Long Range Cheltenham Festival 2025 Antepost Tips

Any long term readers of the blog who followed this same post for the Cheltenham Festival in 2024 would of been in clover with Teahupoo, the impressive winner of the Stayers Hurdle, being put up at a tasty 12/1 in September last year alongside the Albert Bartlett winner Stellar Story who returned at a juicy 33/1 too!

With the jumps season set to return in just over a month, it's only right we have another go at finding those elusive Cheltenham winners once again, and hopefully we can hit a couple of big prices winners once again.

National Hunt Chase

The word in the summer was that there will be changes to the race programme at the festival in March, but at the time of writing there has been no news as of yet. The National Hunt Chase has been mooted as a race that could have changes made to it, and the race may even possibly be culled - however I’ll write this on the proviso that there won’t be any changes to the race and the conditions will remain the same.

There are 2 horses who I’m particularly interested in for the race and assuming they are fit and well, both look ideal for a tilt at the race given they are both 2nd season novice chasers. First up THREE CARD BRAG looks the ideal candidate for this race and looks a strong bet at 12/1 even in September. A second season novice, there’s no worries for him in the jumping department as he’s looked a clean jumper in his previous races in novice company last season, and it was more to do with the fact he ended up facing smarts novices including Corbetts Cross and Monty’s Star in 2 novice chases before ending the season finishing a fine 3rd in the Grade 1 3 mile novice chase at the end of season at Punchestown. He was set to compete in this same race last season in March but ended up being a late non runner. I’m hoping Gordon Elliott will decide to target this years race instead where he should gain even more experience through the season in graded novice chases. Experience is a major asset in this race as we all know and he looks a serious bet at this stage already assuming he’s fit and well. Let’s hope Gordon will confirm his target in early season stable tours to confirm my thinking.

Another 2nd season chaser to note for this race is SANDOR CLEGANE, who was last seen finishing half a length behind the aforementioned Three Card Brag at Punchestown and looks another ideal candidate assuming he is targeted at this race by his connections. Another horse who is a competent jumper and was unfortunate not to find an opportunity to get his head Infront last season. I’m uncertain whether connections will target the National Hunt Chase, but it’s worth taking the 20/1 as an each way bet given that this looks an ideal opportunity for connections to win a race at Prestbury Park especially since they haven’t been on the winners board there for a few years.

Bets:

Three Card Brag - 2pts ew @ 12/1 (Bet365)

Sandor Clegane - 1pt ew @ 20/1 (Bet365)

Brown Advisory Novices Chase

Leading owner Joe Donnelly could hold the aces for the 3 mile novice chase at the Festival in March with 2 of his talented novice hurdlers from last season. DANCING CITY looks the ideal type for the race after a fine season over hurdles culminating in wins at Aintree and Punchestown in the 3 mile novice events in the spring. He also ran creditably at Prestbury Park in the Albert Bartlett where he ran keen throughout before finishing 3rd. A horse with a nice blend of cruising speed and stamina which will suit this race against some rivals who will be more old fashioned staying chasers such as the horse below. Assuming he jumps well enough, he should be a leading candidate for the race and 10/1 should be taken.

A horse who represents good each way value at a tasty 50/1 is another Joe Donnelly owned gelding and that’s SHANAGH BOB. Likely to be forgotten by many punters due to his no show at the Festival when his stable were enduring their fair share of problems, he also missed his intended prep run on trials day at Cheltenham in January due to a setback. Not seen after a win in a novice event at December until Aintree in April, he ran like a horse who hadn’t seen a racetrack for a number of months and was well beaten behind the aforementioned Dancing City. If he regains his spark, he should be a leading novice for his trainer Nicky Henderson and should suit this race given he could be a likely type who might end his trainers Grand National voodoo. He represents an each way flyer at 50/1 especially as his trainer has already confirmed him for a novice chase campaign. Other horses worth considering are the Jukebox Man (16/1) and a small shout for Croke Park to get back on track (66/1)

Bets:

Dancing City - 1pt win @ 10/1 (Bet365)

Shanagh Bob - 1pt ew @ 50/1 (Bet365)

Arkle Novices Chase

Another Nicky Henderson novice chaser who might be forgotten going into this season is JERIKO DU REPONET, and it’s been confirmed he is set to undertaken a chasing campaign this season too. He looked a smart novice hurdler throughout the season without setting the world alight, before bombing out in the Supreme Novice Hurdle when quietly fancied to run a big race (stable bug). Nicky Henderson has always spoke in glowing terms of this gelding, and has said he will make a fine chaser in the future. There’s not many better trainers of 2 mile novice chasers around, and whilst Jeriko Du Reponet may step up in trip, I think he could be a leading 2 mile novice chaser in Britain given the ongoing lack of depth in this division around the country. The only issue is whether he will bump into Ballyburn in March who looks an exceptional talent for fences.

Bets:

Jeriko Du Reponet - 1pt ew @ 33/1 (Bet365

Champion Hurdle

2/1 at this stage of the season isn’t really a bet you should be punting for the Festival, but I have a feeling that we’re looking at a gift of a price and I expect CONSTITUTION HILL to cement his superiority over Lossiemouth, State Man and co come March. I’m basically backing him at 2/1 on the proviso that he gets to the event in March and I fully expect him to win once he’s there. I’m not telling anyone what they don’t know however and whilst he will face strong opposition including the exciting mare Lossiemouth, his old friend State Man and potentially his stablemate Sir Gino - I would love to see the Blue Bresil gelding cement his name into history by retaking his old title. We all know what happened to the star last season with his infection issues relating to his breathing. However he suffered no physical issues, and that’s a major positive coming back into the new season. 2/1 is no doubt short, but I’m taking the 2/1 in the premise that he simply turns up and then wins, and I would love to see him regain his title similar to a certain Sprinter Sacre a few years ago. There’s no better man than Nicky Henderson to ‘get them back’.

Bets:

Constitution Hill - 3pts win @ 2/1 (General)