The handicap weights have been revealed for the 2024 Cheltenham Festival
The Irish entrants have been given ratings by the British handicapper
Sa Majeste and King Of Kingsfield will run off their Irish marks of 140
County Hurdle. (Getty)
Irish Handicapers
2024 Boodles Handicap Hurdle Runners
2024 County Hurdle Runners
2024 Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle Runners
2024 Coral Cup Runners
2024 Pertemps Final Runners
Cheltenham Festival Handicaps - Assessing The Irish Chasers
2024 Grand Annual Handicap Chase Runners
2024 Plate Handicap Chase Runners
2024 Ultima Handicap Chase Runners
2024 Kim Muir Handicap Chase Runners
The weights and ratings have been unveiled for all nine handicap races at the 2024 Cheltenham Festival.
The entries for each of the handicaps were revealed last month and the British handicapper has, today, revealed the marks he's given the Irish entrants. In this article, we take a look at each of the nine handicaps at the Cheltenham Festival and assess how the key Irish runners have been treated.
*NA - the horse hasn't been given a handicap mark by the Irish handicapper*
Cheltenham Festival Handicaps - Assessing The Irish Hurdlers
2024 Boodles Handicap Hurdle Runners
Name
Irish R
British R
Diff
Barrier
111
116
+5
Kala Conti
130
135
+5
Nurburgring
136
139
+3
Eagle Fang
125
127
+2
Cossack Chach
128
130
+2
Lark In The Mornin
120
122
+2
Wodhooh
128
130
+2
Pacini
118
120
+2
Batman Girac
133
133
0
Milan Tino
136
126
-10
Karia Des Blaises
NA
127
NA
Miss Manzor
NA
130
NA
Ndaawi
NA
134
NA
Ante-post favourite, Lark In The Mornin has only been rated one pound higher by the British handicapper than his Irish counterpart and Joseph O'Brien's juvenile is likely to get into the Boodles off a mark of 122. Batman Girac was given a mark of 133 when entered for a handicap at Ascot last month.
Gordon Elliott's pair of Barrier and Kala Conti have both been rated five pounds higher in Britain than in Ireland. Joseph O'Brien's Nurburgring will carry top weight off his rating of 139. While he's not Irish, it's interesting to see that Milan Tino, who was rated 136 in France, has only been given a mark of 136 by the British handicapper.
2024 County Hurdle Runners
Name
Irish R
British R
Diff
Zenta
142
145
+3
Magical Zoe
141
144
+3
So Scottish
130
133
+3
Fils D'Oudairies
148
150
+2
Bialystok
138
139
+1
Pied Piper
155
156
+1
Risk Belle
136
137
+1
Ascending
131
132
+1
King Of Kingsfield
140
140
0
Colonel Mustard
148
146
-2
Lisnagar Fortune
NA
142
NA
Absurde
NA
138
NA
Westport Cove
NA
139
NA
Despite placing in two Grade Ones this season, King Of Kingsfield will run off his Irish mark of 140, should Gordon Elliott choose to throw his novice into the County Hurdle. Stablemate and last year's runner-up, Pied Piper has been rated 156, meaning he'll have to give at least ten pounds to the majority of the field.
Magical Zoe, So Scottish and Zenta have been hit with three-pound rises. Colonel Mustard has had his mark dropped by two pounds by the British handicapper, while Lisnagar Fortune, Absurde and Westport Cove have been handed kind opening marks.
Pied Pier (centre) is beaten by Faivoir (left) in the 2023 County Hurdle. (Getty)
2024 Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle Runners
Name
Irish R
British R
Diff
Waterford
Whispers
127
133
+6
Better Days Ahead
136
140
+4
Encanto Bruno
139
143
+4
Nusret
139
142
+3
Answer To Kayf
135
137
+2
Stellar Story
140
141
+1
Sa Majeste
140
140
0
Quai De Bourbon
140
140
0
Built By Ballymore
NA
139
NA
Lisnagar Fortune
NA
142
NA
Jigoro
NA
141
NA
What's Up Darling
NA
137
NA
Like King Of Kingsfield, Sa Majeste has managed to avoid the Irish tax and will run off a mark of 140 - despite beating 152-rated Noble Yeats off-level weights earlier in the season. Fellow Willie Mullins' runner, Quai De Bourbon remains unmoved in the weights and both could now enter the Martin Pipe instead of the Coral Cup.
Better Days Ahead and Built By Ballymore have also been given the option of the Martin Pipe, as well as the Coral Cup. Albert Bartlett entrants, Stellar Story and Answer To Kayf could enter this handicap, having been rated lower than the 145 ceiling.
2024 Coral Cup Runners
Name
Irish R
British R
Diff
Hollow
Games
140
144
+4
Da Capo Glory
141
145
+4
Better Days Ahead
136
140
+4
Brazil
138
142
+4
Ballyadam
144
147
+3
Hispanic Moon
140
143
+3
Beacon Edge
142
145
+3
Hiddenvalley Lake
149
151
+2
Seddon
143
144
+1
Thedevilscoachman
152
152
0
Built By Ballymore
NA
139
NA
Jigoro
NA
141
NA
Top-weight in the Coral Cup will be Thedevilscoachman, who remains on a rating of 152. Hiddenvalley Lake will also enter near the top of the weights after the British handicapper added two pounds to his Irish rating.
Four entrants have been slapped with a four-pound Irish tax, including former Boodles winner Brazil. Plate Handicap winner, Seddon could revert back to hurdle and run in the Coral Cup, where he would run off a rating of 144.
2024 Pertemps Final Runners
Name
Irish R
British R
Diff
Popova
125
132
+7
Cleatus Poolaw
134
139
+5
Alpesh Amin
125
130
+5
Gabbys Cross
127
133
+5
Noble Birth
124
129
+5
Farouk D'alene
150
154
+4
Gaoth Chuil
133
136
+3
Maxxum
143
145
+2
Prairie Dancer
139
138
-1
Anna Bunina
140
140
0
Icare Allen
142
142
0
Cleatus Poolaw qualified for the Pertemps Final in the last qualifier at Naas on Sunday, and the British handicapper has rewarded Gordon Elliott's novice with an extra five-pound rise on top of his Irish mark. Second-favourite, Gaoth Chuil has been treated a little more kindly and will run off a rating of 136.
Henry De Bromhead's mare, Popova will be forced to run off a seven-pound higher mark, should she take up her entry. Christmas runner-up, Farouk D'alene will carry top-weight off his mark of 154. Gabby's Cross and Naas winner, Noble Birth have been issued with five pound rises.
Darragh O'Keeffe riding Maskada clears a hurdle on the way to winning the Grand Annual Chase. (Getty)
Cheltenham Festival Handicaps - Assessing The Irish Chasers
2024 Grand Annual Handicap Chase Runners
Name
Irish R
British R
Diff
Fils
D'Oudairies
137
144
+7
My Mate Mozzie
146
150
+4
Dancing On My Own
152
156
+4
The Folkes Tiara
129
133
+4
Path D'oroux
139
142
+3
Saint Roi
150
152
+2
Enniskerry
147
148
+1
Maskada
149
150
+1
Solness
148
149
+1
Saint Felicien
NA
146
NA
Maskada beat fellow mare Dinoblue in the Grand Annual 12 months ago and Henry De Bromhead's mare has been rated seven-pounds higher, should she return to this handicap. Current favourite, My Mate Mozzie has been slapped with a four-pound rise, while fellow fancied runner, Saint Roi has only been upped two pounds by the British assessor.
Fils D'Oudairies, who has spent the last year running in Grade One hurdles races, has been given an extra seven pounds on top of his Irish rating. Henry De Bromhead's Dancing On My Own is the highest-rated entrant with a mark of 156.
2024 Plate Handicap Chase Runners
Name
Irish R
British R
Diff
Riaan
137
142
+5
James Du Berlais
149
152
+3
Saint Roi
150
152
+2
Sa Fureur
143
145
+2
Seddon
148
149
+1
Adamantly Chosen
147
148
+1
Sharjah
147
149
+1
Classic Getaway
156
157
+1
Letsbeclearaboutit
152
153
+1
Firm Footings
140
140
0
Ash Tree Meadow
159
159
0
Saint Felicien
NA
146
NA
A six-pound hike by the British handicapper didn't stop Seddon from winning last year's Plate off 143 and John McConnell's star is a further six-pounds higher in 2024. Gavin Cromwell's novice, Letsbeclearabout has risen to second in the betting, and the British handicapper has upped his Irish mark by a solitary pound.
Gordon Elliott won't be pleased to see that Riaan has been judged five pounds better in Britain. James Du Berlais will have to run off a three-pound higher mark. Saint Felicien, who remains unrated over fences in Ireland, has been given a lenient opening mark of 146.
2024 Ultima Handicap Chase Runners
Name
Irish R
British R
Diff
Amirite
138
142
+4
The Goffer
144
147
+3
James Du Berlais
149
152
+3
Meetingofthewaters
145
147
+2
Inothewayurthinkin
143
145
+2
Stumptown
147
148
+1
Glengouly
145
146
+1
Classic Getaway
156
157
+1
Jungle Boogie
152
152
0
Minella Crooner
148
146
-2
Flanking Maneuver
NA
143
NA
Favori De Champdou
NA
147
NA
Willie Mullins novice, Meetingofthewaters sits prominently in the betting for the National Hunt Chase, but could now run in the Ultima after the British handicapper only upped his rating by two pounds. Gavin Cromwell's Stumptown has been upped a pound to 148, with stablemate Inothewayurthinkin three pounds lower at 145.
Jungle Boogie will run off his Irish rating of 152. Classic Getaway is the highest-rated horse in the field off his mark of 157. Minella Crooner, meanwhile, has been handed a rating of 146, despite an Irish rating of 148.
Ben Harvey on board Seddon jumps the second last on their way to winning the Magners Plate Handicap Chase. (Getty)
2024 Kim Muir Handicap Chase Runners
Name
Irish R
British R
Diff
Good Time
Jonny
132
142
+10
Perceval Legallois
137
144
+7
Amirite
138
142
+4
Inothewayurthinkin
143
145
+2
Cool Survivor
135
137
+2
Life In The Park
137
139
+2
Fakir d'Alene
141
143
+2
Frontal Assault
136
138
+2
Angels Dawn
141
142
+1
Ontheropes
142
143
+1
Diol Ker
142
142
0
Tony Martin's plot to sneak Good Time Jonny into the Kim Muir has been foiled by the British handicapper, who will force last year's Pertemps Final winner to run off a ten-pound higher mark, should he take up his Kim Muir entry.
Gavin Cromwell's Perceval Legallois has been hit with a seven-pound hike, with Amirite set to run off a four-pound higher rating on British soil. Defending champion, Angels Dawn returns to Cheltenham on the back of an excellent effort in the Thyestes, but Sam Curling's mare will have 11 more pounds on her back than 12 months ago.
