We have five chance of a New Year’s Day celebration

December 31

Alan was pleased with the three horses we have run so far this week – Blues Singer finished third behind two above-average novices at Newbury, where I’m A Lumberjack was only shaken off by Andashan in the last 100 yards on ground faster than he would have liked, and Ski Lodge suffered the same fate up at Haydock but remains one of our nicest young chasing prospects.

Fingers crossed we might get lucky with our five-horse challenge on the opening day of 2026, with four horses heading to Cheltenham and one to Windsor.

First up is our Irish point-to-point winner Neon Dream, who runs in what looks a warm eight-runner maiden hurdle, which kick-starts the action at Prestbury ark tomorrow.

Bought for £105,000 at Tattersalls Cheltenham Sale just 11 days after his decisive success between the flags last March, Neon Dream comes from a good jumping family and we are looking forward to seeing how he shapes on his debut under Rules.

It would not seem like a Cheltenham meeting if Grandeur d’Ame‘s name was absent from the list of runners, and, having not stayed the marathon trip in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury last time, he’ll be back over his best distance of two and a half miles when he returns to his favourite course for a seventh time in the last two years.

True, Grandeur d’Ame has never won here, but he was beaten only a short head over the course and distance last January, and he is such a super jumper that in an open handicap chase he must have a sound each-way chance.

Our third Cheltenham runner is Harbour Lake in the three-mile handicap hurdle. He was off a mark only 4lb lower when winning a similar race at Haydock in May, but he was pulled up when making his seasonal reappearance on the Lancashire course in November, so it will be interesting to see whether a subsequent wind operation has made a big difference.

Finally at Cheltenham we have Faithful Guardian in the bumper. He was only beaten half a length on his debut at Ludlow, and, while this looks a much hotter race, he will have learned plenty from that first experience,

We have Castle Carrack in the two and a half mile handicap hurdle at Windsor. He was only three lengths down when he took a heavy fall at the final flight at Doncaster last time. He would probably have finished third, but happily he emerged unscathed so, hopefully, he will again be in the mix,