Resident Gloucester-native and form judge Cathryn Fry has been purring over the midnight oil to find her best Cheltenham Tips ahead of this weekend’s meeting Read on for her exclusive thoughts for kwiff readers.
Cheltenham Tips: Cathryn Fry’s October 2025 Preview
It’s officially jumps season now that we are back at Cheltenham! We seem to have escaped the threat of the storm here in Gloucestershire so unless we have a deluge overnight, the ground should stay pretty much as it is. At last glance, it was good to soft, good in places. I think we are due more rain but after the summer we’ve had, that’s not a bad thing.
Cheltenham Tips: Bowensonfire (1:15)
Wasn’t knocked about when third to a stablemate at Listowel. Versatile ground wise and has run consistently well in top Irish handicaps during the summer. In his win at Bellewstown he had subsequent Summer Plate winner and American Grand National second Ballysax Hank behind him. The British handicapper has him 3lbs above his Irish mark (128 – 131). I don’t think that’s too harsh. Jack Kennedy booked and Gordon Elliott in great form.
Cheltenham Tips: Torquay Road (2:25)
Recent history suggests that recent winners tend to go well in this race, each of the last four victors arrived here off the back of a win, including Cian Collins’ Impero last year, who scored off a modest mark of 103 after landing an ordinary Downpatrick maiden. The only qualifier in this season’s renewal is Collins’ Torquay Road.
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Torquay Road made the perfect start for Collins when winning a maiden hurdle at Sligo, travelling and jumping fluently before staying on powerfully to defeat a well-fancied Henry de Bromhead runner. His form tailed off afterwards, finishing well beaten as favourite at Ballinrobe and failing to land a blow in five subsequent starts through the winter, each time ridden from the rear.
However, after a 151-day break, he returned revitalised at Kilbeggan in June, racing more prominently to finish third. The runner-up that day has since gone on to win twice. He again ran into a subsequent multiple winner when fourth at Roscommon, before regaining the winning thread at Sligo over 2m2f, where he carried top-weight to victory.
Next time out, he followed up stylishly under the excellent Eoin Staples, making smooth headway through the field and showing real tenacity to prevail by half a length. Torquay Road looks a much sharper and more confident performer this season. He holds a valuable fitness edge over many of his rivals and represents a stable boasting an excellent record here: two wins from just three runners at Cheltenham in the past year.
Cheltenham Tips: Percy Shelley (4:10)
After finishing runner-up five times in a row on the Flat, he made an impressive transition to hurdles when comfortably landing a Uttoxeter maiden last month, his proven stamina from the level proving decisive against his chief market rival. He then had a walkover at Ludlow earlier this month. That doesn’t tell us anything but he remains a progressive type with further improvement to come.
He can extend his perfect record over hurdles, with Don Virginia, an impressive winner of a Worcester handicap four weeks ago, who is looking the main danger on his return to novice company.
By Cathryn Fry
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