Join Steve Mullington for his Cheltenham Festival ante-post tips in the build up to the 2025 meeting...
Cheltenham Festival 2025 Tip 8
The Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase is a Grade 3 contest run over 2m½f on the second day of the Cheltenham Festival.
The most successful trainer in the history of the Grand Annual is Paul Nicholls, who has trained the winner of the race on four occasions. Nicholls’ winners have been: St Pirran (2004), Andreas (2007), Solar Impulse (2016), and Le Prezien (2018).
Ask someone to name a famous winner of the Grand Annual and most people will mention the 1998 victor Edredon Bleu, who proved to be a particularly talented horse in this race and further down the line.
So who is in the reckoning for the 2025 renewal?
Second in the Grand Annual at last year’s Festival before rounding off his season with a third-place finish in a Grade One contest at Aintree, Libberty Hunter can be a major player once more next March.
After making a successful start to his campaign at Cheltenham’s December meeting in a 2m½f Handicap Chase, Evan Williams’ eight-year-old could quite easily hold his own at a graded level and will gave anyone a race back in another premier handicap.
Our traders rated Djelo a 12-1 chance for the Ryanair Chase after he demolished his rivals in the Peterborough Chase, but he could well follow the Grand Annual route for which they have installed him an 8/1 poke.
Venetia Williams will find it hard to not go down the Ryanair path if the Djelo keeps doing the business at the top level, but if his form was to take a small dip between now and March, a run in the Grand Annual looks more likely.
Jonbon easily put JPR One to the sword in the Tingle Creek, but the Tizzard representative ran with credit to be fair, and that level of form would translate well to a handicap chase should connections go down that path.
He was a very impressive Grade 2 winner when landing the Haldon Gold Cup Handicap Chase at Exeter, and the €48,000 purchase is certainly paying his way for his owner John Romans.
After landing this race last year, the Skelton’s indicated pre-season that they will try and work their way back to the Grand Annual this season with Unexpected Party.
After following Jonbon around from a distance for decent prizemoney in the Tingle Creek, it’s onto the Howden Graduation Chase on December 21st for the nine-year-old.
Many pundits have the Gordon Elliott-trained Touch Me Not pencilled in as a possible Grand Annual type and it is easy to see why from his superb novice chase efforts thus far.
The five-year-old youngster put up a bold show in the Grade 1 Henry VIII Novices' Chase at Sandown and is a horse at slightly longer odds to keep an eye on.
Henry De Bromhead’s Dancing On My Own will be an eleven-year-old if he arrives at The Festival but he is still a very solid and reliable chaser.
He finished 5¾ lengths behind Calico at Cheltenham’s October meeting and at odds of around 20/1, he has to be of some each-way interest in the current Grand Annual ante-post market.
Grand Annual antepost tip: Touch Me Not (E/W)
Cheltenham Festival 2025 Tip 7
The Supreme Novices' Hurdle is the championship race for 2 mile novice hurdlers and traditional curtain-raiser to the Festival. As such, it is now proudly accompanied by the famous Cheltenham roar as the tapes rise.
For the novices, this race is often a stepping stone to further glories down the line, with those involved in the finish frequently going on to be the superstars of the future.
Brave Inca and Constitution Hill went on to win the Champion Hurdle, while Binocular and Buveur d'Air both placed in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle before taking their respective turns to land the Champion.
Currently the ante-post betting market for the 2025 Supreme Novices’ is wide open with double figure odds bar the favourite. Let’s take a look at look at some of the possible contenders for the title:
French-bred Salvator Mundi (8/1) shot to the head of the betting after a 62-length romp at Tipperary last May.
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He failed to shine in the Triumph Hurdle (beaten 17 lengths) but this son of No Risk At All has quickly turned the corner and knows exactly what he’s there to do on a racecourse, despite only being a four year-old.
There’s a lot to be said about purchasing a three-year-old with form in the book from Auteuil, especially if its an excellent second to none other than Sir Gino in the Listed Prix Wild Monarch (Poulains) Hurdle.
Cast your minds back to last year’s Festival and you may recall that Jeroboam Machin (12/1) was ruled out of the Cheltenham Festival just three days after being catapulted to the head of the Weatherbys Champion Bumper betting after incurring an injury that ruled him out for the remainder of that season.
Having taken his unbeaten bumper record to two in the Grade 2 Donohue Marquees Future Stars 2m Hurdle, winning it decisively by four and a quarter lengths under Derek O'Connor, it was really unfortunate that he never made it over to Prestbury Park.
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A deep dive into that Future Stars results will show you just how good an effort that was by Emmet Mullins’ five-year-old.
Research will reveal that horses from that contest such as You Oughta Know, Redemption Day & The Yellow Clay, have all come out and won since – some on multiple occasions.
The Willie Mullins-trained Redemption Day (12/1) heads to Leopardstown on December 27th for the Grade 1 Future Champions Novice Hurdle, so you may want to have a flutter on him now for the Supreme, just in case he hoses up over the Christmas holidays.
It’s bound to be an informative race with many of the connections with horses entered having Supreme Novices’ Hurdle aspirations of their own.
A couple of horses that I’d personally consider having an each-way play on at this stage are Willie Mullins’ Karniquet (25/1) who was a nice sort in France last winter and got off to a flying start at Tramore in November, plus Minella Premier (25/1) who was a spectacular £400K purchase for owner Oliver Harris and has been placed in training with Nicky Henderson.
Supreme Novices Hurdle antepost tip: Jeroboam Machin (E/W)
Cheltenham Festival 2025 Tip 6
The Champion Hurdle is the feature race on day one of the Cheltenham Festival and this season it will take place on Tuesday 11th March, 2025.
A Grade One contest, the Champion Hurdle is run on the Cheltenham old course over a distance of 2 miles and 87 yards, and its roll of honour features hurdling greats such as Persian War, See You Then and Istabraq.
Will any of the 2025 participants become horse racing greats too? Here is an early look at the main protagonists:
Willie Mullins' mare Lossiemouth (2/1) is the new Champion Hurdle favourite after cruising to victory in the Hatton's Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse, easily putting previous winner Teahupoo to the sword.
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After an unbeaten campaign last term that included Grade One victories at Cheltenham and Punchestown, the five-year-old looks better than ever and is a leading hope for the hurdling blue riband.
A former champion of the race is of course Constitution Hill (7/2), but at the time of writing Nicky Henderson’s star hurdler is somewhat in the doldrums.
Constitution Hill has not run since Boxing Day last year, and missed the Fighting Fifth Hurdle on 30th November due to lameness.
After winning the Christmas Hurdle last year. the horse missed the remainder of the season through a variety of reasons.
He then failed to impress when galloping with stablemate Sir Gino in a workout at Newbury in the run up to the Newcastle feature.
Odds of 7/2 will look massive on the day should his fortunes improve, but he’s undoubtably a risky proposition at this juncture.
Christmas is always an informative time of year in the National Hunt calendar and it will be interesting to see whether State Man (9/2) can reverse the Morgiana Hurdle form with Brighterdaysahead in the Matheson Hurdle at Leopardstown over the festive period.
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Paul Townend has ridden the gelding on fifteen of his sixteen starts and he was won on him on eleven occasions. He’s also the defending Champion Hurdler so Townend may find it difficult to dessert him come crunch decision time.
If you happen to take the early 9/2 price you’ll be more than happy if Townend is your man in the saddle.
"We don't have to decide here and now, but it does look like he's staying in that hurdle game” were Nicky Henderson’s exact words when his super sub Sir Gino (5/1) waltzed home in the Fighting Fifth hurdle.
Nicky Henderson re-routed his chasing prospect to Newcastle and now faces the dilemma of holding Sir Gino back over the big fences this term, or sticking with the small flights.
Punters will hopefully take the Fighting Fifth result as the oddity it was, given that Sir Gino was only subbing on the day and that the joint-favourite Mystical Power (Willie Mullins) ran like a drain.
I would dearly love to suggest a lively outsider in the Champion Hurdle ante-post betting, but quite frankly – there isn’t one! The betting market has the odds completely right and the winner will come from the current top four horses.
Champion Hurdle antepost tip: State Man (WIN)
Cheltenham Festival 2025 Tip 5
The Cross Country Chase takes place on day two of the Cheltenham Festival and will take place this season on Wednesday 12th March 2025.
This unique race was introduced in 2005 as part of the extension of the Festival from three days to four. Sponsored for many years by Glenfarcas, the contest is run over three miles, six furlongs and 37 yards, with 32 obstacles have to be negotiated.
The Cross Country became a popular warm-up race for the following month’s Grand National at Aintree - a path taken by the likes of Cause of Causes (2017) and Tiger Roll(2018 & 2019). It remains to be seen if that trend will continue now that the race has become a handicap.
Here are some of the early contenders for the middle of the racecourse spectacular this year:
Stumptown (7/1) fended off all comers to land the Risk Of Thunder XC Chase at Punchestown on November 24th, and understandably went to the head of the ante-post betting market for the Cross Country Chase at The Festival.
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Second in the 2023 Kim Muir and a winner of a top quality handicap chase at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day last season, he took really well to the banks course at Punchestown and certainly brings the best form to the table at this present moment in time.
Second in the recent American Grand National and fourth in last year’s Aintree Grand National, Gordon Elliott’s Galvin (7/1) will be a leading contender to take the cross country spoils if this race is used as his Liverpool stepping stone.
However, even though Galvin finished a close second to Delta Work in the 2023 edition of this race, the ten-year-old didn’t really seem to enjoy the November/December versions of the event so he’s turning into a little bit of a chancy bet nowadays.
Veteran chaser Delta Work (10/1) will be a twelve-year-old next March, and although it is not impossible to run a big race at that age – remember 14-year-old A New Story in 2010, your chances begin to diminish.
If Gordon Elliott is going to squeeze one more Grand National attempt out of the Gigginstown gelding (second last year), he may even forego running him at the Cheltenham Festival, so once again – be very wary.
Currently not listed in our betting, but highly probable starter is the Martin Keighley-trained Back On The Lash.
Owned by Harry Redknapp and friends, the ten-year-old has scored in the supporting cross country races at Cheltenham before, and just when we were beginning to think he was out of love with the event, he bounced right back to form with an excellent third in the November Cross Country Handicap Chase.
You would like to think that if he turns up in peak fitness next March, he would have some sort of outside chance over a course he excels at.
Cross Country antepost tip: Stumptown (E/W)
Cheltenham Festival 2025 Tip 4
The Arkle Novices' Chase is the championship race for two mile novice chasers, known formally as the Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices' Chase.
Many Arkle Chase winners have subsequently have gone on to win the Queen Mother Champion Chase. That includes the likes of Moscow Flyer, Azertyuiop, Voy Por Ustedes, Sizing Europe, Sprinter Sacre, Altior and Put The Kettle On.
As you can see it is a very informative Cheltenham Festival race and punters like to get involved in it too.
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So who are the main contenders this season and who should you consider having an early ante-post bet on?
Willie Mullins has won the Arkle for the last two years in a row with El Fabiolo and Gaelic Warrior, and his Ballyburn (11/4) holds a great chance of giving him three in a row.
The six-year-old produced one of the best performances at last year’s Festival when scooting home in the Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle by 13 lengths, and he should in turn make a great chaser.
At the time of writing (17.11.24), it’s still unclear when and where the six-year-old will make his seasonal bow.
Apparently Sir Gino (6/1) is schooling that well over fences that Nicky Henderson is to bring forward his unbeaten star's chasing career, and has made the Arkle his Cheltenham Festival target this campaign.
The Grade 1-winning four-year-old had been set to stay over hurdles this season but a change of tact will see him following in the footsteps of the former stable stars Altior and Shishkin.
Henderson recently mentioned that he plans for Sir Gino to make his debut over fences in a Novice Chase at Kempton on Sunday November 25th, which is over 2m2f.
Firefox (7/1), the only horse to have beaten Ballyburn, spearheads Gordon Elliott’s top novice chasers this season, with the trainer hoping the six-year-old might develop into a live Arkle candidate.
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Firefox made the first step along that road on November 1st when he was the impressive winner of the Beginners Chase at Down Royal.
The big powerful horse was still pulling hard at the top of the hill before easing away from Mossy Fern Park to take the first prize.
We’re likely to see Bective Stud horse line up next in the 2m4f Bar One Racing Drinmore Novice Chase (Grade 1) at Fairyhouse.
The Henry De Bromhead-trained Inthepocket (10/1) entered the Arkle reckoning after landing the Wexford Racecourse Members Supporters Club Beginners Chase on October 28th with consummate ease.
The seven-year-old was a high class hurdler with the Grade One Top Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree to his name, and he made a pleasing chasing debut when second at Navan in November last year.
He never ran again after that so his latest victory came after almost a year off, which is very impressive.
Those looking for a longer priced outsider may want to consider the Gordon Elliott-trained Down Memory Lane (20/1).
The JP McManus-owned six-year-old looked a useful sort when obliging in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners Chase at Navan and he will probably run in the Drinmore (December 1st) next.
Arkle antepost tip: Firefox (E/W)
Cheltenham Festival 2025 Tip 3
The Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle, registered as the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle, is open to fillies and mares only.
First run in 2008, the race quickly made history with the legendary mare Quevega winning it six times in a row from 2009 to 2014. Other top class winners have included Apple's Jade, Benie Des Dieux and Honeysuckle.
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So which mare do we at 888sport think will win the race in 2025? Well, here are some possible candidates for the top prize:
Fergal O’Brien’s mare Dysart Enos (14/1) has won all six of her starts, including three times over hurdles last season which culminated in a seven-length romp company at Doncaster in January.
Unfortunately a minor setback that ruled Dysart Enos out of the Mares’ Hurdle last season which was a cruel blow to the O’Brien team.
It was an even bigger shame because he had plotted her extremely shrewdly, avoiding Graded races to prevent picking up penalties etc, and the stable all felt that she could give O’Brien his first success at the meeting.
She makes her long anticipated return in the Greatwood Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham on Sunday 17th November and we currently have her priced up at 3/1 to land that trophy.
Her handicap debut mark is 131, which shouldn’t cause her any issues, and at shortish odds she’s still a very solid bet in a competitive handicap.
If she wins this Prestbury Park feature with anything to spare, our traders will certainly be trimming her price down for next March.
Gordon Elliott is currently in pole position in antepost market for the Mares’ with his horse Brighterdaysahead (7/4).
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She produced a huge performance to win at Down Royal at the start of November in the Bottlegreen Hurdle, and remains an exciting prospect for the rest of the season.
Elliott has muttered that the Champion Hurdle may well be her target but the chances of her turning up in the much easier 2m4f Mares Hurdle at the Festival are extremely high.
Willie Mullins declared Lossiemouth (2/1) a Champion Hurdle mare after she stormed to victory in last season’s Mares' Hurdle, but will she actually line up in it?
After her victory last term, Mullins was quoted as saying: Mullins said: "She was great - she's a Champion Hurdle mare, we all think.
"Once again, Paul was very cool on her and she can improve another year on, when she's a bit older. Running like that, in that ground, she's got everything."
Whether that statement deters you from backing her for the Mares’ Hurdle at 2/1 is entirely your prerogative.
And finally, sent off second-favourite for the Mares' Novices' Hurdle behind Gordon Elliott's Brighterdaysahead, Jade De Grugy (4/1) ultimately finished fourth behind the 2024 winner Golden Ace.
A month later she was back to winning ways in the Grade 1 Honeysuckle Mares' Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse.
If the Kenny Alexander-mare continues this season on the same trajectory, then she will be a force to be reckoned with in the mares division, including this race.
Mares Hurdle antepost tip: Dysart Enos (E/W)
Cheltenham Festival 2025 Tip 2
The Queen Mother Champion Chase is a Grade One National Hunt steeplechase race, run over two miles with thirteen fences to jump and will take place at Cheltenham Racecourse on Wednesday 12th March 2025.
At the time of writing (November 5th) the antepost betting market for the race looks wide open. Let’s take a look through the main protagonists...
Nicky Henderson's eight-year-old Jonbon was ruled out of the 2024 Champion Chase on the eve of the Festival but will be hoping to make up for last time in this two mile feature.
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Henderson and his owner JP McManus have resisted the temptation of stepping Jonbon up in trip this season, with the partnership instead plotting a path to the Champion Chase.
The gelding won the Grade 1 Melling Chase over two and a half miles last term and will start off his new campaign in the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham in November, a race he won last season. Next will follow the Tingle Creek and the Clarence House Chases.
All things being equal, Jonbon looks to be the horse they will all need to beat in the Champion Chase and his current odds of 3/1 will be tempting for many punters.
Willie Mullins has indicated that his Arkle scorer Gaelic Warrior will be pencilled in initially for the Champion Chase.
Speaking at his open day just before the season started, Mullins told reporters: "He disappointed me a little at Punchestown but that was at the end of the season and he got a bump along the way.
"I imagine we'll probably start off thinking he's a Champion Chase horse and if he has to go up in trip that would be fine, the Ryanair is there and the Gold Cup is there. He jumps a bit to his right but he has an engine and sometimes you just have to put up with those little quirks."
Gaelic Warrior is currently priced up at 4/1 with us here at 888sport and he has plenty of supporters in the betting already.
When Jonbon was scratched from last year’s Champion Chase, El Fabiolo became the odds-on favourite to win.
However, El Fabiolo fluffed his lines on the day and was pulled up after jinking at the first fence, leaving Captain Guinness to take the honours at big odds in the Wednesday feature.
We all know however that El Fabiolo is a much better horse than that and can recall him and Jonbon having some memorable battles over the years, most recently when Jonbon won the Celebration Chase at Sandown in April.
For the good of the sport, National Hunt racing fans will be hoping that the two will meet again at The Festival.
Queen Mother Champion Chase antepost tip: Jonbon (WIN)
Cheltenham Festival 2025 Tip 1
It’s thirty years since the French last had the winner of the Gold Cup at Cheltenham, so you could say they are well overdue another, but they appear to have a live candidate with a strong chance this year in the shape of Il Est Francais (20/1 in our horse racing betting).
The Noel George & Amanda Zetterholm trained six-year-old has won four of his five starts over fences to date, with his smartest victory coming at Kempton last Boxing Day when he put in one of the performances of the season.
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He made horses such as Hermes Allen, Giovinco and Kilbeg King look pretty ordinary when landing the Grade One Kauto Star Novices' Chase.
The son of Karaktar made a successful seasonal reappearance when cruising home in the Grade Three Prix Richard et Robert Hennessy at Auteuil at the end of September.
With Il Est Francais coming home tailed off in his final outing of last term at Auteuil in April, it was nice to see the horse bounce back in emphatic style. jumping well throughout over two miles and six furlongs on heavy ground.
Toscana Du Berlais was also on the premises turning for home, but Il Est Francais pulled away to oblige by seven lengths under James Reveley.
Noel George indicated afterwards that his star horse would return to Auteuil for the Prix La Haye Jousselin in November, before heading over to England for a crack at the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day.
If he was to land the coveted Christmas feature then he would certainly be in with a live chance in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Owned by Richard Kelvin-Hughes and Haras De Saint-Voir, Il Est Francais shows plenty of similarities to some of the French greats that have gone before him.
The Fellow won the Prix La Haye Jousselin on his way to landing the 1991 King George, while First Gold completed the double in 2000.
They both contributed to some golden years for French staying chasers in the UK, so we maybe on the verge of something great once more.
As we all know, Galopin Des Champs is the horse they all must beat in the Gold Cup having doing it twice already, but to win three of them on the bounce is going to require one herculean effort and this could well be the season to take him on.
With a high standard of novice chasers on the scene this season, Il Est Francais could be set to take on a strong field in the Gold Cup in 2025. If successful he will become the fourth seven-year-old to win the race in the last sixteen renewals.
Cheltenham Gold Cup antepost tip: Il Est Francais (20/1 EW)
When is the Cheltenham Festival?
The Cheltenham Festival 2025 will take place between Tuesday 11th and Friday 14th March.
This year Cheltenham Racecourse will celebrate 101 years of the Gold Cup, the pinnacle event of the National Hunt calendar.
This is the one race they all long to win and every horse, jockey, trainer, breeder, owner and racing fan will have their sights set on the Cotswolds.
Four breathtaking days of top class action will see a total of 28 races contested and numerous champions crowned.
There will be plenty of interest in the horse racing betting too that week. So, what can we expect each day at the Cheltenham Festival?
DAY 1 – Champion Day (11th March)
The Grade 1 Supreme Hurdle raises the curtain to the Cheltenham Festival with a famous roar. Last year we saw Slade Steel land the spoils for popular Irish trainer Henry de Bromhead.
The feature race of the day is the Champion Hurdle and last year State Man came home in emphatic style under Paul Townend for Willie Mullins and owner Mrs J Donnelly.
Jumping with speed, precision and accuracy, the hurdling superstar landed Willie Mullins yet another Champion Hurdle winner.
DAY 2 – Festival Wednesday (12th March)
Captain Guinness was a surprise winner of the 2024 Queen Mother Champion Chase but the returning Energumene - off for the whole of last season after suffering a setback - will bid to claim his third success in the race.
Fact To File took the Grade 1 Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase with ease to give the formidable partnership of JP McManus and Willie Mullins another winner.
It was a performance that caught the eye and they will be targeting the Cheltenham Gold Cup with him this season. He will prove to be a popular pick in the Cheltenham betting odds.
DAY 3 – St Patrick’s Thursday (13th March)
The Cheltenham Festival is a second home to the Irish and St Patrick’s Thursday reflects this both on and off the track. The day itself features the Ryanair Chase and the Stayers Hurdle.
However, it was the home team that celebrated victory in the Ryanair Chase as Protektorat got up to claim a Festival triumph for Dan Skelton, while the Stayers Hurdle went to Gordon Elliott once again as favourite Teahupoo justified the odds to go a couple better than the previous year.
DAY 4 – Gold Cup Day (14th March)
The day features the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the blue riband race of jumping. The pre-race tension, the exhilaration of the race and the jubilations afterwards make it a truly remarkable day.
The 2024 renewal was won by the Willie Mullins-trained Galopin Des Champs.
Mullins has now won four of the last six renewals of the race, with fellow Irish trainer Henry De Bromhead winning the other two.
Galopin Des Champs now has the chance to rewrite the history books by winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup for the third year in a row, but can he emulate the likes of Best Mate? What an achievement that would be.
Cheltenham 2025 Tips
We'll be here with daily tips on the 2025 Cheltenham Festival, with our horse racing expert analysing every race at this year's meeting. You can find Cheltenham tips for each day via the links below:
How do you get to the Cheltenham Festival?
By Road: Cheltenham Racecourse, Evesham Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL50 4SH
By Rail: The nearest train station is Cheltenham Spa. There is a dedicated Races bus service for the Cheltenham Festival from Cheltenham Spa Railway Station.
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to Adobe*
*Prices correct at the time of writing*
