Marine Nationale delivered a mistake-free performance, and benefited from major mistakes by two rivals, to win a poignant running of Friday’s Grade 1 Queen Mother Champion Chase at two miles at Cheltenham Racecourse in England.

The win was Marine Nationale’s second victory at the prestigious Cheltenham festival. In 2023, Marine National won the Grade 1 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle when ridden by Michael O’Sullivan.

O’Sullivan died on Feb. 16 of injuries sustained in a race in Ireland earlier in February.

It is possible to beat the 9-year-old gelding Galopin Des Champs, who will be heavily favored to win Friday’s Grade 1 Cheltenham Gold Cup for steeplechasers for the third consecutive year at Cheltenham Racecourse in western England.

Galopin Des Champs has lost eight times in his 22-race career – just not very often at Cheltenham. In four career starts since March 2021 on the undulating course, Galopin Des Champs has won three times and fell once.

Tom Wood:

R1:       3-1-11-12

R2:       7-3-10-11

R3:       4-1-7-10

R4:       2-8-4-9

R5:       1-4-6-8

R6:       10-9-5-8

R7:       6-11-2-8

R8:       5-3-4-2

R9:       10-11-8-4

BEST:               R8 N5 BEAUTY INFINITY (WIN)

VALUE:            R2 N7 SNOWALOT (EW)

PLAY:               R2 QQP 4,7,8

Paul Lally:

R1: 2-9-3-11

Every owner in Hong Kong dreams of having a runner in the HK$26 million 148th BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) and trainer Mark Newnham is aiming to fulfill the wishes of the Talentogether Syndicate when Talents Ambition (135lb) contests the Class 3 Ap Lei Chau Handicap (1800m) on Wednesday night (12 March) at Happy Valley.

Irish-trained runners have dominated the four-day Cheltenham festival for chasers and hurdlers at Cheltenham Racecourse in western England in the last decade, winning a record 23 of 28 races in 2021 and 18 races in the last three years.

If British stables are going to have a presence at the meeting, Wednesday’s seven-race program provides an excellent chance.

There were three British-trained favorites, or co-favorites, as of Monday, none a shorter price than Jonbon at 10-11 in the Grade 1 Queen Mother Chase at two miles.

Happy Valley Selections
(Wednesday, March 12, 2025)

Kopek Des Bordes, Majborough, Lossiemouth and Constitution Hill are not well-known racehorses in the United States, even though they have combined to win 26 of 30 starts.

By nightfall on Tuesday, they could be four of the most lauded racehorses in Great Britain and Ireland should they succeed as heavy favorites in Grade 1 races on opening day of the Cheltenham festival for hurdlers and chasers at Cheltenham Racecourse 100 miles west of London.

As of Sunday, when final entries were taken, the quartet were all even-money or shorter.

By Leo Schlink

Bundle Award charged into HK$26 million BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) calculations with a brilliant victory in the Class 2 Carpenter Handicap (1800m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (9 March) to fan hopes of a fourth Classic triumph for champion trainer John Size.

Ridden perfectly by Ben Thompson, the 75-rating Shamus Award gelding (115lb) charged from last at the 400m in a searing 22.11s to down Markwin (115lb) and Helene Feeling (135lb) to enhance claims of clinching a place in the BMW Hong Kong Derby on 23 March.

King of Pop may steal the show with an off-the-pace move in Saturday’s Group 3 Black Opal Stakes for Southern Hemisphere 2-year-olds at Canberra Racecourse in Australia.

The $125,900 Black Opal Stakes, run at six furlongs, drew a field of 14, including a few prospects with sufficient speed to aid a closer such as King of Pop.

Trained by Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou, King of Pop won his debut in a maiden race at 5 1/2 furlongs at Warwick Farm Racecourse in Sydney on Feb. 10, closing from fourth of 10.

Paul Lally: 
R1 1-8-10-7 
R2 4-8-7-3 
R3 2-10-6-8 
R4 13-5-2-14 
R5 8-5-2-10 
R6 5-7-2-9 
R7 1-12-7-5 
R8 2-3-6-7 
R9 1-11-8-5 
R10 11-12-6-2 
R11 4-6-8-11 
Best Bet R10 N11 Sky Heart 
Longshot R5 N8 Chill Kaka 
Play R11 QQP 4-6-8