Tattersalls Cheltenham graduates shine over the Festive season

The Christmas racing season produced the best that jumps racing has to offer with race day Festive crowds witnessing top class action, right through from Boxing Day to the New Year.

And there was plenty of big race success for Tattersalls Cheltenham graduates, many horses marking themselves out as strong Cheltenham Festival prospects, however the Festive plaudits went to the exciting Grade 1 Challow Novices’ Hurdle winner, the Paul Nicholls-trained NO DRAMA THIS END.

The talented son of Walk In The Park galloped to a smooth success at Newbury, and is now being mentioned in the same breath as Nicholls’ 2008 Gold Cup star Denman, winner of the Challow in 2006.
 
A former British point-to-pointer, No Drama This End has brought fame to the West Country Badbury Rings point-to-point track where he won in 2024, sold after that victory by handler Will Biddick for £160,000 at the Tattersalls Cheltenham Festival Sale. 

It was a seventh victory in the Challow for Nicholls, who said to the Racing Post after the race: “NO DRAMA THIS END is right up there with other Challow winners. He’s had three runs over hurdles, and he’s won two Grade 2s and a Grade 1, and none of them achieved that. I’m not saying he’s Denman, but in ten years I might. If I had one that might be like him, if we’re lucky, then he could be. He’s got it all, and he’s exciting.” 

It is straight to The Festival now for the six-year-old, who is unbeaten over hurdles, with The Turners looking the likely option.

It was a superb meeting at Newbury for Nicholls with his Tattersalls Cheltenham purchases – the talented three-year-old MINELLA YOGA an impressive winner on his first outing over hurdles in the UK. He was second top lot at the recent November Sale when bought by Nicholls with Highflyer Bloodstock from Minella Racing for £360,000.

Romeo Coolio wins his second Grade 1 chase
The Gordon Elliott-trained and KTDA-owned ROMEO COOLIO retained his unbeaten record over fences with his third victory and his second at the highest level when coming home in front in the Racing Post Novice Chase (G1) on the St. Stephen’s Day card at Leopardstown. 

After the race, Elliott said: “We can enter him in everything [at Cheltenham] and then see what to do.”
Haiti Couleurs Gold Cup-bound after a record weight-carrying Welsh Grand National win
Second-season chaser HAITI COULEURS is climbing the ranks in the British-trained staying chasing division and the son of Dragon Dancer put in an excellent effort to win the Grade 3 Welsh Grand National for trainer Rebecca Curtis and jockey Sean Bowen. 

It was a third big staying chase victory for HAITI COULEURS in 2025, and he won at Chepstow carrying 11st13lb, a modern-day weight-carrying record for the race. It was also a second successive success in the race for Tattersalls Cheltenham graduates after Val Dancer’s victory in the Welsh highlight last year. 

Sold by Harley Dunne at the Tattersalls Cheltenham January Sale in 2022, HAITI COULEURS was purchased by Curtis for £68,000. The trainer has subsequently confirmed that the nine-year-old is on target for the Gold Cup at The Festival.

The Big Westerner wins the Grade 2 at Down Royal

The Henry de Bromhead-trained THE BIG WESTERNER signalled her credentials for The Festival with a Grade 2 victory over fences on just her second start over the larger obstacles with success in the EBF Dawn Run Mares’ Novice Chase at Down Royal for owner Coolmara Stables. 

Runner-up in the Grade 1 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle last season, the seven-year-old daughter of Westerner looks to be heading for the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (G1).  It will be the mare’s third trip to Cheltenham in March – in 2024 she was sold at the Tattersalls Cheltenham Festival Sale for £120,000 by Ballycrystal Stables to Rathmore Stud

Kazansky looks one for the Albert Bartlett

KAZANSKY, one of the Gordon Elliott-trained haul of winners over the Christmas period, was suited by the step up to 2m7f in the Defender Novice Hurdle (G2) at Limerick and marked himself out as a possible for this year’s running of the Albert Bartlett.

The Milan gelding, bought at last year’s Tattersalls Cheltenham April Sale for £42,000 from Sam Curling’s Skehanagh Stables, is now a winner of his two completed starts over hurdles.

Risky Obsession, Matata and Ma Shantou: bookending the years with success

RISKY OBSESSION closed out 2025 with victory on his Rules debut in the bumper at Warwick – the son of No Risk At All was bought by owners Craig and Laura Buckingham at October’s David Maxwell Dispersal, and he looked a smart sort when galloping to a 6l victory.

MATATA and MA SHANTOU both opened up the year with success on New Year’s Day at Cheltenham. 

MATATA has always been something of a tearaway in his races, but in the Grade 3 chase at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day and racing in front of a packed stands, the Simon Munir and Isaac Souede-owned gelding was in a much more settled mood under jockey Sam Twiston-Davies. 

The more restrained racing tactics meant that the son of Vadamos saw out the 2m24f well. Options are now open for him over the longer trip and includes races such as The Festival’s Grade 1 Ryanair Chase and the Grade 1 Melling Chase at Aintree. 

MA SHANTOU, trained by Emma Lavelle, won the 3m handicap hurdle on the card and cemented his position as favourite for The Festival’s Pertemps Final.

Tattersalls Cheltenham January Sale on the horizon

Our next Tattersalls Cheltenham Sale is to be held after racing on Festival Trials Day, Saturday, 24th January. 

We are taking entries now and from this weekend’s Irish point-to-point meetings at Ballindenisk, Tinahely, Aghabullogue and Turtulla, the British meetings due to be held at Ampton and Wadebridge , from racing next week and the point-to-points to be held on the weekend of 17-18th January.