Why has Watts Wondering about Cheltenham

Having endured Classic ecstasy and heartache in the summer, Basher Watts now has a horse fuelling Cheltenham Festival dreams after Wondering Why pushed Ambiente Friendly close at Huntingdon.

The social media influencer’s racing club shot to prominence during the summer thanks to Shes Perfect’s swift rise through the ranks on the level and hopes are now high this first venture in the National Hunt sphere will prove just as successful, such has been Wondering Why’s early promise.

Watts said: “You should see the owners’ WhatsApp group, the owners are predicting ratings and talking about what races we could go for at the Festival, all these big targets.

“That is all a bit far in the distance and there’s obviously plenty of water to go under the bridge before then, but it’s great to have that chat.

“For me, this is what horse racing is all about and we’ve been third and second, but we’ve been talking like we own the next Istabraq and it’s what the excitement of the dream is all about.”

Trained by Ben Pauling, Wondering Why showed his potential when finishing third on his hurdling debut at Southwell, but was tasked with the challenge of taking on the 2024 Derby runner-up at Huntingdon.

It was another memorable moment in a whirlwind 2025 for Watts and his loyal band of followers, as they mixed it with a horse who once chased home City Of Troy, but was now all out to deny their £54,000 maiden who could have a bright future.

Watts added: “We know Ambiente Friendly is a very smart horse so to finish so close to him was great.

“They are talking about the County Hurdle for him, so it’s extremely exciting for Wondering Why and the rest of the season. It was only his second start for Ben Pauling and we’re still learning about him.

“We went there thinking we might finish second, but Ambiente Friendly was second in the Derby so was always going to have the speed and class to put us to the sword.

“Turning for home I couldn’t believe how easy he was travelling and when we jumped the second-last and took it up, we thought we would go on and win a few lengths. He pinged the last and I thought we were home and hosed and I think it was just Ambiente Friendly’s Flat speed that saw him run us down late.

“We’ll hopefully try to find a nice maiden next time out and then just plan for the rest of the year after that really. We’ve nothing long-term in mind yet as he just needs to go and do it next time.”

A wet Sunday in Cambridgeshire may be a far cry from spring sunshine on a Classic weekend in Paris, but for Watts the lure of a winner is just the same, as he expands the number of horses running in the colours of his beloved Tottenham Hotspur to both codes.

Watts said: “He’s my first runner over the obstacles and it’s a little bit different to the Flat. I’m always nervous, but there’s that little bit extra when you are watching them taking flight.

“People who have been going to Huntingdon for years told me they have never known a horse cheered home as loud as we were.

“He’s a lovely horse and there was 35 of us there to cheer him on at Huntingdon. I have to thank the racecourse for their help as they made the day fantastic for the syndicate and really helped us out with badges etc.

“I’ve also got My Mate Aj with Ben Pauling and so far we’ve not had a winner over the jumps yet, so next job is to try to get that monkey off my back.”