Cheltenham Festival 2024: Brooks Koepka and Graeme McDowell have ‘major’ challenger

Golfers Brooks Koepka and Graham McDowell could pull off another big win, this time on the circuit.

The pair co-own Givemefive, who won a 2-over-par jump at Warwick on Monday. Trained by Harry Derham. Givemefive won the Second Juvenile Hurdle by 18 lengths, 2-1. He can now contest the JCB Trumph Hurdle at odds of 25-1 against Paddy Power at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

Derham was given permission to train Givemefive after winning a “nearest” stake against McDowell in the summer. L\’Homme Presse’s chances of qualifying for the Cheltenham Gold Cup fell after a brilliant comeback win.

Neither golfer was in Warwick, but the coach said the former US Open winner had friends watching from his Florida base.

“Graeme, Brooks and Daniel Gambill (the other co-owners) are great guys and they all enjoyed racing in Florida. Then my WhatsApp got too many messages,” says Derham.

Givemefive made his last race a parade, winning at Market Rasen 46 days ago. “I thought it was an improvement, but I didn’t expect it,” Durham said. He is clearly a smart horse because he gave smart horses a free kick. “We were hoping that Fred could run in the winter and get to the Adonis (Junior Hurdle at Kempton Park) before then.

“Entries for the Hurdle of Triumph close tomorrow and I will enter after winning the shoot-outs. “I guess I’ll have to think about it. Fred needs one more run to get through the winter. If he didn’t need more running I would have let him drive the Triumph.

“I’m not doing anything right now, but it’s a very good problem to have.”