2025 Festive E/W Lucky 15 Ante-Post Tips – DS
2025 Festive E/W Lucky 15
It was a poor day for us at Cheltenham on Saturday but we were due one. Dave Stevos is now setting his sights on the busy Christmas period, his 2025 Festive E/W Lucky 15 selections are below (e/w singles also recommended).
Leopardstown – Future Champions Novice Hurdle (Grade 1)
This looks a cracking renewal of a race that has been won by some classy horses over the years. Elliott and Mullins have dominated but Gavin Cromwell may be able to gatecrash the party this year with his promising 6yo, The Passing Wife.
On his hurdling debut at Gowran Park he finished 2.25l behind the winner Thedeviluno but he was only a short head behind Skylight Hustle, currently a 6/1 shot for this. Cromwell saw plenty of promise in that run and stepped his charge up in class for the Grade 2 Royal Bond at Fairyhouse on his next start and he was far from disgraced.
After getting outpaced on the turn for home, The Passing Wife responded really well to Keith Donoghue’s urgings and after looking like he’d finish a remote fourth, he ran on really strongly after the last and in the end, finished a closing 1.5l behind Koktail Brut and Blake, both of whom reoppose here and they are 11/2 and 10/1 respectively.
The Passing Wife hinted that going left handed might suit him better at Fairyhouse and that, combined with this stiffer track, might enable him to turn that Royal Bond form on its head. There is no doubt in my mind that the son of Passing Glance is overpriced at 16/1 and he is the each way selection.
2025 Festive E/W Lucky 15 Tip: The Passing Wife e/w @ 16/1
Leopardstown – Paddy Power Handicap Chase (Premier)
I highlighted Weveallbeencaught as a horse to follow this season in an article for TXODDS a few weeks ago. In that piece I said he was probably bought with this race in mind and I advised not to bet him in the Munster National due to his record going right handed.
Of course, he came out and ran a cracker in that race to finish second behind a stablemate and as a result, he was hiked up 5lb by the handicapper. However, that rise in the weights more or less guarantees him a run at Leopardstown now so it actually does seem that every cloud has a silver lining.
Eric McNamara won this race for the same owners with Real Steel in 2022 (at 33/1) and the same horse finished fourth for him the following year. He doesn’t have many horses that are capable of competing for pots of this size so we can be sure Weveallbeencaught has been trained to the minute and while we have missed the 20/1 that was originally available, 14/1 is a more than acceptable price.
2025 Festive E/W Lucky 15 Tip: Weveallbeencaught e/w @ 14/1
Chepstow – Welsh Grand National (Premier)
Monbeg Genius is not the most consistent of horses but if he is on a going day, he is more than capable of reaching the frame here at pretty tasty odds. One of a number of entries for Jonjo O’Neill, he has previous in this race. Last year the 9yo son of Shantou ran really well to finish third off a mark of 144 and he pitches up off the same mark here.
After that good run here he went and won off 142 at Uttoxeter. He then pulled up in the Grand National at Aintree before running respectably in the Bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown.
On his seasonal reappearance three weeks ago, he again tried his luck over the National fences at Aintree. He didn’t make it all the way around, pulling up just before the final obstacle, but it was a run that should have blown away any cobwebs and left him spot on fitness wise for another crack at this contest.
Monbeg Genius seems to act on most types of ground and that’s always a plus when having an ante-post bet. He also has form figures of 1114 at Chepstow. His odds of 50/1 are surely an overreaction to his last run in the Becher, hopefully he bounces back and gives us a good run for our each way money.
2025 Festive E/W Lucky 15 Tip: Monbeg Genius e/w @ 50/1
Leopardstown – Savills Chase (Grade 1)
This is the feature race at Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting and Galopin Des Champs will be bidding to win it for the third year in a row. The two-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner is unbeaten at the South county Dublin track, winning all seven starts, one over hurdles and the rest over fences.
However, he was beaten first time up last season, and the year before, and while both those races were at Punchestown, at his age you would imagine he might just need this run and surely, this season is all about Cheltenham and regaining the Gold Cup crown he lost in March to Inothewayurthinking.
The Gold Cup in March is likely the ultimate aim for Gavin Cromwell’s charge too and the jury is out on whether Fact To File is at his best at 3m plus. With all that in mind, I’m going to take a punt on the young pretender, Affordale Fury.
Gradual Improver
The 2023 Albert Bartlett runner up has gradually improved with each start over fences. Since returning from a long layoff in February he has finished runner up in four successive races, including the Irish Champion Chase at Down Royal in November. A drop to Listed company saw him shed the chase maiden tag at Thurles last time out, beating the useful Appreciate It by almost 5l.
My main concern with this horse is that he has been campaigned solely on right handed tracks since going over fences but he produced his best ever run over hurdles at Cheltenham so hopefully, he’ll be fine. At odds of 16/1, Affordale Fury is our final e/w lucky 15 selection.
