The Festival Hunters Chase ( Foxhunters ) Friday 14 March 2025
A race that often is bypassed by Ante Post punters as it ran immediately after the Gold Cup and invariably involves a level risk with the race being restricted to Amateur riders.
Last years victory was a trend breaker having being won by a young chaser the then 8yo grey mare Sine Nomine who stayed on dourly to defeat the Mullins trained standing dish in these races Its on the Line. Traditionally, a more experienced chaser usually aged 8 or over comes to the fore and looking at the race in detail there appears an outstanding candidate in the 10 year old Angels Dawn who goes down the Hunter Chase route this season.
At the last two festivals Angels Dawn has won the Kim Muir Chase and would have almost certainly been runner up in 2024 but for unseating 2 out. The form of those races bears the closest inspection.
In 2023 off a mark of 131 the mare in receipt of just 4lb outbattled Stumptown now rated 149 to claim a famous victory for trainer Sam Curling and top Irish amateur PA King.
Already a winner of two point to points in Ireland this season there is no doubt that the Festival Hunters Chase is her target.
A look through the Ante Post market for the race indicates she will probably the highest rated to go to post and remember as a mare, she will get a 7lb allowance.
The perennial challenger Its on the Line is put in as 5/2 in the NRMB markets. Angels Dawn is 6/1 and its 14/1 bar including the Paul Nicholls trained Shearer who has not been seen for 2 years and is rated 137.
Its on the line is rated 140 whereas Angels Dawn is rated 142 and with that 7lb allowance will be 9lb well in with the favourite. Clearly, there is time for a dark horse to enter the picture , but there is nothing that immediately comes to mind in the list of probable runners. Angels Dawn has proven she retains her ability and with her love of Cheltenham in march I cannot ignore the 6/1 NRMB William Hill concession, she is 10/1 with firms not offering that concession.
St James Palace Festival Hunters Chase Cheltenham 14th March
Angels Dawn 6/1 W Hill NRMB 1pt ew 1,2,3 places
Chrysalis Consortium 
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