Whilst many racing fans are already ticking off the days until the 2025 Cheltenham Festival, there is much to look forward to before the Prestbury Park party begins.
Those seeking a quality afternoon of Graded and handicap action need look no further than this coming Saturday, with top-class entertainment on offer up and down the country. Newcastle lays on one of its biggest days with the 2025 edition of the Eider Chase, whilst Southwell provides something for flat fans to sink their teeth into with the latest renewal of the Winter Derby.
With all due respect to the Eider Chase and the Winter Derby, the pick of the action comes in Sunbury-on-Thames, as Kempton lays on a compelling seven-race card. The Grade 2 trio of the Pendil Novices’ Chase, the Adonis Juvenile Hurdle, and the Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle top the bill from a class perspective, but the big betting heat arrives in the shape of the Ladbrokes Trophy Handicap Chase.
Grand National Hopefuls on Show
First run in 1988 as the Racing Post Chase, this three-mile Premier Handicap offers an excellent £150,000 in total prize money and invariably attracts a high-quality field. Falling a little close to events at the Cheltenham Festival, those who line up in the Ladbrokes Trophy tend to have that other big festival at Aintree as their major springtime target.
The trip may be over a mile shorter than that of the Aintree Grand National, and the fences significantly smaller, but both Rhyme ‘N’ Reason (1988) and Rough Quest (1996) followed up a win in this event with triumph in the most famous jumps race on the planet. Those victories advertise the merit of this race as a Grand National Trial, but we are now closing in on 30 years since a horse completed the Ladbrokes Trophy/Grand National double. Will that change in 2025? Connections of the leading contenders will certainly hope so.
Hyland to Go Where No Henderson Runner has Gone Before?
Nicky Henderson last landed this prize in 2004 when saddling Marlborough to victory. Twenty-one years is a long time to wait, but nothing like the barren spell the Seven Barrows handler has endured in the Aintree Grand National. Henderson began life as a trainer in 1978. As of 2024, he has yet to claim the most famous prize in the sport. Just about every trophy from the Cheltenham Festival resides in the Henderson trophy cabinet, but the shelf reserved for the Aintree showpiece remains bare.
Could Hyland be the horse to change all that? The much-improved eight-year-old is currently a general 50/1 shot for the Aintree Grand National, but the market likes his chance of enhancing his claims with Ladbrokes Trophy success.
Successful four times over the smaller obstacles, Hyland reached a peak hurdles rating of 135. Five starts into his chase career, he already looks like a significantly more talented operator over fences. Kicking off with impressive wins at Southwell and Cheltenham, he regressed with a sluggish display at Uttoxeter but has bounced back with a Listed win at Cheltenham and a fine second to The Jukebox Man in the Grade 1 Kauto Star Novices’ Hurdle.
An excellent jumper with abundant stamina, Hyland is a best price of 3/1 to come home in front on Saturday afternoon.
Iroko Heads Elsewhere Leaving a Field of 13
The Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero-trained Iroko was the second favourite for the Ladbrokes Trophy earlier in the week and the general third favourite for the Aintree Grand National. He rated an intriguing contender but won’t be lining up on the day, as his participation was ground-dependent. A strapping sort, he needed at least some give underfoot, which seems unlikely in the days leading up to the race. The Premier Chase at Kelso next weekend is now a more likely target.
Despite Iroko not taking his place in the field, Hyland will still need to be at his best to defy a host of talented rivals, including:
- Lowry’s Bar – This improving seven-year-old is rapidly becoming one of the stars of the Philip Hobbs & Johnson White operation. Beginning 2024/25 on a chase rating of 130, he now sits on a mark of 148, having finished in the first three in all four starts over fences
- Beachcomber – Representing the father and son training duo of Jonjo & A J O’Neill, Beachcomber took a while to find his feet over fences. However, he warmed to the task when storming to a 10-length success over course and distance last time, and a nine-pound rise may not be enough to stop him going close
- Our Power – Our Power’s course and distance success came in the 2023 edition of this event when prevailing by a neck in a thrilling renewal. He’s three pounds higher here but has returned in solid form with back-to-back seconds at Cheltenham
- Kandoo Kid – This Paul Nicholls star already has one big pot in the bag for 2024/25, having stayed on well to claim the Coral Gold Cup last time out at Newbury. The nine-year-old took a big step forward following a wind operation that day and may cope with a seven-pound higher mark. However he gets on here, he looks like an interesting Grand National contender, having stayed on well for third in the 2024 Topham Chase