Best bets for the day from Steve Ryder and Oddschecker+ Premium tipsters, as well as key races, betting trends and weather updates.
We are just a few hours away from the roar prior to the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, the opening race of a seven-race card on Day 1, which signifies the start of the Cheltenham Festival. It is also the latest qualifying race for a £5 free bet from Ladbrokes through oddschecker.
What to Expect on Day 1 of the Cheltenham Festival
With ITV Racing now showing six live races per day for the first time this year, the feature race of the day has been moved back to race five of the day, starting at 4pm which on Day 1 is the Champion Hurdle.
In 2015 the fall of Annie Power, who was the final leg of a short-priced favourite four fold, in the Mares’ Hurdle saved bookmakers a reported £50m payout and bookmakers could be facing a similar liability again this year with Kopek Des Bordes (Supreme), Majborough (Arkle), Lossiemouth (Mares’ Hurdle) and Constitution Hill (Champion Hurdle) all currently odds-on for their respective races.
Paddy Power has one of the stand out betting offers for Day 1 of the Festival, with new customers given the chance to back odds on favourite Constitution Hill at 40/1 to win the Champion Hurdle.
Today’s Best Bets from Steve Ryder
Having tipped Workahead (Supreme at 14/1), Broadway Boy (Ultima at 16/1) and State Man (Champ at 11/1) in his ante-post previews across the last couple of months, Steve Ryder provides four tips on the opening day of the Festival, starting with two in the Fred Winter.
Owner JP McManus has a strong hand in the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle this year but I prefer the chances of both BEYOND YOUR DREAMS (best priced at 7/1) and PUTYOURHANDSTOGETHER (best priced at 8/1) over the favourite Stencil.
Both are trained by Joseph O’Brien who won this race with Band Of Outlaws in 2019 and Lark In The Mornin last year and also fit the trend of only having three runs over hurdles prior to this race. Lark In The Mornin last year became the 12th horse to have had exactly hurdle runs prior to this which makes up 60% of the winners to date.
Beyond Your Dreams split the now 132 rated Total Look and 136 rated Wendrock on her penultimate start at Navan when in receipt of a sex allowance.
She then justified her short price when beating a subsequent winner at Punchestown on her next start despite jumping poorly. Hopefully first-time cheekpieces and an 87 day break with plenty of schooling will mean she jumps better in this contest and she should run well under JJ Slevin.
Mark Walsh appears to have chosen to ride his other runner Puturhandstogether who is the better flat performer with a rating of 84 in comparison to her rating of 73. The gelding as a similar profile and caught the eye under tender handling when 2nd on his final qualifying run at Fairyhouse in February. Both looking backing each way with six places widely available.
17:20 Cheltenham
The changes to this race appear to have been justified with a maximum 18 runners declared for this contest. Both HAITI COULEURS (best priced at 9/2) and TRANSMISSION (best priced at 11/2) gained valuable course experience here when they finished 1-2 in the 3m1½f Novices’ Handicap Chase at the December meeting.
Haiti Couleurs jumped brilliantly that day and stayed on strongly at the finish to beat Transmission by 2 ¾ lengths shaping like this step up in trip would suit him well.
Connections were clearly happy with his mark of 135 as they then sent him back over hurdles for his prep run at Newbury a month ago where he ran on well to finish 3rd over 3 miles despite looking outpaced.
Ben Jones, who has ridden him four times previously including in an 18 length victory, is back on board with Sean Bowen on Resplendent Grey and he looks to hold leading claims.
Transmission won over 3m1f under Patrick Mullins at the November meeting on this course when he justified favouritism that day. He ran well to finish 2nd behind Haiti Couleurs on his next start and his connections also decided to run him back over hurdles last time in his prep run for this.
Neil Mulholland had run The Druids Nephew in the Cleeve Hurdle prior to winning the Ultima Handicap Chase in 2015 and he has done the same with Transmission this year. A mark of 133, which is only 1lb higher than when 2nd to Haiti Couleurs last time, should prove within reach and he should be another staying on strongly at the finish.
Top Trainers and Jockeys to Follow at Cheltenham
Willie Mullins recorded his 100th Cheltenham Festival success last season with Jasmin De Vaux and he is a short price (currently best priced at 1/6) to become ‘Top Trainer’ at the Cheltenham Festival for an 11th time.
He is only 3/1 to have over nine winners at the Festival this year which shows his current domination at the festival. His main dangers appear to be Nicky Henderson (currently best priced at 12/1) who has leading contenders with the likes of Constitution Hill, Jonbon and Lulamba and Gordon Elliot (currently best priced at 10/1) whose leading contenders are Brighterdayshead and Teahupoo.
Given the domination of trainer Willie Mullins, his stable number one Paul Townend (best priced at 2/5) is the obvious favourite to be leading jockey at the Festival.
He won the title with five winners in 2020, 2022 and 2023 and won it last season with six winners at the Festival. Rachael Blackmore, who won it with six winners in 2021, is currently a 33/1 chance and Nico De Boinville, who won it with three in 2019 is a 7/1 chance.
Key Races to Watch on Day 1 at Cheltenham
The Champion Hurdle (4:00) is the key race on the first day of the Cheltenham Festival. The renewal this year features the previous two winners with Constitution Hill (2023) and State Man (2024) as well as Brighterdaysahead who has won two Grade 1s this season.
Since Istabraq won three consecutive renewals between 1998 and 2000, there has been four more dual winners with Hardy Eustace (2004 & 2005), Hurricane Fly (2011 & 2013), Buveur D’Air (2017 & 2018) and Honeysuckle (2021 & 2022) all successful twice.
Both State Man and Constitution Hill could add their names to that list with the latter also able to join both Hurricane Fly and Comedy Of Errors in being the third horse to regain the Champion Hurdle. The main difference being that both of those rivals had been beaten the year prior whereas Constitution Hill missed last year through a setback.
Key Cheltenham Stats & Trends for Day 1
Supreme Novices’ Hurdle:
- 16 of the previous 19 winners of the race won last time out
- 11 of the previous 13 winners had won at least a Grade 2 Novice Hurdle prior to the race
- Eight of the previous 12 winners were trained by Willie Mullins (five) or Nicky Henderson (three)
- 15 of the previous 16 winners were aged five or six
- 11 of the previous 12 winners were sent off at a single figure price
- No horse has won in any sort of headgear since Flown in 1992
Arkle Chase:
- 19 of the previous 24 winners had won a Grade 1 or Grade 2 over fences
- Seven of the previous 12 winners had won at Grade 1 or Grade 2 over both hurdles and fences
- 10 of the previous 13 winners were trained by Willie Mullins (six) or Nicky Henderson (four)
- 26 of the previous 33 winners were aged six or seven
- 15 of the previous 21 winners had run at the previous year’s Cheltenham Festival
- 16 of the previous 22 winners had run three or four times over fences
Mares’ Hurdle:
- 14 of the previous 17 winners were trained in Ireland
- 10 of the previous 17 winners were trained by Willie Mullins
- 15 of the previous 17 winners had won against geldings prior to the race
- 13 of the previous 17 winners were aged 5-7
- 13 of the previous 17 winners won last time out
Champion Hurdle:
- 10 of the previous 14 winners were sent off favourite
- 11 of the previous 15 winners were trained by Nicky Henderson (six) or Willie Mullins (five)
- The previous 10 winners were all unbeaten that season
- Four of the previous nine winners were mares. All four were sent off favourite.
- 30 of the previous 35 winners won last time out
- 30 of the previous 42 winners were aged six or seven
Exclusive Cheltenham Tips from Our Premium Tipsters
Andy Holding: Expert Bets for Day 1
Andy Holding has six expert bets for Oddschecker+ Premium on Day 1 of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival.
Racing Lee’s Best Bets for Day 1
Racing Lee’s tips for Day 1 of Cheltenham Festival include a pair of doubles and a big priced outsider in the Ultima Handicap Chase.
Ginger Joe: High-Value Cheltenham Predictions
Ginger Joe has five Cheltenham predictions for the first day of the Festival.
Liam Firkin: Key Festival Selections to Watch
Liam Firkin has seven key selections on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival for Oddschecker+ Premium subscribers.
Cheltenham Festival Weather Update for Day 1
We had more rain than expected (3.5mm) on the day before the Cheltenham Festival. However, cooler temperatures and cloudy conditions on Tuesday should mean that the Festival starts on good to soft.
What’s Coming Up on Day 2 at the Cheltenham Festival
The highlight of Day 2 at the Cheltenham Festival is the Queen Mother Champion Chase run at 4pm where Jonbon bids to win his 10th Grade 1 of his career.
