Cheltenham Festival 2025: Caldwell Potter claims poignant victory at the National Hunt showpiece
Caldwell Potter gave trainer Paul Nicholls his 50th Cheltenham Festival winner when making all to record a poignant success in the Jack Richards Novices' Chase.
Running in the colours of John Hales, who sadly died in January, the dashing grey produced a great round of jumping under jockey Harry Cobden to leave his rivals trailing.
Hales, along with Sir Alex Ferguson, Ged Mason and Peter Done, paid €740,000 to buy Caldwell Potter from Andrew and Gemma Brown’s Caldwell Construction dispersal sale last year.
The horse was unimpressive when winning on his debut for Nicholls in a chase at Carlisle in December, and two subsequent defeats sparked plenty of talk about his hefty price tag.
He was rated as a 7/1 shot on sports betting sites before the race started, but never gave punters any worries as he dominated from the outset.
Nicholls has never lost faith in Caldwell Potter and his confidence was justified as the horse ran his rivals ragged at the National Hunt showpiece.
“I’m just delighted for the Hales family, for John – he’ll be up there watching,” Nicholls said. “The reason John bought this horse was he lost Hermes Allen and he wanted something to replace him.
“John put his money where his mouth is and bought him. It’s irrelevant what they cost. When they come in the yard, they’re all worth the same.
“He’s a proper horse - he just needed a bit of patience. I’m pleased for the whole Hales family, Ged Mason and all the guys who are involved.
“Without people like them in the game we’re nowhere. He’s gone and done a good thing today for everybody and for racing.”
Hales would undoubtedly have been delighted with the manner of Caldwell Potter’s victory, particularly given that he absolutely loved grey horses.
He was famously associated with the Gordon Richards trained One Man, who won the King George VI Chase at Kempton twice in 1995 and 1996.
Hales also owned talented staying chaser Neptune Collonges, who Nicholls trained to win the Grand National at Aintree in 2012.
Towards the end of his life, Hales forged a strong ownership partnership with Ferguson, Mason and Done, and their joint outlay was justified in some style at Cheltenham.
Cobden deserves plenty of credit for the ride he gave the horse having previously been questioned following previous defeats at the same course and Windsor.
“Fair play to Paul and Clifford (Baker, head lad) and all the team at home because this horse hasn’t come without his problems but they had him 110 percent today.
“He travelled great, jumped beautifully and I just had to get the fractions right. He was very quick, very efficient and I just felt on the way round I was taking lengths out of other horses.
“We got a bit of stick because of his price tag but he’s proved everyone wrong – he’s cheap now, isn’t he?”
Ferguson’s involvement in racing has been well-documented in recent years and this latest victory understandably delighted the former Manchester United manager.
He admitted that the ownership team had been thinking about their involvement with Hales earlier in the day and dismissed the idea that they had paid over the odds for the horse.
“When you see that today, it doesn’t matter the price - it’s inexpensive,” Ferguson said. “It’s absolutely fantastic.
"I think the jumping won it. What can I say? Great horse - it was a bonus. Winning here last year with two was fantastic and doing it again this year is fantastic. Thank you very much."
