Road to Cheltenham is with Ballyburn in the Brown Advisory at Cheltenham – who else makes his best bets for Day 2?
14:00 Wednesday
BALLYBURN
I’ll be the first to admit that I wasn’t entirely sold on BALLYBURN until recently but I’ve gone full circle and I’m expecting him to win at the Cheltenham Festival for the second year in a row. He didn’t look the most natural chaser at Kempton over Christmas but he showed immense staying power when beating Croke Park at the Dublin Racing Festival.
My view is that Dancing City and Better Days Ahead would both prefer softer conditions underfoot while Ballyburn is much more versatile in that regard. He was the best novice hurdler and he can cement his status as the best staying novice chaser by adding a fifth Grade 1 success to his CV on Day 2 at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival.
15:20 Wednesday
BUSSELTON
There’s been plenty of confidence surrounding BUSSELTON in the build-up to this year’s Festival and he looks to have a solid chance in the Cross Country Chase. He won a Kerry National off a mark of 142 as a five-year-old and he’s down to a very workable BHA mark of 138 – and he will receive 19lbs from market leader Stumptown.
I have the greatest respect for Gavin Cromwell’s runner and he is undoubtedly the best cross country horse in the race but he received a lofty rise from the handicapper and it might be too much of an ask. Instead, I’m siding with Busselton at a very fair price to be on the premises and finish in the places.
16:40 Wednesday
JAZZY MATTY
I think JAZZY MATTY ticks plenty of boxes to go well in the Grand Annual and he can give trainer Cian Collins a first Cheltenham Festival winner on Wednesday. He has that all-important Cheltenham experience, both over fences and over hurdles – and he actually won the Fred Winter on the Old Course back in 2023.
He is a solid jumper and I like that Danny Gilligan retains the partnership. He ran a huge race in defeat at Cheltenham’s October meeting behind the 144-rated Path D’Oroux but race conditions ensured that he avoided a hike in the weights for that. Jazzy Matty runs off a BHA mark of 135 here and he can be very competitive off that figure.
