Capodanno: Profile, Record, Age & Best Races

After finishing fourth in last year's Ryanair Chase, connections of Capodanno have decided to skip the 2025 Cheltenham Festival and instead take him back to Aintree for the Grand National.

The eight-year-old showed a liking for Prestbury Park when winning the 2024 Cotswold Chase but faltered on his return when coming home seven lengths behind Dan Skelton's Protektorat.

He then finished 16th of the 32 runners at Aintree but those in charge clearly feel that going in fresh will be an advantage as they prepare him for a third go at National glory in April.

Name: Capodanno

Age: 9

Weight: 11-8

Trainer: Willie Mullins

Winnings: £140,144

Cheltenham Festival wins: 0

Capodanno race stats

Runs	1st	2nd	3rd
21	5	2	4

Capodanno Age

Capodanno is a nine-year-old and made his debut for JP McManus and Willie Mullins in a 2m3f Maiden Hurdle at Clonmel in December 2020.

He had previously finished second at Compiegne on his only outing for Daniela Mele in November 2019.

Capodanno Weight

Capodanno ran off 11-8 in his last race, a fourth-place finish in the New Year's Day Chase at Tramore, having been taken down from 11-10 after being pulled up at Haydock in November.

He has switched between 11-8 and 11-10 in his last five meetings after succeeding off 11-4 in his Cotswold Chase success.

However, punters might have been alerted by February's news that he will run off 11-2 in the 2025 Aintree showpiece.

Capodanno Record

Following his switch to Mullins, it took Capodanno just two races to get off the mark with a seventh-length victory in the Monroe Maiden Hurdle at Clonmel.

The gelding had three more races over hurdles, including a victory in a Grade B Handicap Hurdle at Punchestown in April 2021, before stepping up to fences.

After a lengthy break, Capodanno won his first race over the bigger obstacles - beating Embrun Mitja by one-and-a-quarter-lengths lengths in a Beginners' Chase at Naas, in December 2021.

A month later, Mark Walsh rode him to second place - behind Bob Olinger - in the Kildare Novice Chase at Punchestown. He then tried his luck at the Cheltenham Festival in 2022, finishing fourth in the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase.

Capodanno's next win came at the County Kildare track of Punchestown, with a six-and-a-half-length success over Lifetime Ambition over 3m½f in April 2022.

Connections decided to send Capodanno to Aintree to run in the Grand National, but he was pulled up by jockey Danny Mullins.

A couple of defeats in Ireland in late 2023 were then followed by a third chase victory, seeing off the likes of The Real Whacker and Stay Away Fay when winning the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham.

It was hoped he could repeat those heroics when returning seven weeks later for the Ryanair but he faltered on the way in to run home fourth.

After being pulled up in the 2023 National, he was 16th last year behind stablemate I Am Maximus before ending his campaign with another tired showing when finishing eighth of nine runners in the Punchestown Gold Cup.

Connections are clearly looking to learn, racing him just twice this season. However, he was pulled up on his reappearance at Haydock before that 26-length fourth at Tramore on 1st January.

Capodanno Next Race

Mullins previously said he feels Capodanno could be a future Gold Cup winner but opted out of that contest last year and has decided to skip Cheltenham altogether in 2025.

Instead, he has an entry for the Grand National with connections hoping he will produce a more rounded performance in the world's most famous steeplechase on 5th April.

Capodanno Owner and Cost

Capodanno is owned by McManus, who has been a racehorse owner for over 40 years, having had his first Cheltenham Festival runner in 1982.

The Irish businessman, whose colours are the famous green with yellow striped silks, has had over 70 winners at the Festival over the years.

The chestnut gelding was a 12,000 euros yearling buy at the Osarus thoroughbred auction house back in 2019.

Hubert Barbe, from the Horse Racing Advisory, then teamed up with trainer Charlie Swan to buy Capodanno for 185,000 euros.

He was then purchased by McManus in November 2020, moving to the Mullins yard after just one race.

Capodanno Trainer

Capodanno is trained by Mullins, whose reputation in the sport means punters are likely to trust his approach with the nine-year-old.

Mullins is the most successful trainer in the history of the Cheltenham Festival and took his tally to 103 winners in 2024.

His nine winners included Galopin Des Champs' second Gold Cup success and Arkle glory for Gaelic Warrior.

Capodanno Official Rating

The French gelding started his career over hurdles, before turning to chasing in December 2021 after a 231-day break.

Capodanno went into the 2024 Festival at a career-high rating of 161, which he retained for the following month's National. However, he has gradually slipped following poor showings in his last three outings and is due to run off 157 in the 2025 National.

Capodanno Prize Money

Capodanno has earned his connections prize money of £239,877 during his 21 outings under rules.

Of that amount, £171,751 has been race winnings, with £31,607 earned from victories over hurdles and £140,144 in triumphs since he went chasing.

Capodanno News

Connections have been quiet about Capodanno's progress since his New Year's Day outing at Tramore, with focus instead falling on Mullins' Cheltenham runners.

However, the news that he will run off 11-2 at Aintree means he should at least be in the middle of the pack, with the potential for him to move through the field thanks to carrying less weight than in previous outings.