Cheltenham Festival 2025: Galopin Des Champs looks a Gold Cup cert and Langer Dan can also claim a hat-trick

Langer Dan may not enjoy the same hype or possess the same quality as the brilliant Galopin Des Champs but Dan Skeleton’s charge matches the double Cheltenham Gold Cup winner in terms of Festival success and it’s worth siding with both of them to improve their tallies over the final two days of the meeting. 

Galopin is already a superstar and will be a leading contender when the conversation turns to National Hunt racing’s greatest exponents when he wins the meeting’s blue riband event on Friday.

Victory will place him alongside Cottage Rake, who held the crown between 1948 and 1950, awesome Arkle, who reigned from 1964 to 1966, and the more recent rocket known as Best Mate who was untouchable between 2002 and 2004, although Willie Mullins’ stable star will still trail five-time champion Golden Miller, who won his first Gold Cup in 1934.

Mullins had won countless races at the Festival but never the Gold Cup until Al Boum Photo prevailed in 2019 and 2020 and now he is seeking to go one better against a field which, quite frankly, isn’t anywhere near as good.

Obviously he will need the good fortune and jumping prowess which deserted Constitution Hill and State Man in a remarkable Champion Hurdle on day one and few are going to back him at odds of around 1/2 ON unless bookmakers enhance the price to maybe evens on the day but he is the banker of the Festival and it will be a pleasure watching him create history.

So where does Langer Dan come into the picture? He has also two straight triumphs in the Cotswolds at this time of year, winning the Coral Cup in 2023 and again last year and he was third in the Aintree Hurdle in the Grand National meeting last year before a game second and third at Sandown and Newbury respectively.

His outings this season have been below par but he loves Cheltenham and the shrewd Skeltons will have him spot on for the Stayers’ Hurdle on Thursday where he should not be missed at 12/1 with bet365. Back him each-way if you like but he will be ahead of Gordon Elliott’s Teahupoo, who may not fancy the going, his second string The Wallpark and Home By The Lee.

Meanwhile, Sixandahalf is 3/1 for the Mares Novices’ Hurdle, Nurburgring is 13/2 888Sport to take the Novices’ Handicap Chase, Protektorat is 6/1 with William Hill and bet365 in the Ryanair Chase on Thursday and East India Dock is a lock at 7/4 with bet365 for Friday’s Triumph Hurdle.

Spurs can ease the pressure on Ange

Tottenham must battle back from a goal down to AZ Alkmaar if they are to advance to the Europa League quarter-finals and possibly save Ange Postecoglou’s job.

Spurs are still in something of a rut despite having g star players returning from injury, although Dejan Kulusevski’s absence is a big blow and they will have to play with more vim and vigour if they are to avoid an embarrassing elimination against mediocre opposition from the Eredivisie.

Tottenham are 5/4 with BetMGM to lead half-time/full-time and Lucas Bergvall is 7/1 with Sky Bet to score at any time.

Manchester United’s season will take another turn for the worse when they finally get to match Liverpool, but only by crashing out of Europe despite a 1-1 draw in the away leg. Real Sociedad to win are too big to ignore at 4/1 with Betfred.

Chelsea, 2-1 up in their Conference League tie, are a gift at 21/20 with StarSports to lead HT/FT at home to Copenhagen.

• Scottie Scheffler has yet to win in 2025 but that will change when he wins the Players’ Championship at Sawgrass for a third time at 11/2 with StarSports. Our other each-ways are Ludvig Aberg at a widespread 16/1, Russell Henley at 28/1 with William Hill and Sepp Straka at 33/1 with Sky Bet.

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