If the Cheltenham Festival wasn't enough to have us excited last week, we also had runs from Phoenix Of Dreams and Aspire To Glory to look forward to on the all-weather, as well as All The Glory running at the Festival itself in the Grade 2 Mares' Chase!

The triple-header kicked off at Newcastle on Thursday evening, as Phoenix Of Dreams marked the Coral Racing Club's 200th runner with a nail-biting performance in what was his fifth appearance of the year for the John & Sean Quinn team.

Regular partner Jason Hart got Phoenix Of Dreams to break well from the stalls before dropping him slightly back in the group of four that raced on the near side of the track. He travelled sweetly throughout the race and was produced to make his move just before entering the final furlong. He soon hit the front, however he was quickly reined back in by Concert Boy, who picked up well late on. The two crossed the line together in a fierce head bob and looked to be inseparable, however, the photo showed that Phoenix Of Dreams had just gotten his head down when it mattered most to come out on top by a short head.

WATCH: Jason Hart gives his immediate reaction to Phoenix Of Dreams' performance at Newcastle
 
Trainer Sean Quinn was delighted with the effort from Phoenix Of Dreams, especially given it was just his second run back over seven furlongs, and he hopes that he can show more of the same next time out. Check out the video below to hear from Sean himself the day after the win, as Phoenix Of Dreams tucked into a well deserved morning feed.

WATCH: Sean Quinn gives us a post-race update on Phoenix Of Dreams following his Newcastle success

Phoenix Of Dreams was assessed by the handicapper on Tuesday following the race and has been nudged up 2lbs to a mark of 67. John & Sean Quinn have already looked at the fixture list and have identified another suitable race at Newcastle next Friday, so keep an eye out for our next Owner for the Day competition for your chance to get involved.


Phoenix Of Dreams' Owners for the Day in the winners' enclosure at Newcastle

Next up was the most exciting proposition of the week for the Club, as All The Glory became our first ever runner at the Cheltenham Festival in the Grade 2 Mares' Chase on Friday. A quite remarkable occasion given it was just her sixth start over fences. The eight-runner field was as competitive as ever, including runners from Willie Mullins, Dan Skelton, and Gavin Cromwell to name a few, but we still went there filled with hope and optimism.


All The Glory's Owners for the Day with the O'Neill team in the Parade Ring at Cheltenham prior to the Mares' Chase

As the race got underway, jockey Jonjo O'Neill Jr was happy to position All The Glory at the rear of the field to give her the best chance of getting into a nice rhythm, and that's exactly what she did for the first half of the contest. The pace was set from the front by Telepathique, with the Lucy Wadham mare controlling the fractions throughout until the fifth fence from home. At that point there was still only around eight lengths from front to back, but it was that fence when All The Glory made her first major blunder and she was never really able to recover and regain her confidence.

Jonjo Jr ensured that she jumped and travelled safely throughout the final stages of the race, with her eventually coming home in a well-beaten 7th place. The result landed her three lucky Owners for the Day just over £700 in prize money, but the overall experience is no doubt what they'll remember the most, and hopefully All The Glory will have learned plenty which should put her in good stead if she is to return next month as planned.

WATCH: Jonjo & AJ O'Neill discuss All The Glory's performance and outline where she'll be heading next

Last but by no means least was Aspire To Glory's return to action for his new trainer, Dylan Cunha. Having been off the track since last August, we were all excited to see the Club's winning-most stablemate back at the races at Southwell on Saturday evening. Dylan made the decision to drop him back in trip for his first start of 2026, to ease him back into competitive racing, and to get him primed for the rest of the flat season where we expect to see him running with regularity. 


Aspire To Glory in the Parade Ring prior to his run at Southwell last Saturday

Under Luke Morris for the first time, Aspire To Glory bolted out of the gates with his usual enthusiasm and raced up to the bend with the leaders, looking like he hadn't missed a beat since his last run. As the race progressed, it was clear to see that there were some cobwebs that needed to be blown away still and he began to struggle to keep up with the pace as it quickened in the latter stages. His market rivals continued to pass him one by one, and with Luke realising that he had nothing left to give, he allowed him to come home in his own time.

WATCH: Luke Morris with plenty of positives despite Aspire To Glory's final position

We caught up with Dylan Cunha the day following Aspire To Glory's return and he said that he came out of the race in great order and spent his morning in the paddock. He said that the run will have given his fitness a real boost which should set him up perfectly for a step back up in trip to seven furlongs. Stay tuned for the next update from Phantom House Stables as we wait to see what Dylan has planned for Aspire To Glory next.