CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL is the greatest racing meet of the year – and the ultimate punting puzzle to solve!
Some 28 races, hundreds of horses and, potentially, a lot of cash to take off those bookies.
But with so much going on and the action coming thick and fast once it starts, it can be easy to lose track.
Fortunately, here, I go through every single contest one by one and deliver my summary of each race below.
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Templegate delivers his verdict of each day and key trends to keep in mind for every single race.
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Cheltenham Festival day two
1.20 Turners Novices’ Hurdle (ITV/Racing TV)
2m5f
A fascinating three-way heads the market here, with Mullins’ Final Demand slight fav over Skelton’s The New Lion and Elliott’s The Yellow Clay making up the big three.
They look to have it between them.
DO DO: Back horses that won their last race as nine of the past 10 winners did. Irish yards have held sway as have horses that won a bumper.
HOODOO: Reigning Challow Hurdle winner has a shocking record as do any horse that ran on the Flat earlier in their career.
2.00 Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (ITV/Racing TV)
Can Mullins’ Ballyburn – owned in part by Gareth Bale’s agent David Manasseh – put himself on the path to future Gold Cup glory and win the key trial for a novice?
Well it might be down to his stablemate Dancing City to stop him. Elliott will be hoping his Better Days Ahead and Stellar Story can run big races too.
DO DO: Back a horse that has finished at least second in a Grade 2 over fences. Stick with runners that had just one season as a hurdler.
HOODOO: It’s almost 30 years since a mare won and swerve any horse that wasn’t first or second last time.
2.40 Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle (ITV/Racing TV)
2m5f
One of the hardest races of the week to solve, with 26 revved-up runners going to post.
There hasn’t been a winning favourite in this race since 2020, so you either think it’s due one or you follow the trend!
Skelton has won the past two runnings with Langer Dan and heads the market again with Be Aware.
DO DO: Consider outsiders as 50-1, 33-1 and 28-1 shots have scored since 2019. Look for horses that have finished in the first four at a past Festival.
HOODOO: Only one favourite has won in two decades. Willie Mullins has won this once but from 50 runners.
3.20 Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase (ITV/Racing TV)
3m5½f
A handicap for the first time this year and a race that has been won by some legends in the past.
Totally unique, the runners and riders will weave their way all over the Cheltenham tracks, taking in banks as well as jumps.
Cromwell’s Stumptown was a brilliant winner here in December but Elliott loves this race and his team will be headed by Galvin.
DO DO: Back horses that have run over this course at least once already this season. Gordon Elliott and JP McManus both have an excellent record.
HOODOO: Horses younger than eight tend to struggle. Paul Nicholls and Willie Mullins have drawn a blank despite firing plenty of darts.
4.00 BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase (ITV/Racing TV)
2m
The feature race on day two is odds-on to go the way of Nicky Henderson with Jonbon.
However, his Cheltenham record leaves a lot to be desired and its the Irish challenge including Marine Nationale, Solness and two-time champ Energumene who will take him on.
DO DO: Look for horses that have won at the Cheltenham Festival before. No more than three runs earlier in the season and sent off no bigger than 6-1.
HOODOO: Nine of the past 12 odds-on favourites have been beaten. A fall or unseat this season is another major negative.
4.40 Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase (ITV/Racing TV)
2m
Blink and you’ll miss this ferocious chase over the minimum trip.
The last favourite to win was in 2020 and the winning SPs since have been 14-1, 28-1, 22-1 and 12-1, so it could pay to think outside the box here.
DO DO: Stick with horses no older than nine, with most winners having run at the Festival before. Good Cheltenham form is a major pointer.
HOODOO: Favourites have a modest record and only two of the past 20 won last time out. Horses with more than nine runs over fences struggle.
5.20 Weatherbys Champion Bumper (Racing TV)
2m½f
You might wonder what a flat race for jumps horses is doing at Cheltenham, but this contest is a signpost to greatness.
A great punting test where big-price runners often come to the fore, Mullins has tended to dominate this and does so again this year with a load at the head of the market, including Copacabana and Paul Townend’s choice, Gameofinches.
DO DO: Stick with Willie Mullins who has trained the winner 13 times. Irish trainers have taken 25 of the past 32 runnings and your fancy must have won last time ou.
HOODOO: Cue Card was the last four-year-old to win, your fancy must have run in more than one bumper heading here.
Templegate’s day two summary
Plenty more hotpots with Final Demand, Ballyburn and Jonbon all set to line up. I could see at least one of those being turned over with Jonbon perhaps the most vulnerable.
Cheltenham Festival day three
All the below races take place on the New Course at Cheltenham. This track tests stamina to the max.
1.20 Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (ITV/Racing TV)
2m1f
The Brits have won the past three editions of this race but the Irish head the market this time, with Cromwell’s Sixandahalf.
She’s only raced once over hurdles but was favourite for the Cesarewitch at Newmarket last year before being pulled out on the day.
Keep an eye on all of Mullins’ horses again.
DO DO: Stick with horses aged eight or nine as they have won all nine runnings. A win over 2m2f or further is a major plus as is making your debut in France.
HOODOO: Nicky Henderson has fired 13 darts without a win yet, while horses that rain in a point-to-point also have a modest record.
2.00 Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase (ITV/Racing TV)
2m4½f
A new race for 2025 which will surely prove very hard to predict.
JP McManus’ Jagwar, a winner at Cheltenham on Trials Day, heads the volatile market at 11-2.
DO DO: Stick with horses that finished in the first two last time out. Just one win over fences is ideal and north of 137 in official ratings.
HOODOO: This hasn’t been a race for outsiders with most winners sent off a single-figure price.
2.40 Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle (ITV/Racing TV)
3m
A Cup Final race of sorts for those who have qualified for it throughout the season.
Some crafty race planning will pay off here and you’ll likely need a horse who’s ahead of the handicapper – maybe like Skelton’s Catch Him Derry.
DO DO: Focus on horses that are eight or younger and haven’t won this season. Eight of the past nine winners of this wore a tongue-tie.
HOODOO: You need to have run at least once since the turn of the year and horses older than nine struggle, as do five-year-olds.
3.20 Ryanair Chase (ITV/Racing TV)
2m4½f
A corking renewal of the key intermediate race. Sir Alex will have a good chance with Proktektorat.
But French raider Il Est Francais is an absolutely fascinating runner after his King George runner-up.
Fact To File heads the market for Mullins and JP.
DO DO: Back a course winner that has won at least once over 2m4f. Look for horses that have run well at Cheltenham before and are aged seven to nine.
HOODOO: Runners without a Grade 1 win on their CV can be swerved as can any horse making their course debut. Ten-year-olds and over struggle.
4.00 Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle (ITV/Racing TV)
3m
Can defending champ Teahupoo regain his crown? The market seems to think so with him a rock-solid evens chance at the moment.
Mind you, O’Brien’s Home By The Lee is getting better with age while Hendo’s Lucky Place is a very interesting addition.
DO DO: Back a horse aged six to eight with the Cleeve Hurdle becoming a decent pointer to this race. A past win or place at the Festival is a major plus and stick with second-season hurdlers.
HOODOO: No five-year-old has ever won and horses out of the first two last time have a poor record. Horses out of the frame in the race before usually struggle.
4.40 TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase (ITV/Racing TV)
2m4½f
Open to non-novices, a key trend the past two years has been the name Ben!
Ben Pauling trained last year’s winner Shakem Up’arry, who was ridden by Ben Jones – while the year before Ben Harvey rode Seddon to glory at 20-1.
DO DO: Look for a horse that has won at Cheltenham already this season, with runners aged six to nine having the best record. Last-time out winners do well.
HOODOO: Horses carrying more than 11st 4lb have struggled lately as have horses coming back from more than three months off the track.
5.20 Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase (Racing TV)
3m2f
The Jonjo O’Neill-trained Johnnywho has been smashed for this after top amateur jockey Derek O’Connor confirmed he would take the ride.
This race can serve as a guide to potential Gold Cup and Grand National runners.
DO DO: Look for a horse aged between seven and nine as they fare much the best. Derek O’Connor is the jockey to watch. A top-three finish last time does no harm.
HOODOO: Horses carrying less than 11st have a modest record as do those aged older than nine.
Templegate’s day three summary
Thursday’s action has a much more open look to it. Defending Stayers’ Hurdle winner Teahupoo is a short price but needs some juice in the ground. The Ryanair Chase also looks up for grabs with no standout horse in the line-up – many of them are top, top class.
Cheltenham Festival day four
1.20 JCB Triumph Hurdle (ITV/Racing TV)
2m1f
The race for the best four-year-olds around and a race Mullins has won for the past three years.
His best chance this year is Lady Vega Allen at around 14s, while the market is headed by Henderson’s Lulamba and Brit trainer James Owen’s East India Dock.
DO DO: Back a horse that started their career in France. Last-time-out winners have a good record as do Irish-trainer horses. Willie Mullins has won four of the past five.
HOODOO: Horses who didn’t run in a Graded race last time struggle as do winners of the Adonis Hurdle (Mambonumberfive this year).
2.00 William Hill County Handicap Hurdle (ITV/Racing TV)
2m1f
Can Mullins go back-to-back in this with brilliant dual purpose performer Absurde?
It’s not impossible given the weight he has been allocated by the handicapper – and the trainer has three of the top four in the market.
DO DO: Follow Willie Mullins who has won seven times since 2010, while Dan Skelton has four victories from the past nine runnings. Five and six-year-olds hold sway.
HOODOO: Nine-year-olds and older have a mountain to climb and it’s tough to win this with more than 11st 1lb on your back.
2.40 Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase (ITV/Racing TV)
2m4½f
Mullins and Cromwell control the market for this, but it’s the former who has the market leader in the shape of Dinoblue.
She comes attached with risk, though, after losing out to Cromwell’s Limerick Lace last year having been sent off 15-8 fav.
DO DO: All four runnings so far have gone to Ireland and they also won last time out. Three runs in the season seems to be key with at least one Graded win on the CV.
HOODOO: All the winners were from near the head of the market but we’re still waiting for our first winning favourite.
3.20 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (ITV/Racing TV)
3m
After some chopping and changing at the declarations stage it’s Henry de Bromhead’s mare The Big Westerner who lines up as fav here.
French horse Jet Blue has been backed while Challow Hurdle runner-up Wendigo has been smashed from 50-1 to 9-1.
DO DO: Look for horses aged six or seven that finished in the first four last time out. Irish trainers have won seven of the past nine runnings. Placed form at Graded level is a must.
HOODOO: Horses that ran on the Flat struggle as do five-year-olds. Gordon Elliott and Nicky Henderson have a surprisingly poor record.
4.00 Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase (ITV/Racing TV)
3m2½f
The feature race of the week – and we could see history be made with Galopin Des Champs.
The best stayer of his generation, arguably the best jumper of his generation and, possibly, the next name in the history books.
Mullins’ monster is going for a hat-trick of Gold Cups and is 1-2 to do so.
DO DO: Stick with horses aged seven to nine that won last time out. A past win or place at the Cheltenham Festival is important with Willie Mullins having a fantastic recent record.
HOODOO: The last 10-year-old or older to win was Cool Dawn in 1998 with only one nine-year-old in the past decade. The King George, Betfair Chase and Cotswold Chase runners have a very poor record.
4.40 St. James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase (ITV/Racing TV)
3m2½f
Might we see some real star power in this race courtesy of Geri Haliwell and husband Christian Horner?
While currently a 33-1 longshot, Lift Me Up won at Warwick when last seen and could give the A-list couple a great day out.
DO DO: Last year’s winner Sine Nominee was the first aged less than 10 in more than a decade. Finishing in the first three last time is a key pointer as is finishing in the first five in this race last season.
HOODOO: Six-year-olds struggle as do 12-year-olds and over. Running in a point-to-point last time is a negative as is being British bred.
5.20 Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle (Racing TV)
2m4½f
The Festival goes out with a bang in a race with cult status that has thrown up some future superstars including Galopin Des Champs and Banbridge.
Mullins’ Kopeck De Mee could be the gamble of the week.
He has arrived from France having never run in Britain or Ireland – and the handicapper has been all but helpless in trying to give him an accurate mark.
DO DO: Look for horses in the first three last time who have run in a Graded hurdle before. No more than eight hurdles runs in their career with five and six-year-olds have a strong record.
HOODOO: David Pipe has a poor record in the race named after his dad with no wins from 23 runners. Eight-year-olds and over are yet to win as are horses with less than 11st on their back.
Templegate’s day four summary
Galopin Des Champs can join the greats by winning a third Cheltenham Gold Cup. We should also see one of the clashes of the whole Festival when Lulamba takes on East India Dock in the Triumph Hurdle.
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