Unibet Greatwood Hurdle
Grade 3 Handicap, Cheltenham 15:30
£100,000 guaranteed,
4yo plus,
2m 150yds, Class 1  
Sunday 16th November 2025

1 Alexei 100/30F
2 Helnwein 14/1
3 Faivoir 40/1
4 Welsh Charger 28/1
18 ran NR: Celtic Dino, Knickerbockerglory
Distances: 6l, 7l, nk Time: 4m 0.69s (slow by 10.69s)

Alexei threw his hat into the ring as a serious operator for Joe Tizzard with a performance that had all the hallmarks of something a bit special at Cheltenham.

The German-bred gelding had already hinted at his upward curve when chasing home Celtic Dino in the Welsh Champion Hurdle on his return, before backing that up with a smart win in a valuable Ascot handicap. Those efforts set the perfect platform for this Greatwood tilt, made all the more intriguing when his Chepstow conqueror came out owing to the ground.

Sent off the well-supported 100-30 favourite under Brendan Powell, he was never far from the heat of the action. Smooth over his hurdles and travelling like a horse brimming with confidence, he inched his way into contention before striking the front where it matters, up that famous hill, and then bounding clear after the last to win with a swagger, six lengths the margin.

“He went up 7lb for his Ascot performance, (but) came out of it really well and I thought this was the best I’d had him but this was a step up again. To go away like he did after the last, it was a proper performance,” said Tizzard, already on the scoresheet thanks to the Powell-ridden Triple Trade earlier on.

“Coming to the last I did just wonder what he was going to find, but Brendan said he wanted company coming down to it because he just has a look when he gets to the last.

“He won over two-mile-three in his maiden last year, so a fast-run two miles is ideal for him. The ground was my only concern, but it didn’t hinder him at all.”

He added: “I’m just enjoying what he’s doing at the moment, Ascot was only two weeks ago and he ran a blinder at Chepstow, so we’ve had two cracking weekends with him. I’m mindful that he’s done that twice in a fortnight, and on slower ground this time.

“I haven’t got a plan with him, the plan was these two and that’s where we’re at.

“Garth and Anne (Broom) are the best owners you can wish for, they deserve every success they get.”

A beaming Garth Broom, whose red-letter day at Cheltenham famously came with Native River in the 2018 Gold Cup, added: “He was more impressive there than he was at Ascot, wasn’t he?

“We looked up his German form and he’d run well on soft and heavy over there. I think he could be (better than a handicapper).”

Unibet Greatwood Hurdle (Grade 3 Handicap)
£100,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 2m 87y
18 ran
Going: Soft

POS. DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1    Alexei 5 11-4 Joe Tizzard Brendan Powell 100/30F
2 6 Helnwein 7 10-13 Alan King Tom Bellamy 14/1
3 7 Faivoir 10 11-4 Dan Skelton Miss Heidi Palin 40/1
4 nk Welsh Charger 7 10-13 Alastair Ralph Ciaran Gethings 28/1
5 nk Fiercely Proud 6 11-6 Ben Pauling Kielan Woods 16/1
6 1¾ Putapoundinthejar 5 11-3 A J Martin Sean Bowen 22/1
7 1½ Dedicated Hero 6 10-13 Sandy Thomson Danny McMenamin 22/1
8 8 Mirabad 6 10-13 Dan Skelton Harry Skelton 7/2
9 1 Iberico Lord 7 11-9 Nicky Henderson Nico de Boinville 15/2
10 4 Castle Carrock 6 11-3 Alan King Tom Cannon 7/1
11 ½ Gibbs Island 4 11-10 Tom Lacey Stan Sheppard 18/1
12 4¾ Laafi 5 11-8 William Durkan Philip Byrnes 33/1
13 15 Cracking Rhapsody 6 11-9 Ewan Whillans Craig Nichol 33/1
14 15 Rubber Ball 5 10-12 Neil King Jack Quinlan 18/1
15 11 No Ordinary Joe 9 11-7 Faye Bramley Richie McLernon 50/1
PU Fiveonefive 7 11-3 Cian Collins Keith Donoghue 80/1
PU Serious Challenge 5 10-11 Fergal O'Brien Jonathan Burke 13/2
PU King William Rufus 8 10-7 Chris Gordon Harry Cobden 20/1
NR 1 Celtic Dino 6 12-0 Sam Thomas NON RUNNER
NR 5 Knickerbockerglory 9 11-8 Dan Skelton NON RUNNER

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