Check out our Cheltenham Day 1 recap from BoyleSports Horse Racing Ambassadors Bryan Cooper & Robbie Power after the most dramatic opening day to the 2025 Festival.
Cheltenham Day 1 Recap From Bryan Cooper & Robbie Power
Robbie Power: The highs and lows of National Hunt racing, I think we’ve seen them all here in one day.
Supreme Novices Hurdle Recap
It started off with Kopek Des Bordes who was a brilliant winner of the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.
Bryan Cooper: Kopek Des Bordes was unbelievable. I’m delighted to see it for his owners, they’ve backed him and it was great to see them enjoy it so much. I thought it was a very good race. They went a proper gallop and there were no hiding places and I’d say the first two are future champions that we’ll see down the road.
I thought William Munny ran a very good race. He had a bit of ground to make up on the first three at the top of the hill but I thought it was a proper race and two horses that we’re going to see a lot more of in the future.
Robbie Power: Definitely and two horses that will be looking forward to fences next year especially William Munny who’ll be a better chaser.
Arkle Chase Recap
Robbie Power: 40 minutes later was the Arkle with Majborough , looked everything, looked to be going really well and then with two fences left made a terrible mistake.
Bryan Cooper: Majborough obviously never learnt his lesson from Leopardstown which I thought he would have. I suppose maybe there’s a different style of fences in England compared to Ireland. He rubbed one on the forth last maybe and I thought maybe he might have got away with it there. He probably thought I can do this again at the second last and that’s what he did and he landed on all fours.
I thought he did incredibly well to finish where he did considering that. It’s a shame but it’s Cheltenham, nothing gets handed to you on a plate over here and he definitely found that out.
Robbie Power: Exactly, and I thought it was a brilliant ride by Nico de Boinville on Jango Baie. He couldn’t go the gallop early on, he jumped out to make the running and couldn’t hold the gallop, let the horse find his feet, run to come home and he came home and picked up the pieces.
Mares’ Hurdle Recap
Robbie Power: In the Mares’ Hurdle Lossiemouth is different gravy in that company over 2 and a half miles.
Bryan Cooper: I very rarely agree with David Jennings and especially last night [BoyleSports Cheltenham preview night] but it’s a shame she didn’t show up [for the Champion Hurdle]. But it was great to see her come back off her fall at Leopardstown and show that she still retains that ability she has and she’s a lot younger than the likes of Constitution Hill and all of these and I’m looking forward to seeing her next year. It was an incredible performance.
I think Jade De Grugy as well, she could be a great chaser next year. She put in a hell of a run on an interrupted campaign and they’re two very exciting mares.
Robbie Power: Definitely. Lossiemouth was in a league of her own.
Champion Hurdle Recap
Robbie Power: Then 40 minutes later, maybe Rich Ricci and connections were feeling that maybe they should have gone for the Champion Hurdle. I don’t think anyone in the world could have predicted what we saw in the Champion Hurdle.
First of all, Constitution Hill falls at the 4th last, Brighterdaysahead never ran her race at all, and then State Man down at the last on what may have been a long stride. I thought the petrol gauge was starting to run on empty and that’s why Paul Townend went on the fourth stride, he clipped the top of it and down he came. That left the door open for Golden Ace , the winner of the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle here last year, to go and win for Jeremy Scott.
Huge credit to connections of Golden Ace for taking the chance and throwing her into a race that she looked like she had no chance in and she comes out and wins.
Bryan Cooper: I suppose as well of all years to throw her in when they’re talking about it being the greatest Champion Hurdle that’s been ran. Honestly, I’m still in a bit of shock after what’s happened. I just can’t figure out – whatever about Constitution Hill falling – but then obviously at the last [State Man’s fall], with Paul [Townend] you have to keep the momentum up and go forward and he would have felt twice as guilty if he sat up and took a bull and he done it as well. You commit, you go, and you need momentum to get you up that hill.
The only thing I’ll say about the mare is I think Brighterdaysahead with the run at Leopardstown at Christmas – I know it’s a long time since it happened – but maybe it has taken its toll.
Robbie Power: She had a hard race at Leopardstown at Christmas you’re right. But I’d go back to the fact that she got beaten in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle here last year, was blamed for a slow pace. Maybe she just doesn’t handle this track; a lot of her family didn’t handle this track either. Maybe Cheltenham is not her place.
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