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January 23, 2026Scottish-based training duo Lucinda Russell and Michael Scudamore have made two entries for this year’s Cheltenham Festival, with Myretown put into the Cheltenham Gold Cup field, and Ayor Senor entered for the Stayers Hurdle.
Both trainers have had a lot of success at the meeting, and with their partnership flourishing, the pair will be hoping to celebrate a Championship triumph this year.
Myretown Back for More Cheltenham Glory
Lucinda Russell does it again!
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) March 11, 2025
Myretown runs away with the Ultima Handicap Chase in convincing fashion 👏#ITVRacing | #CheltenhamFestival | @PatrickWadge | @lucindavrussell pic.twitter.com/ckmjxzrNmx
Russell celebrated a winner on day one of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival when Myretown prevailed in the Ultima Handicap Chase. The horse is set to step up in class this year and contest the Cheltenham Gold Cup, where he is 100/1 in the Cheltenham Festival odds for the feature race.
Those placing Cheltenham Gold Cup Antepost bets will notice that former winner, Galopin Des Champs, is the 11/2 favourite for the 3m2f contest this year. The field also includes the defending champion, Inothewayurthinkin, so Myretown will need to beat the last two winners of the race.
On his opening start this season, Myretown made a mistake at Newbury and fell at the ninth fence in his race. He produced a much better performance last time in the Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock, finishing just over three lengths behind the winner, Imperial Saint.
The nine-year-old gelding has an official rating of 142 over fences. His record suggests he is often at his best at the back end of a season, so Russell and Scudamore will be hoping he can put it up to the leading British and Irish chasers in the Blue Riband event in jumps racing.
Ahoy Senor Now Back Over Hurdles
Former Grade One winning hurdler Ahoy Senor prevailed four times over fences and featured in two renewals of the Cheltenham Gold Cup. However, Russell and Scudamore have opted to go back over hurdles this season with their horse.
Ahoy Senor made the early running in the 2025 Cheltenham Gold Cup before making a mistake at the 9th obstacle. His next error came at the 15th fence, and on that occasion, his Championship race came to an end after falling.
On his return to hurdling, the 11-year-old was sixth of seven runners in the Grade Two Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury. He weakened inside the final couple of furlongs in the race won by Impose Toi.
Ahoy Senor wins the @DoomBarBeer Sefton Novices’ Hurdle#GrandNational pic.twitter.com/I4CQJYekYt
— Aintree Racecourse (@AintreeRaces) April 9, 2021
Ahoy Senor has an entry in this year’s Stayers’ Hurdle, the Championship race on day three of the Festival. It will be his first run over hurdles at Cheltenham. He skipped the meeting in 2021 in favour of Aintree a month later, and that proved to be a smart move by Russell, as he was much fresher than his rivals when landing the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle.
At 11 years old, Ahoy Senor is the joint-oldest horse in this year’s Stayers’ Hurdle. He will get the opportunity to reverse his form with Impose Toi and Strong Leader from Newbury, and a victory would be the biggest of his career to date.
The 2026 Cheltenham Festival takes place between 10-13 March, with seven races scheduled on each day of the meeting.
