Ronnie Bartlett's Festival squad

Leading owner Ronnie Bartlett has been synonymous with some good horses down the years, with the likes of Simonsig, Galvin and Ballyburn all providing success at Cheltenham.

With King George winner Banbridge and recent Dublin Racing Festival scorer Ballyburn bound for the Cotswolds again, we assess some of the hopes for the Scottish-based owner in his famous dark blue and white diamond silks for Cheltenham 2025.

Ballyburn

Winner of the 2m5f Gallagher Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham last spring, Ballyburn is now the clear antepost favorite for the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase back in the Cotswolds this time around.

Good enough to win a 2m Grade 1 novice last season at Leopardstown, his Christmas defeat behind Sir Gino at Kempton appeared to rule out similar aspirations as a chaser at the minimum trip.

Nicky Henderson's Arkle favourite put him in his place that December afternoon, but Ballyburn has since gone to the Dublin Racing Festival and won the Ladbrokes Novice Chase over 2m5½f in good style, taking away the unbeaten record of Croke Park over fences in doing so.

That win tees him up for a crack at three miles for the first time in the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase, a race for which he is now clear favourite.

Willie Mullins and Paul Townend both expressed their delight with Ballyburn after Leopardstown, the jockey suggesting his partner is learning all the time over fences, while the champion trainer believes he was always likely to shine as a staying chaser, given his breeding.

Banbridge

Banbridge has plenty of Festival options off the back of winning the King George at Kempton on Boxing Day.

Townend was the man on his back that afternoon, judging matters superbly as Banbridge was produced to pick off pacesetter Il Est Francais

The versatile nine-year-old has multiple Festival targets, with entries in the Queen Mother Champion Chase, the Ryanair Chase and the Gold Cup covering all bases in terms of trip.

The King George was his first attempt at three miles and he saw it out well, though an extra two furlongs around Cheltenham would clearly pose a bit of a stamina question in the Gold Cup.

The Blue Riband does appear to be the race connections most have in mind and likely even more so with Gerri Colombe ruled out and Fact To File potentially being aimed towards the Ryanair instead.

With Townend committed to Galopin Des Champs on Gold Cup duty, JJ Slevin may return on Joseph O'Brien's charge for what would be the biggest afternoon of his career.

Galvin

Cheltenham regular Galvin is being lined up for another go at the Cross Country race. He won the National Hunt Cup at the Festival in 2021 and went on to finish fourth as A Plus Tard won the Gold Cup 12 months later.

The Gordon Elliott inmate was second to stablemate Delta Work in the 2023 Cross Country race and has twice taken on that challenge since at the November and December meetings in 2023.

He missed Cheltenham last March in favour of a second appearance in the Grand National at Aintree, where he was fourth, atoning for a first fence unseat 12 months previously.

He has been quietly handled this season, finishing second in the American Grand National in October and most recently fourth in a Flat race at Punchestown.

He features prominently in the market for Cross Country, which returns to being run as a handicap in 2025.

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