Cheltenham returns for its opening day of National Hunt action for the 2024/25 season on Friday. Matty Sutcliffe takes aim with a 50/1 shot among his five selections at Prestbury Park.
Published: 4.47pm, Wednesday, October 23rd (Odds correct at time of writing)
1:15 Cheltenham – Foundation Developments Handicap Hurdle (Class 3) (3yo+ 0-140) – Wyenot 8/1 1pt WIN
Henry Daly’s mare looked to have something special about her when bolting up under a penalty at Kelso last November, having comfortably dispatched of a subsequently 120 rated gelding on hurdles debut at Ludlow.
WYENOT was a drifter when pulling up at Lingfield next time out, evidently not running her race, but a subsequent 55 day break saw her regain the winning thread under Alice Stevens, giving 7lbs to Skelton’s second who’s won since. She had a stiff task next time out in a listed mares race at Cheltenham, won by the Mares’ Novice winner Golden Ace at 4/9F. Daly mentioned after Kempton that he was in two minds whether to run her again that season, so she mightn’t have been in prime form either. That was probably the case, as she was on and off the bridle throughout and did remarkably well having looked like tailing off after the second last, but she stuck on gamely when gathering a second wind, with only her and Golden Ace clocking a sub 15-sec last two furlongs.
That effort suggested she’s no problem getting this trip, and if she’s filled out her frame over the summer then there could be bags of potential to come from her off a mark of 123 (118 with Alice’s claim). She’s capable of going fresh with her record 31PU1, with the only poor run coming when clearly not right at Lingfield, and if she’s wound up for this first time out then provided she’s granted a prominent pitch, she can go well for a yard among the winners.
1:50 Cheltenham – William Hill Top Price Guarantee Novices’ Chase (GBB Race) (Class 2) (4yo+) – Noble Anthem 50/1 0.5pt WIN
This is a tentative selection, but I honestly don’t rate any of the Irish’s chances. Path d’Oroux is the obvious one at the weights, but he’s 0-10 over fences and his best efforts have tended to come when sitting in behind of a large field of runners. I think this smaller field will give him too much time to think, and he could overcomplicate things and concede ground through jumping errors.
Elliott’s mare is declared to run at Clonmel tomorrow so we may be down to four, though even if she does turn up here she tends to need to be held up, which wouldn’t be the obvious of winning rides around here. She’s never looked the most honest of mares, and I’m not sure what she achieved beating Ryan’s mare at Tipperary last time out receiving 6lbs, with the favourite falling at the 9th.
San Salvador is another who will be held up, capitalising off a pace collapse at Roscommon last time out and Listowel the time before. That will surely hinder her chances here. Jazzy Matty doesn’t look particularly well treated at the weights, and he’s another who might need a bigger field to be seen to better effect, given he won the Fred Winter not too long ago.
We get on to NOBLE ANTHEM, who is certainly the worst off at the weights, but that jumping performance at Sedgefield last time out was somewhat of an exhibition. He’s far from your archetypal NH bred chaser being by Starspangledbanner, but there is wining chaser’s on his damside which bodes optimism. My thinking is, is that if Robbie Dunne sets out to make all with him and his jumping from Sedgefield is replicated, then he could make all and put some of these to the sword. Sedgefield is a testing enough track, which is a testament to the potential he could have over fences. Adrian Keatley has only sent a handful of runners here, so either he’s here for an owners day out or the shrewd Langton based man thinks highly of this athletic gelding.
2:25 Cheltenham – squareintheair.com Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 2) (4yo+) – Matata 5/2 2pt WIN + Scarface 10/1 0.5pt EW 3 places
MATATA has form figures of 112 in handicaps and this drop back from graded company can see him register a deserved win. The son of Vadamos wasn’t foot perfect as a novice, but I thought he ran an excellent race over C&D in the Arkle despite beaten nineteen lengths, finishing six lengths behind Il Etait Temps who’s won two grade one’s since, and twelve length behind Found A Fifty who also won grade one next time out.
Matata was disappointing at Aintree when finishing last of ten, but didn’t appear to be on a going day and perhaps the Arkle took enough out of him. Prior to those two G1’s, he was perhaps unlucky not to beat JPR One in the G2 Lightning Novices’ Chase at Lingfield after an indifferent round of jumping, but JPR One was foot perfect there and from a handicapping perspective, the fact that Master Chewy was eight lengths in behind and is now rated 154 suggests a mark of 147 is more than workable. His second to Liberty Hunter (gave 10lbs) here on the New Course in January also reads well, give that one is now rated 12lbs higher.
All the aforementioned experience should stand him in good stead venturing out of novice company, and his record fresh reads 11124, with the first three coming on P2P debut, 250 days and 184 days, so I’ve no concern first time up. Nigel Twist Davies is in tremendous form, and won this race in 2017 so this appears the perfect race for Matata to take his record in October to 3/3.
I’d also like to play SCARFACE, as if this is run at a good clip, this one might have the stamina to stalk the leaders and capitalise on any of those weakening late on. He’s not been over this short since 2020 on hurdles debut, but I think he possesses some natural speed to drop back. I know we often bang on about the Old Course being more sharp, but you still need to stay at Cheltenham and it’s certainly not the easiest of two miles.
They thought he was good enough to contest the 2020 Ballymore, but struggled in that company and came back next season to win a pair of novices. He went off the boil like most of Tizzards later that year, and the switch to chasing didn’t provide much optimism originally. That was the case, until the cheek-pieces went on and he hasn’t looked back since, with his record in the aids reading 12113. Three of those efforts came at Plumpton including the Sussex Champion Chase, demonstrating what a well balanced, nippy sort he is and that will stand him well on this course.
He might’ve been done with by April, but it was still a fair effort behind In Excelsis Deo, with hold up tactics disrupting his usual prominent rhythm, and he did travel well before getting the last wrong and shaping as if not staying. He was only 2L behind the 151r Hang In There, who’s climbed a further 8lbs since after taking the 39k Summer Cup at Uttoxeter in June.
He returns this season a pound lower and it isn’t the easiest of starting points, but he’s a second season chaser who could easily go on and improve. I presume Brendan Powell had the choice of the Tizzard pair, so it’s interesting he chose Scarface over Triple Trade, who was second in this contest last season.
4:45 Cheltenham – Abu Dhabi Digital Markets Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle (Challenger 2-Mile Series Qualifier) (Class 3) (3yo+ 0-140) – Jilaijone 10/1 1pt WIN
Long term readers my remember my optimism for JILAIJONE, who I advised ante post for the Betfair Exchange Trophy and later suggested he could win the Betfair Hurdle. He was well beaten in the latter, but the deep ground appeared to go against him.
He was a typical backward French horse for Pipe, winning on debut at Footwell before going backwards thereafter. He returned last season a seemingly improved model, with four figures of 2223 including a second in the Masterson’s Hurdle behind Blueking d’Oroux, who is now rated 150.
I still retain the belief that there’s a smart horse in him, and perhaps the effects on another summer behind him has strengthened him both physically and mentally. He’s 6lbs lower than his Ascot second to Gin Coco, and with Harney taking off a further 6lbs he’s nicely handicapped for a a race of this nature, which is undoubtedly a weak enough 0-140. David Pipe has his string forward enough, and this better ground will suit Jilaijone.
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