D-day for Gordon Elliott? Top trainer bids to get off the mark at this year’s festival – this is how we rate his chances
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Thursday’s card at the Cheltenham Festival could be make or break for Gordon Elliott, who has yet to get off the mark at the meeting.
It took Elliott until the very last race of the 2025 festival to get on the board, with Wodhooh in the Martin Pipe, while in 2024 it was not until Teahupoo won the Stayers’ Hurdle that Elliott registered the first of his three winners. Both horses run for him today.
The Cullentra trainer has had two runners-up with Brighterdaysahead chasing home Lossiemouth in the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday and Favori De Champdou running a gallant second to Final Orders in the Cross Country yesterday.
However, there have been a fair share of disappointments, including Romeo Coolio, who was sent off the 2-1 favourite for the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase yesterday, only to be pulled up after making jumping errors. Of Elliott’s 28 runners at the meeting, he is one of ten not to complete the course.
Romeo Coolio: disappointed in the Brown AdvisoryCredit: Patrick McCann
Others include Search For Glory, who was disputing the lead in the Ultima Handicap Chase on Tuesday only to unseat James Smith at the final fence.
Wednesday was a particularly frustrating day for fallers, with Skylight Hustle and The Yellow Clay coming down at the third-last in the Turners Novices’ Hurdle and BetMGM Cup respectively. Pied Piper was well supported for the Cross Country but came to grief at the 21st obstacle.
Today will be the acid test for the stable as they saddle a host of leading contenders in the major races. Among them is Oldschool Outlaw in the opening Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (1.20), Wodhooh in the Mares’ Hurdle (2.40) and Teahupoo in the Stayers’ Hurdle (3.20).
Wodhooh: Cheltenham Festival winner is back in action on ThursdayCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)
Two of those runners contributed to mixed fortunes at last year’s festival, with Teahupoo epitomising an agonising week when finishing runner-up to Bob Olinger and Wodhooh’s victory in the concluding Martin Pipe prompting a rare outpouring of emotion from the trainer.
Both horses are unbeaten this season and renowned for their reliable records. Wodhooh is considered by some to be the archetypal Irish banker of the meeting after her chief rival Lossiemouth was switched to the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday.
She was last seen winning a Grade 3 at Leopardstown over Christmas, the same meeting at which Teahupoo registered a joint career-best effort in the Christmas Hurdle, when he had old foe Bob Olinger in behind.
As ever, Willie Mullins will represent the fly in the ointment for Elliott. The festival’s all-time leading trainer has welcomed five winners already, including in the hallmark races with Lossiemouth and Il Etait Temps.
He is responsible for some of the main dangers to Elliott, including Bambino Fever, Jade De Grugy and Ballyburn in the three marquee events.
What do we make of Elliott’s chances?
By Harry Wilson, tipster
Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (1.20)
Oldschool Outlaw
Oldschool Outlaw has the highest adjusted Racing Post Rating in the field, that figure being achieved when easily accounting for Place De La Nation (fifth in last year’s Triumph Hurdle) in a Grade 3 last time. She also took the notable scalp of favourite Bambino Fever on her hurdling debut at Naas in December. However, she had the benefit of race-fitness that day and caught Bambino Fever when Willie Mullins wasn’t firing on all cylinders. She may find it hard to confirm that form on this quick ground, given her best form has come on heavy, unlike Bambino Fever, who won last year’s Champion Bumper on good to soft.
Oldschool Outlaw: runs in the Mares’ Novices’ HurdleCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)
Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase (2.00)
Wingmen
Wingmen has bumped into some smart rivals in three beginners’ chases this season, notably chasing home yesterday’s Brown Advisory runner-up Final Demand on his debut and bumping into Kaid D’Authie (subsequent Grade 1 winner) last time. Once again his finishing effort was tame, though, which doesn’t fill you with confidence at this testing track, and it must be noted that his two efforts on the New course at Cheltenham last season were at least 12lb below his form in Ireland on RPRs.
Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle (2.40)
Wodhooh
Elliott has never hidden his bullishness when it comes to Wodhooh’s ability and she’s done nothing to prove him wrong, with her sole defeat from ten hurdles starts coming in last season’s Aintree Hurdle to Lossiemouth, who won Tuesday’s Champion Hurdle. Wodhooh is also unbeaten in two starts at Cheltenham and has been freshened up with this race in mind. She’s probably Elliott’s best chance all week.
Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle (3.20)
Teahupoo/Honesty Policy
Elliott has two live chances in the Stayers’ Hurdle. Teahupoo is the form horse in the race, having looked just as good as ever when easily winning the Christmas Hurdle. That has been the case coming into Cheltenham the last three years, though, and he’s won this race just once. He won’t love the quick ground either, which can’t be said of stablemate Honesty Policy, who won a Grade 1 novice at Aintree last season on good ground. He finished well to take third in the Long Walk last time, and has improvement in him, but that form leaves him with something to find with a few of these.
Teahupoo: unbeaten this seasonCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)
Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle (4.40)
Staffordshire Knot/Minella Sixo
Staffordshire Knot has won three of his last four – his sole defeat coming by half a length to Home By The Lee in a Grade 2 – and is a tough horse, but all his improvement has come on heavy ground and he may struggle to give weight all round. It’s also worth remembering he was only ninth in last year’s Coral Cup and he’s 9lb higher now. Minella Sixo bounced back to form from nowhere last time to qualify for this, but has been done no favours with an 8lb rise. He’s off the same mark as when finishing 18th in last year’s Martin Pipe and has a bit to prove.
Rosconn Group Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase (5.20)
Prends Garde A Toi/The Enabler
Prends Garde A Toi is a bit in and out, but his form behind Will The Wise (runner-up in Tuesday’s Plate) reads well and he hit the line well in the Grand National Trial in second-time cheekpieces (fell when wearing them for the first time). This test promises to suit, if getting a strong gallop, and Elliott won this with a seven-year-old novice (Milan Native) in 2020. He’s got a chance. The Enabler, who was well beaten in last year’s Martin Pipe, hasn’t kicked on since his win in December and has a bit to prove, although his third behind Brown Advisory winner Kitzbuhel on his debut is decent form.
Verdict
The form of the Gordon Elliott yard should be a worry for punters, with all but two of his 28 runners at the festival producing lower Racing Post Ratings than their previous runs – and one of those was El Cairos, who only brought maiden hurdle form to the table in Tuesday’s Supreme and was always likely to produce better if running any sort of race.
Favori De Champdou was the other who ran to form, and the only thing to glean from that was just how strong he was in the market for cross country on Wednesday, although the same could be said of Romeo Coolio in the Brown Advisory (quick ground and a bad mistake was likely to blame for his effort, though). Therefore, the drift on fancied runners Wodhooh and Teahupoo is concerning.
That said, Elliott’s best chance of ending his drought at this season’s festival lies with WODHOOH, who doesn’t have Lossiemouth to deal with here and got closer to that rival in the Aintree Hurdle than Jade De Grugy managed in this contest last year. Teahupoo is the other most likely to run his race, but his other runners have more outside chances than rock-solid claims.
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