Paul Kealy

1 week ago | racingpost.com | James Stevens |Paul Kealy

The layers expect Willie Mullins to get the better of this battle, as his Sainte Tartare is forecast to go off favourite while Dan Skelton's hurdles debutant Settle Down Jill is one of the outsiders. Sainte Tartare was off the mark on her third attempt over hurdles, winning by a wide margin on heavy ground at Limerick in January. She has never raced on good ground and missed her intended debut last August because of it, but is a half-sister to four winners, three of whom handled it fine.

1 week ago | racingpost.com | Paul Kealy |James Stevens

The Challenger Series Final, of which this is one of two at Cheltenham with a couple more to come at Haydock, gives Dan Skelton a tiny edge over Willie Mullins in the battle for the trainers' championship as the latter will not have had any run in qualifiers. How much prize-money he can collect from fiercely competitive races is another matter, and his sole representative here, Pawapuri, has19 rivals to deal with.

2 months ago | racingpost.com | Paul Kealy |David Carr

A really competitive running of the Surrey National, in which Here Comes McCoy bids to atone for a desperately unlucky defeat on his return at Uttoxeter last month. Olly Murphy's relatively lightly raced ten-year-old ought to have been three out of three in chases in 2024, but having won in January and March he belted the last when holding a two-length lead at Uttoxeter 52 days ago.

Jan 16, 2025 | racingpost.com | Paul Kealy

Honky Tony Highway has been chalked up as favourite for Windsor's opener (12.40) but with a top Racing Post Rating of 111 against three rivals who have hit 120-plus she's going to have to improve in a big way to reach the frame. She's opposable for Placepot purposes at the very least and much preferred are Dameofthecotswolds, an easy winner on her last two starts, and the unexposed Clondaw General, not entirely disgraced when sent into a Grade 2 last time.

Jan 16, 2025 | racingpost.com | Paul Kealy

Hansard3.35 WindsorHansard has scored second time out in each of his two seasons with Gary Moore, last term taking the Gerry Feilden at Newbury after running second to Rubaud in the Elite Hurdle at Wincanton. He clearly had his problems after that, though, as following a respectable close fifth to Luccia in a valuable handicap at Ascot, he wasn't seen again until just after Christmas at Kempton.