Rich Ricci's Cheltenham Festival squad

The famous pink and green-spotted silks of Rich and Susannah Ricci are well known to fans of the Cheltenham Festival.

The American businessman is popular with racegoers and, while the horses run in his wife's name, it is he who is the face and voice of their racing operation.

Ricci's Cheltenham Festival winners include the likes of Annie Power, Vautour, Douvan, Benie Des Dieux and Limini in past years and we're taking a look at some of his potential contenders in 2025.

Lossiemouth

It's very much fair to suggest that this year Rich Ricci's Festival string are going to the Cotswolds with their backs to the wall. His leading contenders have all suffered setbacks en route to Cheltenham and none more so than Lossiemouth.

She was well beaten by Constitution Hill in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton, though trainer Willie Mullins was satisfied as she finished second in a race where she never looked content.

The Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown brought a showdown with State Man, her stablemate and the reigning Cheltenham champion, but disaster struck when Lossiemouth tumbled out of the race four flights from home.

Can she recover? History is against her, as just seven horses from 160 since 2009 have won at the Cheltenham Festival after falling on their previous appearance.

However, her supporters will be clinging to the fact she's a perfect 3-3 around Cheltenham including two Festival wins. The Champion Hurdle looks like the target, though she also holds a Mares' Hurdle entry.

Sainte Lucie

The Dublin Racing Festival also brought pain for Triumph Hurdle hope Sainte Lucy. The filly had impressed in a Punchestown maiden hurdle on New Year's Eve, her first start after arriving with Mullins from France.

She was a well-backed favourite for the Grade 1 Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown, but Paul Townend's partner backed out quickly from the second last and was tailed off passing the line.

Some may class that effort as too bad to be true and she has a major job to turn it around with winner Hello Neighbour and high-class British contenders Lulamba and East India Dock to contend with in the Triumph.

Allegorie De Vassy

Allegorie De Vassy is being primed for a third crack at the Mares' Chase, in which she was second behind Impervious in 2023 and then fourth last time as Limerick Lace scored for Gavin Cromwell.

She beat that rival by a whopping 25 lengths at Fairyhouse on New Year's Day, but has since been denied by her Mullins-trained stablemate Dinoblue in the Listed Opera Hat Mares Chase at Naas.

She was getting 6lb that afternoon from Mark Walsh's partner, but it was over two miles and a return to the longer trip at Cheltenham could work out for the volatile Allegorie De Vassy.

Gaelic Warrior

Last year's emphatic Arkle winner, the cards are up in the air for Gaelic Warrior ahead of Cheltenham 2025.

In 2024 he turned in a listless display at the Dublin Racing Festival before bludgeoning his rivals in the Arkle.

He's 0-3 since and his latest third in the Dublin Chase at Leopardstown was bemusing as he looked disinterested and ready to be pulled up before a mini-rally late on.

The Queen Mother Champion Chase had been the target, but connections are now toying with the idea of stepping up in trip for the Ryanair Chase with a horse who was a three-mile Grade 1-winning novice over timber.

Joystick

Things are little better in the novice ranks. Joystick won a maiden at Naas in January, but has since been pulled up in the Grade 1 Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle at the DRF.

He retains entries in both the Turners and the Albert Bartlett, but will have to raise his game significantly.

Port Joulain

One Ricci horse who can at least travel to the Gloucestershire showpiece after a win is Port Joulain.

He took out a maiden hurdle at Punchestown (2m3½f, heavy) in late January on his third start over timber and Grade 1 options via the Turners and the Albert Bartlett as well as some potential for tackling a handicap.

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