The Festival’s most successful owner J P McManus got off the market for 2025 when Puturhandstogether (17/2) became his 79th winner at the meeting with victory in the Hallgarten & Novum Wines Juvenile Handicap Hurdle.

Keen-running 11/4 favourite Stencil (James Reveley, Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm) took the lead after the second flight before Solar Drive (Gavin Brouder and Paul Flynn) pulled his way to the front with Hot Fuss (David Bass and Tom Dascombe) also in the leading group.

The race was wide open with three hurdles to take. Towards the last, Puturhandstogether came to challenge for the lead and took it up easily easily by six lengths, extending all the way to the line.

50/1 Robbies Rock (Gavin Cromwell) came to take the runner-up spot under Conor Stone Walsh with James Owen-trained Liam Swagger (12/1) back in third.

Spring ground

Winning trainer Joseph O’Brien said: “This race is always won by ex flat horses, but I suppose that is where the improvement has come from having run on winter ground then getting a bit of spring ground today as he seemed to really thrive on it.

“He did surprise me to be honest with you as to how easy he got there as coming here I thought he was in with a chance, but we didn’t think he was that well handicapped.

“I suppose at half-way it looked as if he was going very easy and he cruised into the race.

“Mark gave him a great ride as the pace was on, but he took a sit and let them all at it. I would say that was probably the difference today.

“There wasn’t much to split them in the race and Mark had to decide which one to ride and he chose the right one obviously. I wouldn’t have been surprised if he rode Beyond Your Dreams or Puturhandstogether.

“These big handicaps at Cheltenham you just have to take your chance and be as prepared as you can and hope you get a bit of luck on the day. Any winner at Cheltenham is special.

We'll see

“I suppose we will see what the handicapper does. We have gone onto the Galway Hurdle with some of the horses in the past so that might be a logical step.”

Mark Walsh, the winning jockey, said: “I got the right one for once. I had my mind made up as soon as I saw the ground was going to be good here as that is key to this horse end everything went well.

“Every time I’ve ridden him, bar his first run, he has jumped great and I thought he was a better jumper than Beyond Your Dreams.

“In her maiden hurdle she made a few mistakes and I just thought if she makes mistakes in a race like this then it is game over.

“I thought she would be up there, but I never saw her once. She is a good filly, but on this ground I thought she was a better ride.

Right gallop

“They went a right gallop over the first three. I had a lovely position and I had loads of room. I just started to creep on him going to the third last and the gaps opened up for him.

“I jumped the second last and I was hoping for a lead as long as I could. David Bass’ horse (Hot Fuss) took me as far as it could and he winged the last and flew up the hill.

“It doesn’t always go to plan in these big handicaps here, but fortunately everything went to plan and I got a clean run.

“I didn’t think I would be going that well at the end to be honest with, but he is a class horse.

“He was not a bad horse on the flat so he is a nice horse going forward. Only time will tell if he can take a step up in class, but we will enjoy today and see what happens afterwards.”

Joseph O’Brien – 5 Festival wins

Mark Walsh – 11 Festival wins

Gavin Cromwell, trainer of runner-up Robbies Rock, said: “He ran really well. He was flat out everywhere and had to take the brave man’s route, but he stayed on really well and got to the line.”

James Owen, trainer of the third Liam Swagger, said: “It would have been nice if he’d had a smoother passage, but it’s a rough race; four-year-old handicappers who have only run in small fields, but he’s a brave horse and I’m really pleased with him. He’ll have a Flat campaign now. Chester Cup.”