County Armagh-born jockey Brian Hughes is having another big season in the saddle, and it could get even better at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival, as he looks set to secure some promising rides for the biggest meeting in the sport.
Hughes, who has ridden over 2,000 winners in his career, has been successful three times at the Cheltenham Festival. He is still bidding for a first championship triumph but that may come this year as he looks set to feature in most of the big races.
Former Champion Jockey Likely to Partner The Real Whacker in Gold Cup
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is the feature race of the Cheltenham Festival, and Hughes is on course to partner The Real Whacker in the Blue Riband event. He is 66/1 in the horse racing betting to cause an upset in the 3m2f contest around the New Course.
Hughes rode The Real Whacker to victory in the Charlie Hall Chase earlier this season. He now looks set to take on the defending champion, Galopin Des Champs, who is the 4/6 favourite in the Cheltenham odds for the day four contest. It promises to be one of the strongest renewals of the race for a long time.
This year will be The Real Whacker’s second shot at the Gold Cup. He was pulled up in the race in 2024. The former Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase winner has an excellent record at Cheltenham, as he has been successful at the Gloucestershire-based racecourse on four occasions, so that will give his connections a lot of encouragement.
Although Hughes has won three Jockeys’ Championship titles and a host of Grade One races, a maiden victory in the Cheltenham Gold Cup would be a career highlight for the 39-year-old.
Maximilian Given Stayers’ Hurdle Entry
One of the horses Hughes will be excited the most about on board at Cheltenham is Maximilian. Donald McCain’s staying hurdler has not featured on the track since he was second in the 2023 Sefton Novices’ Hurdle.
The nine-year-old has been entered in the Stayers’ Hurdle, the championship race on day three of the Cheltenham Festival. If he can replicate the form he showed in his novice campaign, he will line up with a big chance of adding his name to the Grade One roll of honour.
McCain’s runner has not been able to feature so far this season, but the former Grand National winning trainer is working towards the big meeting in March for the horse’s return to the track.
Minella Drama and Richmond Lake On Course for Valuable Handicap Contest
Image by Babil Kulesi from Pixabay
The Ultima Handicap Chase on day one of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival is one of the biggest handicap races across the week. Hughes may have a tough decision to make between riding either Minella Drama or Richmond Lake.
Minella Drama is considered a leading Grand National contender this season so Hughes may choose to stick with the 10-year-old. He partnered the horse to Old Roan Chase triumph earlier in the campaign at Aintree.
Richmond Lake has fared consistently well this season without success. He was third in the Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock on his latest appearance. The nine-year-old now has an official rating of 142 over fences, which is 8lb lower than Minella Drama.
Hughes will lock in his 2025 Cheltenham Festival rides 48 hours before each day’s meeting, with his day one declarations set to be revealed on Sunday, 9th of March.
