The National Hunt season is in full flow and after a busy festive period of racing, which included the historic King George VI Chase, the Leopardstown Christmas Festival and the Welsh Grand National, there was no let-up in the schedule as the calendar reset for a very exciting year of racing — which will see racegoers return to the Cheltenham Festival for the first time since 2020 and Aintree for the Grand National after a three-year absence.
Anticipation for those meetings is rife, with punters already scouring the ante-post markets on racing betting sites in a bid to get the best odds out there, but let’s not jump the gun too soon. After all, we don’t want to overshadow some of the big races we have already had so far this year, or the ones still to come over the next month. That said, let’s take a look back at some of the sport’s big winners from January…
Cheltenham – New Year Meeting
Dipper Novices’ Chase (Grade 2) – L’Homme Presse
It was a routine win for L’Homme Presse in the Dipper Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham New Year Meeting. The Venetia Williams-trained horse was the favourite ahead of the two-mile, four-and-a-half-furlong race and proved why as he made all the running, jumping well and going on to win the Grade 2 outing by a comfortable 10 lengths. The seven-year-old, who is three for three this season, has since been cut to around 7/1 for the Turners Novices’ Chase at the Festival.
New Year’s Day Handicap Chase (Grade 3) – Vienna Court
The highlight of the New Year’s Day card was won by 10/1 shot Vienna Court. Trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies and ridden by his son Sam, it wasn’t the best of races as all the horses seemed to lack a bit of fluency. But the seven-year-old soon kicked into gear, taking the lead two from home and being ridden out to beat Simply The Betts by little less than two lengths. Willie Mullins’ Stormy Ireland was another Grade 2 winner at the Cheltenham meeting as he won the Relkeel Hurdle later in the day.
Ascot – Clarence House Chase Raceday
The Warfield Mares’ Hurdle (Grade 2) – Molly OllysWishes
The Clarence House Chase racecard was proving to be a successful day for the Skelton brothers — trainer Dan and jockey Harry. With two wins already in the bag, the duo landed their hat-trick and biggest victory of the day in the Grade 2 Warfield Mares’ Hurdle with Molly OllysWishes. Western Victory had built up a 17-length advantage with a circuit to go, but it always felt like the horse had given too much, too soon and that proved to be the case as it ultimately finished second last. Instead, Molly Ollys Wishes started to make headway four out and held on to win by a length and three quarters clear of My Sister Sarah.
Clarence House Chase (Grade 1) – Shishkin
‘Will they, or won’t they?’ That was the question on every racing fan’s lips in the build–up to the Grade 1 Clarence House Chase as the anticipation for Shishkinvs Energumene grew. In the end, Mullins and Nicky Henderson kept their unbeaten chasers in the race and it made for one fantastic spectacle! Energumeneperformed much better than Shishkin, jumping more fluently throughout. However, the quality of Henderson’s horse was there for all to see when he clawed back the two-length deficit on the home straight to beat Energumene by a length. We can’t wait to see it all again in the Queen Mother Champion Chase!
