2025 Cheltenham Festival Thursday Tips – DS

by Dave Stevos | Mar 12, 2025

2025 Cheltenham Festival Thursday Preview

We managed to land a couple of nice places in the Coral Cup on Wednesday. Day 3 is traditionally one of the toughest days of the week so tread carefully. Check out Dave Stevos’ 2025 Cheltenham Festival Thursday tips below.

1.20 – Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2)

An ultra-competitive heat to kick off proceedings on Day 3. We backed Galileo Dame at the DRF and she really should have won that Grade 1. I fancied her to run a massive race in the Triumph but connections have done a Lossiemouth and run in this easier race instead. She’ll probably win but anything can happen when you have a field the size of this one and hopefully, we’ll be able to find one that might go well at a price.

Jamie Snowden won this in 2023 with the 16/1 shot You Wear It Well. Now, it must be said that she was rated 135 and his representative this time, Hollygrove Cha Cha, is rated 8lb lower but even so, she might outrun her odds of 25/1.

Five From Six

This daughter of Affinisea has done very little wrong so far. She has won five of her six starts, including a Grade 2 at Sandown last month. On her previous start she finished 3.5l behind Jubilee Alpha at Taunton and she re-opposes here, but that track may not have been ideal for Snowden’s mare and she may be able to get a lot closer to her on this more testing track.

Another thing I like about this mare is her pedigree. Her dam is a half-sister to Gowel Road, a two-time Cheltenham winner, including a Grade 2. Galileo Dame is the one to beat in my view but hopefully Hollygrove Cha Cha can give e/w players a decent run for their money.

2025 Cheltenham Festival Thursday Tip: Hollygrove Cha Cha e/w @ 25/1 (5 places)

2.00 – Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase (Grade 2)

The one I am interested in at a price here is What’s Up Darling for Gordon Elliott and Sam Ewing. This 8yo gets in here off a mark of 138 and he was sixth in the Martin Pipe here last season off the same rating. That race was run on heavy ground and while he has won in testing conditions, I suspect he may be most effective on a sounder surface.

He won his bumper on good to yielding at Tipperary and arguably his two best chase runs have come on similar ground. On his penultimate start at Thurles in a beginners’ on good ground he ran on nicely for fourth over 2m. The fifth, Golden Joy, was 7l behind and he has since hacked up in a beginners’ at Leopardstown.

Leopardstown Form

What’s Up Darling also got nice ground at Leopardstown in December when he chased home Jeannot Lapin. That horse has since run with credit in a Navan Grade 3 and is now rated 143. Backtonormal was 8l behind him that day and he has since won a big handicap at the DRF.

As regular readers will know, I am not a massive fan of tipping handicap debutants but this horse has plenty of chasing experience and he has also run in big field handicaps over timber so he should be fine. I think he is much better than he showed on soft ground at Gowran last time and with ground to suit here, hopefully What’s Up Darling can hit the frame at 25/1.

2025 Cheltenham Festival Thursday Tip: What’s Up Darling e/w @ 25/1 (5 places) NAP

2.40 – Pertemps Final Handicap Hurdle (Premier)

We are already on Harbour Lake for this race at 25s. He’s around 20/1 now and I am happy with the ground for him so please god he’ll run a big race. I am going to stick with him.

2025 Cheltenham Festival Thursday Tip: Harbour Lake e/w already advised @ 25/1 NB

3.20 – Ryanair Chase (Grade 1)

The stats found Protektorat at 20s for this race last year and he’s back to defend his crown. However, the statistics are not in his favour this time as he is now a 10yo. To be honest, it is hard to see past the top two or three in the betting.

If Henry De Bromhead’s horses were running better I’d be half tempted by his two and if he was trying this trip for the first time Master Chewy would be interesting but he’s looked a non-stayer in his two runs beyond 2m1f and he was also beaten in his sole point to point at 3m.

If I had to back one it would be Il Est Francais but he’s far too short for the blog. No bet.

2025 Cheltenham Festival Thursday Tip: No bet

4.00 – Stayers’ Hurdle (Grade 1)

Our stats based preview suggested that Monmiral was worth a second look in this but he’s been declared a non-runner. Last year, we backed Buddy One due to the statistics being in his favour and he ran a blinder in fourth but his form has tailed off badly since he won a chase at Galway in October. This year, the stats suggest Teahupoo will be hard to beat, there’s a link to that article at the bottom of the preview.

The one I’ll keep the faith with is Rocky’s Diamond. We backed this young, progressive stayer at Leopardstown in December when he finished third in his first run at the highest level at odds of 66/1. His lack of experience probably hindered him that day but it was some effort for a horse having his fifth run over timber.

He put that experience to good use, beating Thedevilscoachman in the Grade 2 Galmoy Hurdle at Gowran and the runner up came out and hacked up in a rated hurdle on his next start. This horse seems to handle any ground, he has more scope for improvement than many of his rivals and he is trained by an up and coming handler in Declan Queally. At odds of 20/1, Rocky’s Diamond is the e/w selection.

2025 Cheltenham Festival Thursday Tip: Rocky’s Diamond e/w @ 20/1 (4 places)

4.40 – Plate Handicap Chase (Premier)

The 2023 winner Seddon is back to try again off 2lb lower and he ran well here last time but he’s a 12yo now and he might just be vulnerable to younger legs, though it would not surprise me in the slightest if he ran a big race for John McConnell and Alex Harvey, who takes off a handy 5lb.

Gavin Cromwell has four runners here and Keith Donoghue prefers Path d’Oroux. However, he’d be unable to do the weight on two of the runners so it might not be wise to read into his decision too much. At the foot of the weights, from 9lb out of the handicap, I’m going to take a flier on Individualiste.

An ex-Paul Nicholls horse, this son of Cima De Triomphe has improved plenty this season since tackling fences. He won a 3m1f beginners’ at Thurles on good ground in November and followed up on his handicap chase debut off 111 on yielding ground at Navan.

His winning run was brought to an end off 121 at Naas in January but the soft ground may have been to blame for that run. Patrick O’Brien takes off 7lb, which mostly negates the fact that Individualiste is out of the weights, the good to soft ground looks ideal and he has no shortage of stamina, which is always a plus around here. Obviously, this isn’t one for max stakes but at odds of 40/1, a modest e/w interest is advised.

2025 Cheltenham Festival Thursday Tip: Individualiste e/w @ 40/1 (5 places)

5.20 – Kim Muir Handicap Chase (Class 2)

This is a race I have struggled to read over the years. I would love to see Midnight Our Fred run a huge race and I think he will, but he’s single figure odds. I don’t fancy anything at a price so the percentage call has to be to sit this one out. No bet.