GBCheltenham Races

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Cheltenham
16:00
Valda Energy Novices' Handicap Hurdle (GBB Race)
Cheltenham Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2025 Distance: 2m½f Type: Hurdle Going: Soft Class: Class 3 Surface: Turf
Win: £7.70 Place: £2.50 £1.50 £3.30 Exacta: £23.20 Tricast: £144.23 Trifecta: £152.70
Non-Runners: Amancio (unsuitable ground), Doctor Glide (unsuitable ground), Fortune De Mer (unsuitable ground)
Pos No. Horse Notes Age/Sex Status Jockey Trainer Weight SP Beaten By Comment
1st 8 French Emperor (FR) 4 G Good
Nicky Martin 157 lbs 5/1 Won Race run in near darkness - pressed leaders - went third and not fluent last - ridden to lead run-in - kept on well(op 13/2 tchd 5/1)
2nd 2 Jack Hyde (IRE) 6 G Good
Fergal O'Brien 161 lbs 11/4 1.25 Race run in near darkness - prominent - led before 2 out - joined before last - lost position run-in - kept on(op 7/2)
3rd 5 Frontier Prince (GB) 3 G AVG
Fergal O'Brien 162 lbs 10/1 1.75 Race run in near darkness - disputed lead before last where not fluent - lost position run-in - no extra towards finish(op 11/1 tchd 9/1)
4th 15 Aeroplane Blonde (GB) 5 G Poor
Samuel Drinkwater 151 lbs 28/1 4 Race run in near darkness - held up in rear - headway 5th - joined leaders but mistake 3 out - weakened run-in(op 25/1 tchd 20/1)
5th 9 Sage Green (IRE) 5 G AVG
Syd Hosie 156 lbs 80/1 1.75 Race run in near darkness - midfield - headway 3 out - joined leaders 2 out - weakened last(tchd 66/1 and tchd 100/1)
6th 18 Alphonse Le Grande (IRE) 5 G AVG
A J Martin 142 lbs 5/2F 2 Race run in near darkness - midfield - headway 2 out - outpaced before last(op 9/4)
7th 11 Pure Gold (GB) 4 F AVG
Lisa Harrison 154 lbs 28/1 2 Race run in near darkness - in rear - headway 2 out - stayed on run-in(op 25/1 tchd 33/1)
8th 13 Lucky Bere (FR) 4 G Poor
Kayley Woollacott 153 lbs 18/1 6.5 Race run in near darkness - pressed leaders - weakened after 2 out(op 14/1)
9th 16 Bobby's Fortune (IRE) 5 G AVG
Evan Williams 143 lbs 28/1 2.25 Race run in near darkness - in rear throughout - mistake 3 out(op 33/1 tchd 28/1 and tchd 40/1)
10th 10 The Expensive One (IRE) 5 G AVG
Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies 155 lbs 20/1 6.5 Race run in near darkness - prominent on inner - stumbled 3 out - weakened 2 out(op 16/1 tchd 14/1)
11th 7 Quint Major (IRE) 6 G Poor
M A Molloy 157 lbs 50/1 0.2 Race run in near darkness - never better than midfield(op 40/1)
12th 12 Katakana (FR) 5 M AVG
Henry De Bromhead 153 lbs 14/1 1.75 Race run in near darkness - midfield - in rear from 3 out(op 16/1 tchd 18/1)
13th 6 Shade Of Winter (IRE) 5 G Poor
Evan Williams 158 lbs 6/1 11 Race run in near darkness - led - headed before 2 out where bad mistake - soon weakened quickly (jockey said gelding made a bad mistake at the second last hurdle)(tchd 13/2)
99th 14 Bruant (GB) 4 G AVG
A J Martin 152 lbs 22/1 - Race run in near darkness - headway into midfield 4th - not fluent 3 out - soon weakened - pulled up last (an inquiry held into the running and riding; jockey stated his instructions were to drop in at the rear in order to get the gelding to relax; he added gelding raced very keenly in the early stages when positioned in amongst runners; he continuted that having turned into the back straight he was able to get some control of the gelding before the race opened up in front of him thereby resulting in gelding taking hold of the bridle again and improving quickly onto the back of the front few runners; he further added having reached the top of the hill he felt gelding take a blow - weakening rapidly from underneath him and he felt it in the best interests of both the gelding and himself to not ask for an effort before pulling up; jockey reported gelding ran too free)(op 12/1 tchd 25/1)
99th 17 Farhh Echo (IRE) 3 G Poor
D J Jeffreys 140 lbs 125/1 - Midfield - not fluent and lost position 4th - lost touch 3 out - tailed off when pulled up last(tchd 150/1)