The New Lion can give JP McManus perfect Cheltenham birthday present

The New Lions surrendered his unbeaten record in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle but returned to winning ways at Cheltenham trials day. The suspicion is we have seen his best form. It should materialise in the Champion Hurdle

The New Lion was an impressive winner of the The Turners Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham 2025. Pic: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

The New Lion can give JP McManus the perfect 75th birthday present by roaring to victory in the Unibet Champion Hurdle, the feature race on day one of the Cheltenham Festival.

McManus is the most successful owner in Champion Hurdle history, a record The New Lion can enhance by carrying his famous green and gold silks to victory for a 10th time.

An impressive winner of the Turners Novices' Hurdle at last year's Festival, The New Lion has run just twice this season, surrendering his unbeaten record when falling in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle before getting back to winning ways in the Unibet Hurdle on Festival Trials Day.

Whether he would have won at Newcastle is open to debate but he was still in front and seemed to be finding for pressure when he paid the price for failing to get high enough at the second last.

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The Unibet Hurdle was expected to be a proper test of The New Lion's credentials but that race was marred by an injury suffered by then Champion Hurdle favourite Sir Gino, leaving the way clear for the Dan Skelton-trained seven-year-old to claim a workmanlike victory.

The bare form of that win wouldn't be anywhere near good enough to win a Champion Hurdle but the suspicion is circumstances have conspired to deny The New Lion the chance to be seen to best effect this season.

That shouldn't happen here and he gets the vote to see off Irish mares Lossiemouth and Brighterdaysahead.

Of the pair, three-time Festival heroine Lossiemouth is feared most despite coming off second best to Brighterdaysahead in the Irish Champion Hurdle last month. That’s based on the assumption first-time cheekpieces, so successful for the Closutton team of late, will help her travel better through the early part of the race than was the case at Leopardstown.

Brighterdaysahead warrants considerable respect but the drying ground is a negative for her prospects and she may have to settle for minor honours.

The Festival opener, the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, looks an absolute belter and, while a case could be made for many, the horse bringing the strongest form to the table is Talk The Talk.

But for an unlucky stumble after the last at Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting, the Joseph O’Brien-trained five-year-old would be a dual Grade One winner already this season and the way he picked up to snatch victory at the Dublin Racing Festival last month was seriously impressive.

The hype machine has been in full flow about Mighty Park ever since Willie Mullins compared him favourably to Faugheen but winning a race as deep as this on just his second start is a big, big ask. On that basis, Old Park Star might be the biggest threat to the selection.

There has been plenty of hype about Kopek Des Bordes also and his raw talent can defy his inexperience over fences in the Singer Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices' Chase.

It’s obviously not ideal that last year’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle hero hasn’t run since his beginners’ chase win at Navan in November but his raw speed can put main danger Lulamba on the backfoot early on and the Nicky Henderson-trained horse may struggle to reel him in.

Away from the Grade One action, birthday boy McManus has a strong hand in the Trustmarque Ultima Handicap Chase and while the market has spoken strongly in favour of the Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero-trained Jagwar in the run-up to Cheltenham, marginal preference is for stablemate Iroko.

Both are decent horses but what shades the verdict is the fact that Grand National fourth Iroko is proven over marathon trips while Jagwar has yet to tick that particular box.

The owner and trainer of The New Lion are on a collision course in the Sun Racing Plate Handicap Chase and, with cheekpieces refitted, the Skelton-trained Madara can get the better of the McManus-owned McLaurey.

Should he hit the crossbar with McLaurey, Emmet Mullins might still end day one with a winner as Backmersackme, a good winner at the DRF last month, has strong claims in the National Hunt Chase.

The Paul Nolan-trained Iceberg Theory, not seen since winning at Cork last November, could be his biggest threat.

A case could be made for a few in the McCoy Contractors Juvenile Handicap Hurdle but the fact Jack Kennedy has been booked to ride the Faye Bramley-trained Winston Junior is more than a little eye-catching and he ought to put up a bold bid from the front.

Joseph O’Brien has trained the winner of the last two renewals of this race so a big run from Glen To Glen won’t be a surprise.

Cheltenham selections 

1.20 Talk The Talk 

2.00 Kopek Des Bordes (NB) 

2.40 Winston Junior 

3.20 Iroko 

4.00 The New Lion (Nap) 

4.40 Madara 

5.20 Backmersackme 

Next best 

1.20 Old Park Star 

2.00 Lulamba 

2.40 Glen To Glen 

3.20 Jagwar 

4.00 Lossiemouth 

4.40 McLaurey 

5.20 Iceberg Theory