2025 Cheltenham Festival Tuesday Preview – DS

by Dave Stevos | Mar 10, 2025

2025 Cheltenham Festival Tuesday Preview

So here we go. The big one. This is the meeting that every owner, trainer and jockey wants to win at. Yes, it may have lost some of its lustre over the last few years but it is still a feast for NH racing fans and we have some cracking races this year. We managed to boost the coffers at Sandown on Saturday, hopefully Dave Stevos can continue in good form this week. Check out his 2025 Cheltenham Festival Tuesday preview and tips below.

And by the way folks, remember, this is a long week so it is important to stay disciplined and not get carried away early on. Don’t bet more than you can afford to lose and stick to your usual staking plan. And most importantly of all, enjoy what will hopefully be a superb week of racing.

1.20 – Michael O’Sullivan Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)

Kopek Des Bordes has been all the rage for the Festival opener since his Leopardstown romp at the DRF. One of six in here for Willie Mullins, there is no doubt that this horse has a serious engine given the manner of his win last time out, but he is a bit of a hot head and the application of a hood suggests that he isn’t the easiest to control in a race.

Another worry is his ability to handle the occasion. He got upset in the prelims before his last win and if that happens again and he gets lit up, he will find it a lot harder to dominate in this much deeper race.

So who is the biggest threat to the favourite, apart from himself? There are quite a few dangers lurking. Romeo Coolio bounced back from a disappointing second in the Royal Bond with a decisive win at Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting and he ought to run well, especially on nice ground.

Ground Should Suit Workahead

Workahead and William Munny made big impressions on their latest starts but I’d probably prefer the chances of the De Bromhead horse on the forecast ground. William Munny has done all his winning on soft and was beaten 11l on his sole start on ground with good in the description. William Munny also sports a first time hood and he has 7l to find with Workahead on their meeting in December.

Salvator Mundi and Irancy are no mugs but the one that appeals most of the longer priced horses is one that finished over three lengths behind Salvator Mundi last time when his yard was bang out of form. The De Bromhead second string Sky Lord, who is by Blue Bresil and out of a King’s Theatre mare (just like Constitution Hill) won his maiden in fine style at Cork on his seasonal reappearance back in early December. The runner up and fourth have won maidens since so there is a bit of substance to the form.

Under The Weather

On his next start he had quite a few of his rivals off the bridle, including Salvator Mundi, as they turned for home at Punchestown in a Grade 2. He didn’t see it out, but De Bromhead’s horses were under the weather at that time so he probably wasn’t 100%. Now that the yard seems to be in better form, he might just see his race out better.

Another cause for optimism is that Banjaxed Girl, his dam, was at her best on good ground. Indeed, she won around Cheltenham on good ground, earning black type in the process. Sky Lord jumps well and I think he might be suited to being held up off a strong pace. He’s likely a better horse than he showed on his last start and with odds of 66/1 on offer, he is worth chancing e/w for small stakes.

2025 Cheltenham Festival Tuesday Tip: Sky Lord e/w @ 66/1

2.00 – Arkle Novices’ Chase (Grade 1)

Only five runners but it is a fascinating race. Majborough, top rated at 162, is odds on for Mullins and Walsh but as I pointed out in our Cheltenham Favourites preview, his jumping has not been foot perfect in his two chase starts. The fact that this is such a small field is most definitely in his favour but surely his jumping will come under pressure and it remains to be seen if it will hold up.

L’Eau du Sud is next best in the betting and he looks a big danger. He’s got C&D form in the book, which is a major plus, and he arguably put in his best round of jumping in that race.

Jango Baie won here in December but it was on the new course at 2m4f. He came unstuck on bottomless ground at Sandown over the same trip and he will be racing over this distance for the first time since he won his Grade 1 hurdle at Aintree back in December 2023.

High Ceiling

Only By Night has it to do on ratings but she gets 7lb from the boys and she hasn’t got a whole lot to find to get close to Jango Baie on paper. She hasn’t done much wrong in her three chase starts to date and she could have a pretty high ceiling. Touch Me Not has already come up short behind Majborough and L’Eau du Sud so he looks to be up against it.

I was planning to leave this race alone but at the prices, Only By Night is too tempting at double figure odds. Yes, her bare form is not as flashy as her rivals’ but her jumping ability could be a big asset here. She’s a big strapping mare so the fact she gets weight from the boys is another positive and her dam is a half-sister to the 2010 Arkle runner up Somersby, so she is certainly bred for the job. At odds of 12/1, Only By Night is the each way selection.

2025 Cheltenham Festival Tuesday Tip: Only By Night e/w @ 12/1

2.40 – Ultima Handicap Chase (Premier)

Last year I put Sequestered up for the Martin Pipe but he floundered on the heavy ground. This season, he has been sent chasing and he put up a huge performance on his handicap chase debut at Leopardstown in December over 24.5f on good to yielding ground.

Ridden by Jack Gilligan, who was taking off 2lb that day, he travelled in the manner of a very talented horse and absolutely sluiced up by 10l off a mark of 125. It almost reminded me of Croco Bay’s Ascot win back in the day. The assessor took a dim view and hiked him up 12lb to 137 for that performance. That didn’t stop him running another cracker in a top class handicap at the DRF on his next outing, where the drop to 21.5f probably counted against him.

Form Franked

He finished second, 3.25l behind the winner Backtonormal and a neck ahead of Monbeg Park in third. That horse franked the form by hacking up in a Listed handicap chase back at Leopardstown earlier this month.

The UK handicapper hiked him up another 7lb to 144 for that run and that does seem a tad harsh, but I think he could be the ideal type for this contest, he’ll get his ideal trip and ground and hopefully he can end the drought for Irish horses in this race which stretches all the way back to Dun Doire’s win in 2006. At odds of 16/1, Sequestered is the e/w selection.

2025 Cheltenham Festival Tuesday Tip: Sequestered e/w @ 16/1 (5 places) NAP

3.20 – Mares’ Hurdle (Grade 1)

There’s been an awful lot of moaning and whingeing going on regarding the decision to reroute Lossiemouth to this race instead of running in the Champion Hurdle. I don’t get the outrage. Why would you run a horse in a race they have virtually no chance of winning?

She couldn’t get near a ring rusty Constitution Hill, who had been off the track for year, at Kempton and she took a horrible fall on her last start at Leopardstown, so I fully understand Rich Ricci’s decision to go for this softer race instead. Whether she will win it is another question. That fall may have dented her confidence and I wouldn’t be steaming into any horse at 4/6 after an incident like that.

Solid Form

The one I am interested here at a nice e/w price is Take No Chances for the Skeltons. This daughter of Milan has won two of her four starts this season but the run that makes her of most interest is her third behind Wodhooh and Joyeuse in a mares’ handicap hurdle on the new course here back in December.

She was beaten 2l by Wodhooh, who she was conceding 10lb to. Joyeuse was a neck in front of her and she was conceding 18lbs to her. They are off level weights here yet Joyeuse is half her price. Subsequent listed winner Royale Margaux was 2l behind in fourth and Take No Chances was giving her 17lb.

Apart from Lossiemouth, who should win if she is 100%, this looks a wide open affair and if the fav misfires, who knows what might happen. At odds of 22/1, Take No Chances is the e/w selection.

2025 Cheltenham Festival Tuesday Tip: Take No Chances e/w @ 22/1 NB

4.00 – Champion Hurdle (Grade 1)

The feature on Day 1 and on paper, it looks a match between Constitution Hill and the mare Brighterdaysahead. Last year’s winner State Man also runs in first time cheekpieces but he has looked a shadow of his former self this season.

There’s been so much speculation regarding Constitution Hill’s well-being but it is best to block out all the noise and bullshit and simply focus on what he has done on the track. After a year off and a wind-op he beat Lossiemouth quite easily and he barely came off the bridle when winning here in January. He did make a final flight mistake in that last race, which is a concern but overall, he has done very little wrong.

Brighterdaysahead’s owners have decided to come here instead of going down the mares’ route, as have Golden Ace’s owners, and one must not forget that Jeremy Scott’s charge beat the Gigginstown mare at the Festival a year ago. Yet, Golden Ace is 40/1 and Brighterdaysahead is 9/4. Go figure.

Pacemaker

Anyway, Brighterdaysahead has beaten State Man twice this season, by less than a length at Punchestown and then by half the track at Leopardstown. On the second occasion King Of Kingsfield was used as a pacemaker and they are hoping to repeat that trick here.

The question is whether it is wise to take the form of her last run literally. The yard are certainly bullish, as are many pundits, but it was a similar story before last year’s festival and we all saw what happened there. I am not one for getting carried away by hype and I firmly believe that Constitution Hill is going to be extremely hard to beat and barring accidents, he should win.

I was tempted to put Golden Ace up at 40s but with just two places on offer, I am going to leave this race alone. Hopefully all the main protagonists turn up in top form, and may the best horse win.

2025 Cheltenham Festival Tuesday Tip: No Bet

4.40 – Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (Premier)

I have already tipped up Kool One for this race on the TXODDS/Allsported blog. You can read why here. Conor Maxwell’s son of Kool Kompany will be ridden by the 7lb claimer that has been on board for his three previous hurdle runs and I am hoping that he improves plenty for the better ground. I haven’t had a lot of success in this race over the years so I am just going to stick with him. Fingers crossed he runs a big race.

2025 Cheltenham Festival Tuesday Tip: Kool One e/w @ 50/1 (6 places)

5.20 – National Hunt Challenge Cup (Class 2)

After declarations yesterday I put Stuzzikini up for this race (reasoning here). I think he’s an out and out stayer that should relish this trip and his record on tracks with testing uphill finishes is another cause for optimism.

The Troytown winner struggled on bad ground in the Thyestes but these conditions should be a lot more to his liking. If he is in the same form as he was when winning at Navan, he should be on the premises. Hopefully Stuzzikini gives us a good run for our money at 33/1.