ROAR is the roar of the crowd for the first race of the Cheltenham Festival, the highlight of the NH racing season across the Channel. The audience makes the Festival even more unique: “It’s a crowd of connoisseurs. People love racing and the horses. They understand what’s happening. For example, when a favorite makes a mistake at a jump, you can hear a collective gasp of concern. If a notable horse makes a decisive move during the race, the crowd urges it on,“ explained Katherine Ford on Equidia on March 7, 2024.
Each year, the Festival gathers competitors mainly from France, England and Ireland, battling it out across 27 events held over four days, including 14 Group 1s. Known for its many twists and turns and the legends it creates, Cheltenham is also the stage for record-breaking achievements. The latest record belongs to the legendary Irish trainer Willie Mullins, who achieved an impressive milestone of 100 winners last year, 22 years after his first victory on the famous hill. The record-setting win was secured by Jasmin de Vaux (Tirwanako), a French-bred horse discovered by Pierre Boulard, who triumphed in the Champion Bumper (Grade 1) for breeder Didier Desrayaud and owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede.
Who will be crowned champion at the 2025 edition, held from March 11 to 14?
Dive into the world of jump racing across the Channel to explore its many facets, with a special focus on a few French-bred (FR) horses that started their careers on French hurdles before making their mark in English and Celtic territories.
Cheltenham
© Jean-Charles Briens
Jump racing in Great Britain and Ireland was not designed in the same way as in France. The difference is not so much due to divergent rules, because at heart, with a few details, we can see that horses from France adapt very well to racing in these two countries, which are similar, and have been for a long time: in 1903, the winner of the Grand National in Liverpool, Lutteur III, had been trained in France.
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly how jump racing has diverged on either side of the Channel, just as it’s hard to explain in the USA why racing moved from turf to dirt.
Like twins raised separately in two countries with different cultures, the brothers still resemble each other, but they no longer speak the same language: that’s how we got here. French jump racing, in a centralised country such as France, revolves more than ever around Auteuil, the Parisian racecourse where the nine Group 1 jumps races of the French season are held. Some regions, particularly in the west, still have their own major races, such as the Grand Prix de Pau, the Grand-Cross de Craon, the Anjou-Loire Challenge, etc. However, it is at Auteuil that the selection of the best French jumpers takes place first and foremost. In England, several venues host their own meetings throughout the season. Cheltenham and Aintree are more like finals than the exclusive temple of selection.
This selection starts in France at the age of 3, first over hurdles in the first half of the year, then over fences in the second half. Then, the 4-year-olds compete in both specialities, and from the age of 5, with a few exceptions, the horses race against their elders. Note that in the handicap programme, the same distinctions of age and speciality are observed.
In Great-Britain, horses hardly ever race at 3, or not before the very end of the year with, notably, the Chepstow Junior Hurdle (Gr.2) in Wales (a race won this winter by the French horse Nietszche Has). At the Cheltenham Festival, as well as at the Aintree meeting that follows, there is indeed a big race for 4-year-olds, the Triumph Hurdle (Gr.1), but it is not considered a major event, as it is an alternative route to excellence.
Indeed, it is not so much the age of the competitors as their experience over jumps that determines the conditions of a race in Britain. Moreover, the season is not, as in France, orchestrated by the Gregorian calendar, but by the... hunting season! For racing, it starts in May with an extremely low-key summer programme, with no major events, and really starts to gather momentum from September onwards. Thanks to the Gulf Stream, which moderates the climate of the British Isles, it is possible to race in winter there, when Paris is frozen.
In other words, taking May 1st as the start date for the jumps season in Great Britain and Ireland, we distinguish between “novice“ horses, which have not yet won in the speciality, and those that have already won and must therefore race with all the other jumpers. Throughout the British and Irish season, these novice horses benefit from a parallel programme, practically identical to that of the horses that have already won over jumps, with specific championships. This is the first distinction.
Within these parallel programmes, there is a second distinction based on distance. There are, in both hurdles and chases, races over 2 miles, or about 3,200m, and others over 3 miles, or 4,800m or more, but also races around intermediate distances, namely 4,000-4,200m. This is how we have six different “Grand Steeplechases“ at Cheltenham, ranging from the novice chase over 2 miles (the Arkle Trophy) to the Gold Cup over 3 miles 2½ furlongs. There is also often a corresponding handicap.
Then there are the obstacles. On French hurdle courses, they are like small fences, well defined but not very high. Steeplechase obstacles vary according to the course and the racecourse. Some, such as the bullfinch, require a form of adaptation, a “practice“, from the horse, while others are akin to cross-country riding. In Great Britain and Ireland, the hurdles are lightweight panels that a galloping horse can jump over, at a pinch, but which can still catch jumpers out. As in France, it is the last hurdle that is the most dangerous, because it is jumped when the race is already well underway, at the end of the trip, and mistakes are more frequent. This is also true at the beginning of the course because the obstacle can surprise a fresh horse within a large field. However, as the hurdles are more forgiving than ours, these English and Irish races are often run at a faster pace than ours, even though, generally speaking, as on the Flat, British races are more selective than in France.
As for steeplechasing, the British obstacles are mostly upright, high fences, which do not leave much room for error: you have to jump them. They are not as long as ours, which favour a good, fluid jump, forwards.
For these reasons, British horses trying their luck over the Auteuil fences are rarer, whereas Willie Mullins can send horses that are seen over fences in England to race over our hurdles. Conversely, French chasers are very adept at jumping English obstacles because they are used to adapting to varied obstacles, different in their approach, requiring complete schooling and, perhaps, better reflexes.
The last major difference, literally: the weight carried. In France, it is very rare to run a horse with a weight exceeding 70kg. Across the Channel, they go up to 76.5kg without batting an eyelid, so jockeys can be heavier, last longer, and remain amateurs, sometimes even over quite long careers. It must be said that horses in England and Ireland generally start later than ours because of the prominence of the novice programme. They also benefit from a trial programme that we don’t have here, the point-to-points.
These amateur races are often organised by hunts to raise funds: there are bookmakers on site at these rural meetings, and they contribute to the organising associations’ coffers, which also rely on the bar to round off their season. Professionals use these alternative circuits to give their horses some experience before selling them or converting them to official racing “under rules.“
So we can see that the two ecosystems are very different from each other. Yet our horses do very well in Great Britain and Ireland after being exported. Why? Probably because French breeding is much more heavily subsidised than in England and Ireland, where there are practically no breeders’ premiums. Thus, French genetics and breeding methods have progressed in such a way that we can now say that we breed the best jumpers in the world.
Secondly, French breakers and trainers, conditioned by a very generous French programme for 3- and 4-year-olds, have been able to improve their training methods to produce young jumpers. And young horses learn faster than their elders, just like humans.
Finally, these Frenchbred horses are often available on the market because there are fewer French owners willing to invest in jumpers, and they are less willing to take risks than their English and Irish counterparts, who spend freely in the hope of winning at Cheltenham or Liverpool, or even Leopardstown and Punchestown in Ireland.
Thus, France has invited itself to Cheltenham, first by winning a few races there in the 1990s and 2000s under the impetus of François Doumen and then Guillaume Macaire, but above all since then thanks to the remarkable work of our breeders and trainers, supported by the proactive prize money and premiums of France Galop.
And so, around Saint Patrick’s Day at Cheltenham, the planets align for the happiness of all three countries!
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They pass here for the first time in front of the grandstands and their formidable roar.
© Jean-Charles Briens
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The parade ring is ‘The Place To Be’, and spots are highly sought after. © Hannah Baycroft
In Great Britain as in Ireland, there are practically no breeder premiums.
“Cheltenham is the equivalent of Auteuil for us, it’s the ultimate prize.“
First purchase: Quevega, a small AQPS who had won three bumpers in France and turned out to be an incredible champion, holding the record with six victories in the Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. Since then, the list of FR-bred horses discovered and purchased by bloodstock-agent Pierre Boulard on behalf of Willie Mullins has continued to grow with great success. Notably, it includes Al Boum Photo, acquired after a “fall” through his trainer Emmanuel Clayeux and who delivered his legendary trainer his long-coveted first Gold Cup victory.
A conversation with Pierre Boulard on the Chantilly tracks two days after the latest Leopardstown prep races to discuss the contenders, understand the market, share memories, dive into strategy, and outline Team Mullins’ hopes for the 2025 edition of the Cheltenham Festival.
“Cheltenham is the equivalent of Auteuil for us; it’s the Holy Grail."
While the final prep races have not yet been run, Jacob Pritchard-Webb has undertaken the delicate task of selecting a top 3 of trainers, jockeys, and horses who are expected to make an impact at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival. The story will unfold on the legendary track from March 11 to 14.
Willie Mullins
The man who has dominated the Cheltenham over the past 10 years. He won his 100th race at the festival last year and did the champion hurdle and gold cup double. He has been leading trainer at the festival a record 11 times and in 2022 trained a record 10 winners across the four-day meeting, in a year that saw him crowned champion trainer in Britain as well as in Ireland for a 17th time.
Dan Skelton
Currently leading the trainer’s championship for 24/25 he hit back at the Irish dominance of the festival with four winners last years. A understudy to Paul Nichols he has fast grown to become one of Britain’s biggest trainers. He’ll have a strong team this year including last year’s Ryanair winner Protektorat and new kid on the block The New Lion recently bought by JP Mcmanus.
Nicky Henderson
A 6 time champion trainer in Britain and behind Mullins with 73 winners at the Festival Nicky Henderson is Britain’s most successful trainer at the meeting.. Leading trainer of the champion hurdle with 8 wins he will have Constitution Hill going for a 9th win. A virus meant he barely had any runners last year but will be preparing a strong team including Sir Gino and Lulamba.
Paul Townend
Was 2nd to Ruby Walsh before becoming 1st jockey to Willie Mullins. The man now for the big occasion and last year broken a new record winning the champion hurdle on Stateman, his fourth gold cup on Galopin des Champs and his first grand national on I Am Maximus all in the same year.
Harry Skelton
Brother to trainer Dan Skelton anda former champion jockey in the20/21 season winning 152 races.Rode all of Dans winners at thefestival last year and will be a manon a mission to keep theIrishatbay especially when partneringfavorites like Langer Dan andProtektorat. His biggest win wouldbe the Champion chase onPolitilogue for Paul Nichols.
Nico de Boinville
Nico is stable jockey to Nicky Henderson and has ridden more Grade one winners then any British jump jockey currently active. He burst on to the scene when winning the gold cup on Coneygree in 2015 and hasn’t looked back, winning three champion chases on legends such as Sprinter Sacre and Altior twice.
Galopin des Champs
Bred in France by the less known stallion Timos, Galopin des Champs, debuted at Auteuil for Arnaud Chaille-Chaille before being sold to the Mullins team and owner Mrs Andrey Turley in November 2020. His first win was in a handicap hurdle at the Cheltenham festival and hasn’t looked back winning ten grade 1s including two gold cups and reaching a peak rating of 180.
Langer Dan
Bred in Ireland by Ocovango who now stands at Alne Park studwhich is run by Dan and Grace Skelton he was a €12,000 foal and won his debut juvenile hurdle at Ludlow as a three-year-old. Hethen met Galopin des Champs on his first festival win but has since then won a grade 3 at Aintree andmost famously became a two-time winner of the coral cup handicap hurdle before going on to place in grade 1 hurdle at Aintree.
Constitution Hill
Bred by Sally Noott by Blue Bresil he was sold as a three-year-old store to Warren Ewingand Barry Geraghty for €16,500. After suffering his only defeat in a point to point at four-year-old he was bought byNicky Henderson for £120,000. Since then,he has never lost a race and won a supreme and a champion hurdle at theCheltenham festival and reached a peak rating of 175.
The history of the Cheltenham festival began in 1860 at Market Harborough but it wasn’t until the turn of the 20th century in 1911 that it settled and planted its roots in the heart of the idyllic Cotswold’s countryside in Prestbury park permantly. The oldest race that is a championship race is the stayers hurdle first run in 1912 and the French horse most synonymous with this race would be Baracouda trained by Francois Doumen to win the race twice.
For many years now horses with the FR suffix after their name have become the norm when looking at the Cheltenham festival results. From horses like The Fellow who was AQPS bred and brought over to win the 1994 Cheltenham gold cup by Francois Doumen to Kauto Star who was the first horse to win the Cheltenham gold cup in 2007 and then regain the title in 2009 to most recently Al Boum Photo, the horse that fell on debut at Moulin that gave Willie Mullins not just his first but also his second Gold cup when becoming a back to back winner in 2019 and 2020.
France has been a place to source horse now for many years whether it’s from the fields as a foal, searching through the sale grounds to find a yearling or two year where it could find its way to an Irish or English point to point field. One end of the spectrum is the claiming route is one that is also being used more regularly now to source a cheaper solid type of racehorse. The other end would be a day out at Auteuil where agents enjoy a cold glass of rose at the Karly flight restaurant next to the paddock when overseeing the unraced three-year-old in races like the Prix rush or the Prix Finot. Horses sourced from Auteuil have gone on to be gold cup winners like Long Run and Grand Nationals like Neptune Collonges.
So who are the current highest rated racehorses based on Timeform ratings in the Uk and Ireland that made their racecourse debut in France.
has the highest timeform rating of 179. Bred by GAEC Des Champs by Timos out of Manon Des Champs (Marchand de sable), he made his debut at Auteuil on the 17th of May 2020 in the Prix Ex Voto which is a 4year old conditions race for Arnaud Chaille-Chaille. He was purchased privately by the Willie Mullins team of Harold Kirk and Pierre Boulard and has since gone on to win two Cheltenham gold cups. His target at the 2025 Cheltenham festival will be going for a third gold cup in a row and be the second horse to ever do so.
has a timeform rating of 173 and is the 3rd highest in the list. Bred by Francis Dunn by Spanish moon out of Sainte Mante (saint des saint), he made his debut at Clairefontaine in the Prix Turgeon a flat maiden for 3-year old’s where he finished 7th. His 2nd run was at Auteuil in the Prix Finot in 2020 a listed hurdle for 3-year-olds where he finished 3rd, and he was trained by Mme P Butel and J-L Beaunez. He was then privately purchased by Highflyer bloodstock (Anthony Bromley) for the double green team of Simon Munir and Issac Souede and sent to Willie Mullins. His biggest win was the Grade 1 Arkle 2-mile novice chase at the 2023 festival and his target in 2025 at the festival will be the 2-mile queen mother Champion chase.
has a timeform rating of 167 and is the joint 10th highest with L’Homme Presse. Bred by the Niarchos family by Maxios out of Game of Legs (Hernando) he has three starts for the joint training team of Macaire and De Lageneste all at Auteuil finishing 6th on debut in Prix wild Monarch to current stallion Paradiso in 2021. After two more runs at Auteuil finishing 3rd both times before being purchased privately by the Willie Mullins team of Harold kirk and Pierre Boulard. His biggest win to date so far was the Grade 1 Arkle 2-mile novice chase at the 2024 festival and his 2025 festival target will be the 2-mile Queen Mother champion chase.
has a timeform rating of 167 and is the joint 10th highest with Gaelic Warrior. Bred by Bernard Camp by Diamond Boy out of Romance Turgot (Bateau Rouge) had two starts at Fontainebleau for trainer Mickel Seror finishing 5th on debut and 2nd on his 2nd start in the Prix des Heronnieres a four-year-old conditions hurdle. He then suffered a tendon injury, and the famous story began as he was sold to his patient owner Andy Edwards who gave him plenty of time and with the guidance of trainer Venetia Williams has had that patience rewarded with his biggest win the Grade 1 Brown advisory novice chase at the Cheltenham festival in 2022. His 2025 festival target will be the Gold Cup and will be the UK’s leading hope against the Irish horses having won the Grade 2 prep race at Cheltenham’s trials day.
has a time form rating of 168 and is the joint 9th highest with Il est Francais. Bred by Guy Cherel and Isabelle Pacault by Saint des Saint out of Protektion (Protektor) was trained by Guy Cherel when he made his debut at Auteuil on the 13th of September 2018 in the Prix Finot finishing 2nd. He was Purchased privately afterwards and headed to trainer Dan Skelton for the partnership that includes football manger legend Sir Alex Ferguson. His biggest win was last year at the Cheltenham Festival when he won the 2m4f grade 1 Ryanair Chase and the same race has already been spoken about as his target in 2025 since he won his last race the Fleur du Lys chase as Windsor by 23 lengths.
has the joint 2nd highest timeform rating of 167 of any hurdlers in the Uk and Ireland with Brighterdaysahead. Bred by ML bloodstock he is by Doctor Dino out of Arret Station (Johann Quatz). He was 2nd on debut at Auteuil in the Prix Wild Monarch for Daniela Mele and was sold afterwards privately to the formidable buying team of Harold Kirk and Pierre Boulard for Willie Mullins. Since then, he’s amassed over a million pounds in prize money winning 12 races and up until his last two defeats was only ever beaten by Constitution Hill in a champion hurdle. Out of those 12 wins last year’s champion hurdle would be the highlight and his 2025 target would be defending that crown.
has a timeform rating of 163 and is 4th in the list. Bred by SCEA a Haras Du Houguenet et Al he is by Masked Marvel out of Droit D’Aimer (Sassanian) and made his debut in the Prix Emilius a winning one at Auteuil which is conditions race for three-year-olds Purchased privately by the duo Nicky Bertrand de balanda and Alex Elliot for Robcour he went in to training with Gordon Elliot and continued his winning ways from France with two wins straight way. His biggest win however cam at last year’s Cheltenham festival when he won the oldest championship race the stayers hurdle by 3 lengths. His 2025 target will once again be the stayer’s hurdle.
has a timeform rating of 162 and is 6th in the list. Bred by SCEA Haras De Peyre and Mme Pascale Pa he is by Diamond boy out Brune Ecossaise (Le Fou). He won his debut race by 6 lengths at Nancy in the Prix du Telethon a four- and five-year-old AQPS flat race over a mile and a half for Yannick Fouin and was subsequently sold on a Arqana pop up online sale for €155,000 to Highflyer bloodstock. He ended up in Willie Mullins yard for the double green team and carried on winning ways notching up a sequence of 4 in a row including two grade ones at the Cheltenham and Punchestown festivals. His biggest win of his career was that grade 1 at Cheltenham in 2023 in the Ballymore novice hurdle over 2 and a half miles and his target in 2025 now he has gone chasing will be the 3-mile Brown advisory novice chase.
has a timeform rating of 161 and is 7th in the list. Bred by Nicolas Landon et Al he is by Joshua Tree out of Burkina (Fragrant mix) he was trained by Etienne d’andigne and never ran over obstacles publicly in France as he was kept to AQPS Flat races over a mile and a half in his three runs culminating in a win in the Grade 1 AQPS Prix Jacques de Vienne at St Cloud beating Il est Francais. He was then privately purchased by Nicky Bertrand de Belanda and Alex Eliiot for Robcour like Teahupoo and went to Gordan Elliot. A very versatile horse he won a grade 1 novice hurdle at Aintree over 3 miles and a grade 1 at Leopardstown over 3 miles before dropping down in trip and taking on State Man in last year’s Champion hurdle to finish 2nd. Last seen returning to his native land for the Grande course de haie in May 2024 and no current entries in 2025 its not yet known what his future target will be.
has a timeform rating of 158 and is 10th in the list. Bred by Sarl Elevage des Vallons and M Ian Kellit she is by Great Pretender out of Mariner’s Light (Gentlewave). She made her debut at Auteuil for Yannick Fouin on the 3rd of April 2022 in the Prix Geographie conditions race for unraced 3-year-old fillies which she won by ten lengths. Sold to Willie Mullins through Harold Kirk and Pierre Boulard privately after the race she went on a juvenile campaign that result in her winning the Grade 1 triumph hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in 2023 and the Punchestown equivalent a month later. A three-race campaign the following season saw her romp to victory in the Grade 1 mare hurdle at the festival along with taking the Punchestown equivalent a month later again doing the back-to-back double. Her 2025 target could be taking on the undefeated champion Constitution hill in the Champion hurdle or defend her crown in the mare’s race.
Galopin des champs
“It’s quite magical and prestigious to see one of the horses you’ve bred shine at Cheltenham. We went there last year and it was incredible. As a youngster, Galopin was very calm for a thoroughbred, maybe because he was the only galloper among a group of trotters. When we see his sister out in the pasture, we give her a pat and think fondly of him.”
LOSSIEMOUTH
“Lossiemouth has always been the most beautiful, even though she is currently among the smaller horses by size in the Mullins stable. Her dam, Mariner’s Light, is a half-sister to Gr.1 winner Lord Glitters and comes from a very active NH family. She went through the sales at two but didn’t attract any bids. We decided to keep her with our long-time partner, Ian Kellit, and this success is a wonderful achievement for him as well. Winning at Cheltenham is truly extraordinary. Races in England are a real celebration, and winning a race brings even more intense emotion.”
Cécile Madamet,
Elevage des Vallons
IMPAIRE ET PASSE
“I wish everyone could experience this, especially as small breeders like us, with only five broodmares. It’s a dream come true. This is an extraordinary horse from an incredible family. We bought his second dam, Kel Écossaise, and kept his dam, Brune Écossaise, who showed great mental on the track. She produces foals that don’t immediately stand out but are well-built and beautiful. They truly blossom at 4 or 5 years old, with an exceptional physique and an athletic temperament—full of energy but without nervousness. Impaire et Passe has exceptional move and a remarkable mindset. The emotions are even more intense because he didn’t just win one Group 1.”
Pascale Papon, breeder with
her husband Eric Papon,
Haras de Peyre.