidence that that’s the case on his first start for Willie Mullins may also be an exercise in futility at his skinny odds.
Although Dan Skelton has gained his handicap success at Cheltenham more in the Coral Cup and County Hurdle, he would have won this in 2021 had Galopin Des Champs not got in Langer Dan’s way. He only has two the race this year and it may just be that DOYEN QUEST has the potential to shock them all.
The seven-year-old could not have won any easier over 3m here in November. However, he was then outstayed over that trip next time out, as he was at Musselburgh, while he was never put in the race at Kempton. Unlike many of Skeltons in big handicaps, he is not at all found in the market, but a decent pace in this race could suit his closing nature and he can outrun his odds at the very least.
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