The 2025 Cheltenham Festival runs from Tuesday 11th March to Friday 14th March 2025 and the big race of the week is the Cheltenham Gold Cup, due off at 4pm on day 4.
There are several short-priced favourites set to run but which of these favourites will win? We take a look through all the big races ahead of the greatest four days of horse racing action of the year.
Galopin Des Champs is the shortest of the favourites throughout the week as he goes in search of his third straight Cheltenham Gold Cup following his sensational performance at the recent Dublin Racing Festival in the Irish Gold Cup.
Day 1 – Tuesday
The week’s racing starts with another potential superstar in Kopek De Bordes in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. Willie Mullins looks to have another top prospect on his hands and the bookies make him the Even money favourite to get the Irish off to a winning start in the first race of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival.
Next up it’s the Arkle Chase and Majborough is another short priced favourite who looks like he just has to complete the course to win the race. His jumping is a slight question mark but with the news that Sir Gino is out injured for the season, the Irish will once again be piling into this favourite with some of the Cheltenham Festival free bet offers that will be available for the meeting.
Constitution Hill will be one of the most popular wins of the week if he gets home in front in the Champion Hurdle. He has bounced back from serious illness and has looked back to his best in recent outings.
Day 2 – Wednesday
There are two short-priced favourites set to line up on the Wednesday, starting with Ballyburn in the Brown Advisory Novices Chase. Dancing City is a worthy opponent though and it will be interesting to see how the betting pans out for that one. Many people’s banker of the week runs in the Champion Chase at 4pm in Jonbon. The Nicky Henderson superstar is box office and the English will be cheering home one of their own against Gaelic Warrior and Il Est Francais.
Day 3 – Thursday
The Stayers Hurdle is the feature race on Thursday of the Cheltenham Festival but Home By the Lee could upset last year’s winner Teahupoo. Day 3 is probably the best betting day of the meeting and this is where the Cheltenham bookies offers will come into their own, getting you free bets to spend on the races when you register a new account to place your bets.
Day 4 – Friday
Day 4 is the one everybody will be waiting for and fingers crossed Galopin Des Champs gets to the Festival in one piece. The superstar chaser is looking to emulate the likes of Golden Miller and Best Mate in winning three Gold Cups and following his win in the Irish equivalent at the start of February, the bookies have made him a short-priced favourite to do just that. There doesn’t look to be too much competition for Galopin Des Champs either, with Fact to File possibly running in a different race so it could be Banbridge who goes off the second favourite. Watch out for the bookies Gold Cup promotions and free bets offers ahead of the race.
The first race on the Friday card is the Triumph Hurdle where another Nicky Henderson inmate, Lulamba, is being tipped up as a potential superstar so keep an eye on that one as we get closer to the start of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival.