Chianti Classico and local trainer relishes win at Cheltenham Festival

David Bass riding Chianti Classico en-route to winning n the way to winning the Ultima Handicap Chase at the 2024 Cheltenham Festival — David Bass riding Chianti Classico en-route to winning the Ultima Handicap Chase at the 2024 Cheltenham Festival.

(Image credit: AFP via Getty Images)

Local trainer Kim Bailey and jockey David Bass were back in the winner’s enclosure for the first time in four years when Chianti Classico won today’s Ultima Handicap Chase [12 March] at the Cheltenham Festival.

Chianti Classico, a seven-year-old owned by Sir Francis Brooke and R A Pilkington, went off at odds of 6/1 and came home four-and-a-half lengths clear of his nearest rival in a 21-runner field.

Chianti Classico’s trainer, Horse & Hound’s regular columnist and recent guest on The Horse & Hound Podcast Kim Bailey said: “It’s huge. It’s huge for the yard, Matt my assistant and all the team at home have worked so hard on this. They believed in the horse. David has been confident all along and he was right. He adores this horse and says he’s a big terrier. He’s as hard as nails and not very big, but he’s got so much ability and he’s so agile – and always has been.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Gemma is an experienced journalist, who was a member of H&H staff from 2014 to September 2025. She is passionate about all equestrian sports, including racing and point-to-pointing. She has enjoyed riding out for top trainers Nicky Henderson and Charlie Appleby and took part in a charity Flat race at Epsom in August 2018. Gemma’s has reported from numerous five-star events around Britain and Europe, as well as European championships.

‘It’s huge for the yard’: local trainer relishes long-awaited win at Cheltenham Festival

David Bass said: “What a lovely horse. He just travelled and jumped everywhere. I was there miles too soon, but he’s got a touch of class. It’s brilliant for the owners, brilliant for the yard – we’ve been a bit quiet, but we can get them to the big day in good form.

“It meant a lot. It’s an absolute privilege to ride good horses here – I’m so lucky. It’s hard to win here – 2020 was the last time I rode a winner here and that’s too long.

“I managed to get to the front and get a breather into him, get over the last two and he had a little peck at the last, but he picked up well and I think he’s won quite well in the end. He’s a progressive horse and exciting. It’s an amazing feeling.”

You might also be interested in:

Can anyone beat Constitution Hill? Everything you need to know about the 2025 Cheltenham Festival Champion Hurdle

‘He’s still full of zest… with the heart of a lion’: meet the 12-year-old racehorse heading for Cheltenham’s Champion Hurdle