Cheltenham Festival 2025 Day 1: Each Way Lucky 15

Ahh March. What a wonderful time of year. Spring is in the air, the thermometer is on the rise, and the greatest show of the National Hunt year is about to light up our lives. We are, of course, referring to the marvellous four days of the Cheltenham Festival, which will dominate the thoughts of racing fans between Tuesday 11th and Friday 14th of March 2025.

As ever, Prestbury Park provides the spectacular stage for 28 of the finest jumps races known to man, including the iconic contests of the Champion Hurdle, Queen Mother Champion Chase, Stayers Hurdle, and, best of all, the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Like most racing fans, we can’t wait for the punting action to begin. Here, using data presented by NewBettingSites.uk, we pick out four solid each-way contenders for the opening day.

Michael O’Sullivan Supreme Novices’ Hurdle – 1:20 Tuesday 11 March

10-Year Trends

• 5 or 6 years of age - 9 of 10 winners
• Won last time out - 8 of 10 winners
• Previously won at Grade 2 level or above 8 of 10 winners

Applying the above trends to the remaining 17 entries brings us down to a shortlist of the following four contenders:

• Kopek Des Bordes, 4/5 with BetGoodwin - Three from three for Willie Mullins including a spectacular 13l success in the Grade 1 Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle. He looked like a superstar that day but is likely to face the quickest ground of his career to date and can race keenly, which isn’t ideal around here
• Romeo Coolio, 5/1 with BetGoodwin - Gordon Elliott runner who finished an excellent second in the 2024 Champion Bumper. A little hit and miss since, but arrives on the back of a career-best win in the Grade 1 Future Champions Novice Hurdle
• Salvator Mundi, 7/1 with PricedUp - Disappointing when plunged into the Triumph Hurdle on yard debut last season but excellent since. Rock solid win in the Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle last time and adds a strong second string to the Willie Mullins bow
• Tripoli Flyer, 16/1 with BetGoodwin - Booked his ticket for this with an explosive success in the Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle last time. Looked really good that day but is zero from three on left-handed tracks

It will be no surprise to see Kopek Des Bordes continue his ascent with a win in this, but he’s short enough, given the slight question about the ground. Salvator Mundi disappointed on his only previous run here, whilst Tripoli Flyer appears better going the other way around. All of which leaves Champion Bumper runner-up Romeo Coolio, who can pick up another placed effort at the festival.

• Recommended Bet - Romeo Coolio each way @ 5/1 with BetGoodwin

Arkle Chase – 2:00 Tuesday 11 March

10-Year Trends

• 6 or 7 years of age - 9 of 10 winners
• Won last time out - 9 of 10 winners
• Previously Won at Grade 1 level - 8 of 10 winners

Only the following two runners remain when applying just the above three trends to the nine-runner field:

• Ballyburn, 4/1 with LiveScoreBet - Supremely talented winner of the 2024 Gallagher Novices Hurdle. However, he was beaten on his most recent outing over 2m and is more likely to contest the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase on Day 2
• L’Eau du Sud, 4/1 with BetGoodwin - Finished second in the 2024 County Hurdle and has excelled since switching to fences. Four from four in his chase career, including a course and distance success in the Arkle Challenge Trophy Trial and a Grade 1 victory in the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase

The Willie Mullins-trained Majborough is a short price for this but, as a five-year-old, must defy the recent age trend. Of those who fit the bill, only L’Eau du Sud is likely to line up on the day. We will keep things simple and side with the five-timer-seeking Dan Skelton star.

• Recommended Bet - L’Eau du Sud each way @ 4/1 with BetMGM

Ultima Handicap Chase – 2:40 Tuesday 11 March

10-Year Trends

• Previously competed at Grade 1 or Grade 2 level - 10 of 10 winners
• Previously won over 3m+ - 10 of 10 winners
• Nine or fewer Handicap Chase Starts - 9 of 10 winners
• Run within the last 60 days - 9 of 10 winners
• 7-9 years of age - 8 of 10 winners
• Previous Cheltenham Festival Appearance - 8 of 10 winners

Sifting the remaining 31 runners through the above filters produces a shortlist of only three:

• The Changing Man, 6/1 with LiveScoreBet - Joe Tizzard runner, who ended a run of three runners-up finishes with a 24l romp in a Grade 2 at Ascot. Finished a fair fifth in the 2024 Pertemps Network Final
• Search For Glory, 16/1 with BetGoodwin - Disappointed last time out at Leopardstown but had previously hit the frame in Grade 2 and Grade 1 company. Finished seventh in the Grade 1 Albert Bartlett Hurdle at this meeting
• Sequestered, 16/1 with QuinnBet - Irish raider from the yard of John Paul Gilligan, who finished a solid second in a hot Leopardstown handicap last time. 7lbs higher here and disappointing in the 2024 Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle

The Changing Man is an appealing sort for the Tizzard team but also holds an entry in the Brown Advisory and may not have beaten much last time out. At the prices, we prefer to take a chance on Search For Glory, whose short head second to 2024 Albert Bartlett winner Stellar Story reads well.

• Recommended Bet - Search For Glory each way @ 16/1 with BetGoodwin

Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle – 3:20 Tuesday 11 March

10-Year Trends

• Trained in Ireland - 8 of 10 winners
• 5-7 years of age - 9 of 10 winners
• Previously won at Grade 2 level or above - 7 of 10 winners
• Won last time out - 7 of 10 winners

Focussing on the above trends reduces our list of contenders to the following three mares:

• Jade De Grugy, 7/2 with PricedUp - Willie Mullins mare who tasted her only defeat when fourth in the 2024 Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at this meeting. However, that came over 2m1f, and she’s three from three over this 2m4f trip
• Jetara, 16/1 with LiveScoreBet - Picked up a Grade 2 success at Doncaster last time out but finished 11th on her only previous outing at the Cheltenham Festival
• July Flower, 4/1 with BetGoodwin - Grade 1 winner in France who arrived at the Henry De Bromhead yard in December. Made an excellent impression on yard debut when running away with a Grade 3 contest at Leopardstown

This comes down to a straight choice between Jade De Grugy and July Flower. The former isn’t passed over lightly, but we were hugely impressed with the gears, jumping, and stamina shown by July Flower last time, and she just gets the vote.

• Recommended Bet - July Flower each way @ 4/1 with BetGoodwin

A 50p each way Lucky 15 on the above four selections at the odds quoted returns £2342.60 with BetGoodwin if all four win and £75.10 if all four finish only in the placed positions.

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