Latest news with #2025CheltenhamFestival
Telegraph
14-03-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Cheltenham Friday tips: Lucky 15, accumulator and bet365 Super Boost
The 2025 Cheltenham Festival reaches a climax on Gold Cup day and this year's renewal promises to be special. Galopin Des Champs, jockey Paul Townend and trainer Willie Mullins bid for a third straight Gold Cup win. Will you be banking on the reigning champion in your accumulator, Lucky 15 or bet365 Super Boost bet? Will we? Read on to find out. Historically day four is a tough betting session and one for the bookies. You won't go too far wrong following well-supported horses in the market. Blue Lemons has been backed from 25/1 to 9/1 overnight and holds great claims in the Triumph Hurdle. The gelding will be ridden by yesterday's hero Rachel Blackmore for Willie Mullins. Fancy a bet on Cheltenham Day 4? If you already have a bookmaker account and are looking for a new operator to use for this week's racing, check out our list of Cheltenham free bets that can be used on day four of the Festival. Tips for Cheltenham day 4 1.20 Hello Neighbour @ 5/1 with CopyBet Gibbs Island @ 20/1 with CopyBet 2.00 Valgrand @ 13/2 with CopyBet 2.40 Limerick Lace @ 6/1 with CopyBet 3.20 Derryhassen Paddy @ 9/1 with CopyBet Intense Approach @ 12/1 with CopyBet Port Joulain @ 40/1 with CopyBet Nativehill @ 40/1 with CopyBet 4.00 Galopin Des Champs @ 1/2 with CopyBet 4.40 Plan Of Attack @ 50/1 with CopyBet 5.20 Wodhooh @ 7/2 with CopyBet Karafon @ 10/1 with CopyBet Minella Sixo @ 14/1 with CopyBet Odds provided by CopyBet and correct at the time of writing. Each-way selections are highlighted in the analysis below. Cheltenham Day 4 Lucky 15 tips Gibbs Island, Valgrand, Plan Of Attack and Minella Sixo (each-way) @ 120,487.5/1 with CopyBet If you are looking for a bookmaker to use for day three of the Cheltenham Festival check out our list of betting offers from the UK's best betting sites 1.20, Cheltenham – JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1, 2m 1f) HELLO NEIGHBOUR, the first pick of the day, can continue his flawless record with a third win over hurdles here, following his two victories on the Flat. Despite some closing opposition it was a comfortable win last time at the Dublin Racing Festival, and he was in a pair seven lengths clear of third when triumphing on the St Stevens Day card at Leopardstown. In the pair with him that day was Lady Vega Allen, who bids to make it four Triumph Hurdles in a row today for Willie Mullins. But her filly's allowance is a pound less today. While the British hand is strong at the head of the market with Lulamba and East India Dock, GIBBS ISLAND looks a great each-way shout having improved markedly from run to run as he settled much better on his last outing. He has plenty of experience, having raced 15 times on the Flat in Ireland. Gibbs Island is a horse with lots of potential based on his breeding, with many crossovers with a horse called Charbel, who finished fifth in a vintage Supreme behind none other than Altior, Min and Buveur D'air. 2.00, Cheltenham – William Hill County Handicap Hurdle (Class 2, 2m 4½f) VALGRAND stormed on to the scene in the autumn with commanding performances and two comfortable wins. His limitations were exposed when finishing second to Potters Charm over 2m 5f, who had Grade 1 hopes in the Turners going into Cheltenham week. Ever since then he has conceivably been ridden within his means with today in mind – and in doing so has dropped his mark 6lb from its peak. As the Skeltons have proved many times before, they can ready a charge for a big handicap, and this looks no different. 2.40, Cheltenham – Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase (Grade 2, 2m 4½f) The Mares' Chase is always a tricky race to dissect with inconsistency often showing in many of the market principles. But the females are also credited with being smarter than their male counterparts, and in theory better at remembering good and bad races. Based on that, the selection is for LIMERICK LACE who won this contest last time and is the only runner in the field with a Cheltenham victory to her name. The Grand National will be the main target this year, but a victory here would be the perfect preparation for that. 3.20, Cheltenham – Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1, 3m) This contest is one of the hardest to predict at the Cheltenham Festival with none of the previous 11 winners going off as favourite – 10 of them priced 11/1 or higher and four of them at 33/1 or more. With that in mind there are four selections for this race targeting both of those price points. DERRYHASSEN PADDY and INTENSE APPROACH are two horses at lower odds with solid form lines, claiming the scalps of notable names this season such as Honky Tonk Highway and Gale Malher. They have plenty of potential and can win at healthy prices today. PORT JOULAIN and NATIVEHILL are both priced as rank outsiders and share a form line with a horse called De Kingpin who is a well-thought-of horse trained by Ben Pauling. Nativehill finished second to that horse over 2m 4½f on Rules debut (he has won since) and Port Joulain beat De Kingpin in a three-mile point-to-point. In fact the one thing all four picks have in common is point-to-point experience, which historically is a very good indicator in this race. 4.00, Cheltenham – Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase (Grade 1, 3m 2½f) Performances in the Irish Gold Cup and Savills Chase this year have shown that at distances in excess of three miles there is no better horse than GALOPIN DES CHAMPS. Over the years he has learnt to settle and travel well while respecting his obstacles. Those attributes, matched with his turn of foot at the end of the race, simply make him an astonishing horse and there is no reason to believe he will not make it three Gold Cups today given a clean round of jumping. 4.40, Cheltenham – St. James's Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters' Chase (Class 2, 3m 2½f) Weighing up Hunter Chase and point-to-point form can be tough, and that is made even more difficult by an extended three-mile trip. It can occasionally pay to find a big price in this race and that is exactly what you will get from PLAN OF ATTACK, who is trained by Henry de Bromhead and will have the capable Barry O'Neill in the saddle. The horse proved he is in good health when winning in cosy fashion last month, but it is his Cheltenham record that makes the 50/1 odds appeal most. He unfortunately fell in the Cross Country last year, but before that he had placed twice in that code at this venue and once more in the Kim Muir. Hopefully the return to this venue will spark another great run out of this proven stayer. 5.20, Cheltenham – Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle (Class 2, 2m 4½f) The 'lucky last' is a bit of a minefield, being the lowest-rated hurdle race of the week, catching many of the horses that were just too well handicapped to qualify for the bigger contests. That being said, some class is needed to win it, and this edition has an impressive roll of honour. The first selection is WODHOOH, who based on the form of his December win here could be thrown in. The third-placed horse cruised to victory in the valuable William Hill Hurdle at Newbury and the third scooped up a Grade 2 mares' contest before finishing third in the Mares' Hurdle here earlier in the week. Wodhooh's stablemate MINELLA SIXO also holds fair claims for the race for last year's winning trainer Gordon Elliot. His Boxing Day run was behind the current favourite in the Albert Bartlett earlier on the card, and his October outing at this venue reads well – a couple of lengths behind Potters Charm, who finished fifth in the Turners earlier this week. KARAFON is the final selection of the Festival and could round off a great week for trainer Willie Mullins. It is his handicap debut and an official mark of 132 could prove lenient. He ended 33 lengths ahead of his stablemate Karniquet in December, who in turn finished fourth in the Supreme way back on Tuesday and before that was rated 146. What is the Cheltenham Day 4 bet365 Super Boost? Friday's Super Boost is Galopin Des Champs to take the Gold Cup, boosted to evens from 1/2. Thursday finally delivered a Super Boost winner with Fact To File triumphing in the Ryanair. Hopefully the same can happen today. bet365 Super Boosts are being announced at 10am every day during the Cheltenham Festival. bet365 will be considerably boosting the price of one selection each day – this will typically be a popular odds-on shot boosted to evens, but you may even get prices like 6/4 or 2/1. Last year three out of the four bet365 Super Boosts were successful. Cheltenham tips: Frequently asked questions What is an accumulator bet? An accumulator or acca is a bet that consists of multiple bets (or legs) that multiply together for bigger odds if they all win. What is a Lucky 15? A Lucky 15 is a bet with four legs that consists of 15 separate bets: four singles, six doubles, four trebles and a fourfold accumulator. What is an each-way bet? An each-way bet is when you not only bet on your horse to win, but you also bet on them to finish in the top designated places in a race (this will vary from race to race and bookmaker to bookmaker). The bet to finish in the places will be a fraction of the win odds (usually 1/5, but sometimes 1/4). What does NAP mean? Nap is short for Napoleon and denotes a tipster's best bet of the day. What does SP mean? SP stands for starting price – a horse's odds when a race begins. What does BOG mean? BOG stands for best odds guaranteed, an industry standard offer. Regarding bets placed after a certain time of day, if a horse's starting price is bigger than the odds you bet on, you will get the larger odds. Click here for the best Cheltenham BOG operators
Telegraph
14-03-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Cheltenham Gold Cup day betting offers: Free bets for day four
P Gold Cup day at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival features three Grade 1 contests: the Triumph Hurdle (1.20), the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle (3.20) and the big race itself at 4.00, in which Galopin Des Champs is the odds-on favourite to claim a third consecutive victory. We will also find out who finishes as the leading trainer and jockey at the Festival. Willie Mullins has six wins already and looks a certainty to win the former, while jockeys Rachael Blackmore, Mark Walsh and Paul Townend are all on two wins in the jockeys' standings. Cheltenham Festival Day 4 top betting offers 1. Sky Bet A perfect welcome offer if you are new to the betting world as you only have to deposit £5 and place a bet of just 5p or more and you will have five £10 free bets to use for the Festival. But be careful, as these free bets will not be eligible for offers such as money back as cash or best odds guaranteed. 2. bet365 – Bet £10 and get £30 in free bets The bet365 welcome offer is regarded as one of the best in the industry despite the lower amount of free bets on offer. After betting £10 at minimum odds of 1/5, meaning you could back one of the short-priced favourites throughout the Cheltenham Festival, you will receive £30 in bet credits. You have ultimate flexibility with these bet credits to use them in any combination you wish and they still qualify for things such as best odds guaranteed. They do expire after seven days, but that shouldn't be too hard during Cheltenham Festival week. 3. Betfred – Get £50 in free bets when you stake £10 The Betfred new customer offer has a substantial £50 in free bets on offer when you place a £10 bet at evens or greater. Those free bets come in the form of three £10 bets on any sport and two £10 accumulator bets. The two accas will naturally be harder to turn a profit on, but with a bit of luck during Cheltenham week you never know what the outcomes could be. But take care when placing the qualifying bet as there are a few odds-on favourites throughout Cheltenham that would not then qualify for the offer. 4. Galopin Des Champs to win the Gold Cup @ 40/1 If you think Galopin Des Champs can make it three Gold Cups in a row, this is the perfect offer for you. Victory for the Willie Mullins-trained nine-year-old would mean you would receive £40 in free bets after placing a £1 maximum punt. A word of warning: Al Boum Photo was the last horse to attempt the hat-trick and he could only muster a sixth-place finish, although Galopin Des Champs holds better claims in today's race. If the fairytale victory does happen, the winnings will be paid as free bets that you can then spread out across the rest of the day or weekend – with seven days to use them. But take care, as these free bets won't be eligible for offers such as best odds guaranteed. 5. Tote – Bet £10, get £40 in bonuses plus money-back second on all races at Cheltenham Tote is going all out with its Cheltenham Festival offer where after placing a £10 bet at evens or greater you will receive £20 Tote Credit, a £10 sportsbook bet and 50x 20p free spins to use on Big Bass Bonanza. To add to this, Tote is offering all customers up to £10 back in Tote Credit if their horse finishes second (minimum of five runners) – giving punters a bit of a safety net if their selection just falls short. Money-back second every race at Cheltenham: New and existing customers get their stake back, up to £10, as Tote Credit if their first bet on each race finishes second. New and existing customers can take advantage of this truly great offer from Tote on every race at Cheltenham as long as five horses start the race. If your horse finishes second, you will receive up to £10 back in Tote Credit – giving punters a bit of a safety net if their selection just falls short. 6. talkSPORT BET – Bet £10, get £20 for Cheltenham talkSPORT BET is offering a simple 'bet £10, get £20 in free bets' deal during the Cheltenham Festival. The free bets are paid out in small denominations of £5, which means you can spread them out nicely, but be careful as the qualifying bet must be placed at odds of 2/1 or higher. 7. Midnite – Bet £10, get £20 + 50 free spins Midnite is offering £20 in free bets plus 50 free spins when you place a £10 accumulator (minimum odds of 3/1). With so many short-priced favourites at Cheltenham this year, you could just find a lucky combination that provides a return on the initial investment. 8. CopyBet CopyBet will not be outdone this Cheltenham Festival and is offering a market-leading £60 in free bets. In order to claim the free bets, you must first opt in via its app or website, make a first deposit using instant bank transfer, and then place a bet at odds of 9/10 or greater (1.9). It is worth noting that there is a maximum payout of £500 attached to this offer and the free bets expire after seven days. CopyBet is the perfect bookmaker for horse racing bettors and can boast that it is the only bookie that offers best odds guaranteed from the night before racing. 9. LiveScoreBet – Bet £10 get £30 in free bets + Get a £10 free bet every day of Cheltenham when you place a Racing Multi LivescoreBet has a great Cheltenham betting offer for 2025 where you can score £30 in free bets once you have placed a £10 bet at minimum odds of 1/2 (1.5), which means it can be used on short-priced favourites and still qualify for the bonus amount. In addition to this, LiveScore Bet is offering a £10 free bet each day of the Festival when you place a £10 racing multiple with a minimum of three legs. 10. Betano - Get £30 in bonuses when you bet £10 This is Betano's first Cheltenham in the UK betting market and they have a great offer where you can get two £10 free bets and £10 worth of free spins on Big Bass Day slots. You will want to make sure you get take advantage of this offer earlier in the week as it may taking up to three days to credit your account. 11. BetMGM - Bet £10 get £40 in free bets BetMGM made a big splash at Cheltenham last year and this year it also has a competitive offer with a total of £40 in free bets. Two of the four £10 free bets must, however, be used on an accumulator with a minimum of three legs – which will make it harder to turn a profit on. 12. BetVictor – Get £40 in free bets when you bet £20 on horse racing BetVictor has a great offer for day four of the Cheltenham Festival – simply bet £20 on horse racing at minimum odds of 1/2 and receive £40 in free bets. The free bets need to be used within seven days, so you have time to spend them if you are running out of races at Cheltenham today. 13. Unibet – Bet £20, get £40 in bonuses Unibet's Cheltenham offer will have you coming back for more, as it is offering £40 in free bets when you bet £20 on horse racing at minimum odds of 2/5 per leg. The bets are credited as two £10 free bets instantly, followed by two £10 bets after seven days. 14. TangoBet – Bet £20 get £20 free bet TangoBet is a new brand on the Cheltenham scene so if you are looking for a fresh account to open on day four then look no further. It is offering £20 in free bets when you place a bet of £20 at minimum odds of evens. The free bets expire after three days so you can even carry them into the Midlands National at the weekend. 15. EasyBet – Bet £20, get £30 in free bets EasyBet is another new bookmaker on the scene for Cheltenham 2025, although you may recognise the brand. It is offering £30 in free bets when you place £20 on EasyBet markets across two separate events at minimum odds of evens. So you will need to bet on at least two races on day four before the bonus is triggered. Take a look at our list of the best betting sites and Cheltenham free bets for more betting offers to use during Festival week. Key talking points on day four With results still somewhat favouring the bookies, the big question is whether the punters can fight back on the final day of the Festival. There are two short-priced horses vying for the favourite berth in the first, but in a race that has delivered five consecutive winners from Ireland it could be a raider that gets the victory and another notch for the bookmakers. The rest of the races on day four, bar one, are wide open (which should assist the bookies) and none more so than the Albert Bartlett. This contest has had four winners with odds of 33/1 or more in its previous 11 renewals. The exception is the Boodles Gold Cup, which is headed by superstar Galopin Des Champs. He is vying to win his third Gold Cup and make history in the process.
Telegraph
13-03-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Cheltenham Festival Day 4 tips: Lucky 15 and accumulator
The 2025 Cheltenham Festival reaches a climax on Gold Cup day and this year's renewal promises to be special. Galopin Des Champs, jockey Paul Townend and trainer Willie Mullins bid for a third straight Gold Cup win. Will you be banking on the reigning champion in your accumulator, Lucky 15 or bet365 Super Boost bet? Will we? Read on to find out. If you already have a bookmaker account and are looking for a new operator to use for this week's racing, check out our list of Cheltenham free bets that can be used on day four of the Festival. Tips for Cheltenham day 4 1.20 Hello Neighbour @ 5/1 with CopyBet Gibbs Island @ 20/1 with CopyBet 2.00 Valgrand @ 13/2 with CopyBet 2.40 Limerick Lace @ 6/1 with CopyBet 3.20 Derryhassen Paddy @ 9/1 with CopyBet Intense Approach @ 12/1 with CopyBet Port Joulain @ 40/1 with CopyBet Nativehill @ 40/1 with CopyBet 4.00 Galopin Des Champs @ 1/2 with CopyBet 4.40 Plan Of Attack @ 50/1 with CopyBet 5.20 Wodhooh @ 7/2 with CopyBet Karafon @ 10/1 with CopyBet Minella Sixo @ 14/1 with CopyBet Odds provided by CopyBet and correct at the time of writing. Each-way selections are highlighted in the analysis below. Cheltenham Day 4 Acca tips Hello Neighbour, Valgrand and Limerick Lace @ 315/1 with CopyBet Cheltenham Day 4 Lucky 15 tips Gibbs Island, Valgrand, Plan Of Attack and Minella Sixo (each-way) @ 120,487.5/1 with CopyBet If you are looking for a bookmaker to use for day three of the Cheltenham Festival check out our list of betting offers from the UK's best betting sites 1.20, Cheltenham – JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1, 2m 1f) HELLO NEIGHBOUR, the first pick of the day, can continue his flawless record with a third win over hurdles here, following his two victories on the Flat. Despite some closing opposition it was a comfortable win last time at the Dublin Racing Festival, and he was in a pair seven lengths clear of third when triumphing on the St Stevens Day card at Leopardstown. In the pair with him that day was Lady Vega Allen, who bids to make it four Triumph Hurdles in a row today for Willie Mullins. But her filly's allowance is a pound less today. While the British hand is strong at the head of the market with Lulamba and East India Dock, GIBBS ISLAND looks a great each-way shout having improved markedly from run to run as he settled much better on his last outing. He has plenty of experience, having raced 15 times on the Flat in Ireland. Gibbs Island is a horse with lots of potential based on his breeding, with many crossovers with a horse called Charbel, who finished fifth in a vintage Supreme behind none other than Altior, Min and Buveur D'air. 2.00, Cheltenham – William Hill County Handicap Hurdle (Class 2, 2m 4½f) VALGRAND stormed on to the scene in the autumn with commanding performances and two comfortable wins. His limitations were exposed when finishing second to Potters Charm over 2m 5f, who had Grade 1 hopes in the Turners going into Cheltenham week. Ever since then he has conceivably been ridden within his means with today in mind – and in doing so has dropped his mark 6lb from its peak. As the Skeltons have proved many times before, they can ready a charge for a big handicap, and this looks no different. 2.40, Cheltenham – Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase (Grade 2, 2m 4½f) The Mares' Chase is always a tricky race to dissect with inconsistency often showing in many of the market principles. But the females are also credited with being smarter than their male counterparts, and in theory better at remembering good and bad races. Based on that, the selection is for LIMERICK LACE who won this contest last time and is the only runner in the field with a Cheltenham victory to her name. The Grand National will be the main target this year, but a victory here would be the perfect preparation for that. 3.20, Cheltenham – Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1, 3m) This contest is one of the hardest to predict at the Cheltenham Festival with none of the previous 11 winners going off as favourite – 10 of them priced 11/1 or higher and four of them at 33/1 or more. With that in mind there are four selections for this race targeting both of those price points. DERRYHASSEN PADDY and INTENSE APPROACH are two horses at lower odds with solid form lines, claiming the scalps of notable names this season such as Honky Tonk Highway and Gale Malher. They have plenty of potential and can win at healthy prices today. PORT JOULAIN and NATIVEHILL are both priced as rank outsiders and share a form line with a horse called De Kingpin who is a well-thought-of horse trained by Ben Pauling. Nativehill finished second to that horse over 2m 4½f on Rules debut (he has won since) and Port Joulain beat De Kingpin in a three-mile point-to-point. In fact the one thing all four picks have in common is point-to-point experience, which historically is a very good indicator in this race. 4.00, Cheltenham – Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase (Grade 1, 3m 2½f) Performances in the Irish Gold Cup and Savills Chase this year have shown that at distances in excess of three miles there is no better horse than GALOPIN DES CHAMPS. Over the years he has learnt to settle and travel well while respecting his obstacles. Those attributes, matched with his turn of foot at the end of the race, simply make him an astonishing horse and there is no reason to believe he will not make it three Gold Cups today given a clean round of jumping. 4.40, Cheltenham – St. James's Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters' Chase (Class 2, 3m 2½f) Weighing up Hunter Chase and point-to-point form can be tough, and that is made even more difficult by an extended three-mile trip. It can occasionally pay to find a big price in this race and that is exactly what you will get from PLAN OF ATTACK, who is trained by Henry de Bromhead and will have the capable Barry O'Neill in the saddle. The horse proved he is in good health when winning in cosy fashion last month, but it is his Cheltenham record that makes the 50/1 odds appeal most. He unfortunately fell in the Cross Country last year, but before that he had placed twice in that code at this venue and once more in the Kim Muir. Hopefully the return to this venue will spark another great run out of this proven stayer. 5.20, Cheltenham – Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle (Class 2, 2m 4½f) The 'lucky last' is a bit of a minefield, being the lowest-rated hurdle race of the week, catching many of the horses that were just too well handicapped to qualify for the bigger contests. That being said, some class is needed to win it, and this edition has an impressive roll of honour. The first selection is WODHOOH, who based on the form of his December win here could be thrown in. The third-placed horse cruised to victory in the valuable William Hill Hurdle at Newbury and the third scooped up a Grade 2 mares' contest before finishing third in the Mares' Hurdle here earlier in the week. Wodhooh's stablemate MINELLA SIXO also holds fair claims for the race for last year's winning trainer Gordon Elliot. His Boxing Day run was behind the current favourite in the Albert Bartlett earlier on the card, and his October outing at this venue reads well – a couple of lengths behind Potters Charm, who finished fifth in the Turners earlier this week. KARAFON is the final selection of the Festival and could round off a great week for trainer Willie Mullins. It is his handicap debut and an official mark of 132 could prove lenient. He ended 33 lengths ahead of his stablemate Karniquet in December, who in turn finished fourth in the Supreme way back on Tuesday and before that was rated 146. What is the Cheltenham Day 4 bet365 Super Boost? bet365 Super Boosts are being announced at 10am every day during the Cheltenham Festival. bet365 will be considerably boosting the price of one selection each day – this will typically be a popular odds-on shot boosted to evens, but you may even get prices like 6/4 or 2/1. Last year three out of the four bet365 Super Boosts were successful. Cheltenham tips: Frequently asked questions What is an accumulator bet? An accumulator or acca is a bet that consists of multiple bets (or legs) that multiply together for bigger odds if they all win. What is a Lucky 15? A Lucky 15 is a bet with four legs that consists of 15 separate bets: four singles, six doubles, four trebles and a fourfold accumulator. What is an each-way bet? An each-way bet is when you not only bet on your horse to win, but you also bet on them to finish in the top designated places in a race (this will vary from race to race and bookmaker to bookmaker). The bet to finish in the places will be a fraction of the win odds (usually 1/5, but sometimes 1/4). What does NAP mean? Nap is short for Napoleon and denotes a tipster's best bet of the day. What does SP mean? SP stands for starting price – a horse's odds when a race begins. What does BOG mean? BOG stands for best odds guaranteed, an industry standard offer. Regarding bets placed after a certain time of day, if a horse's starting price is bigger than the odds you bet on, you will get the larger odds. Click here for the best Cheltenham BOG operators
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Cheltenham Festival LIVE: Results, tips and updates as Caldwell Potter wins for Sir Alex Ferguson on ay 3
Cheltenham Festival LIVE! It's day three of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival with Rachael Blackmore and Air of Entitlement winning the Ryanair Mares' Novices' Hurdle for Henry de Bromhead in a thrilling opening race. It's been a hugely dramatic start to the week at the world's most prestigious jump meet, where snow fell on Wednesday morning, with Constitution Hill and Jonbon among the odds-on favourites to have been upset so far in the Champion Hurdle and Queen Mother Champion Chase respectively in tough scenes for Nicky Henderson. St Patrick's Thursday promises to be a thrilling spectacle with defending champion Teahupoo aiming to win the Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle at Cheltenham for the second year in succession. Fact to File is fancied to first claim glory in the Ryanair Chase with two standout races sharing the limelight, though Sixandahalf was beaten by a late surge in the curtain-raiser. The Jack Richards' Novices' Limited Handicap Chase was won by Caldwell Potter for part-owner Sir Alex Ferguson, before attention shifts to the Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle and the pair of feature contests. Follow the Cheltenham Festival live below! Caldwell Potter delivers for part-owner Sir Alex Ferguson Rachael Blackmore winner in Mares' Novices' Hurdle Today's race card in full How to watch Day 3 betting tips Stayers' Hurdle preview 14:26 , Matt Verri Some very, very happy faces when Caldwell Potter cleared the last! Reminder that the syndicate, including Sir Alex Ferguson, bought him for £630,000 last year. Look at what it means to Paul Nicholls and Sir Alex Ferguson 🙏🥹 — ITV Racing (@itvracing) March 13, 2025 14:20 , Matt Verri Some incredibly sad news from the race. Springwell Bay was a faller and it's been confirmed that he sustained a fatal injury. 14:15 , Matt Verri "I think the jumping won it. What can I say? Great horse, it was a bonus,' he tells BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra. "Winning with her last year was fantastic and doing it again this year is fantastic. Thank you very much." 14:10 , Matt Verri A 50th Cheltenham winner for Paul Nicholls! 1 Caldwell Potter 7/1 2 Anyway 125/1 3 O'Moore Park 66/1 WHAT A PERFORMANCECaldwell Potter led from start to finish to win the Jack Richards Novices' Limited Handicap Chase 🏆#ITVRacing | #CheltenhamFestival | @CobdenHarry | @PFNicholls — ITV Racing (@itvracing) March 13, 2025 14:08 , Matt Verri Absolutely bolts up! Expensive purchase... worth every penny it would appear. Sir Alex Ferguson will be a very happy man. 14:06 , Matt Verri Es Perfecto has moved up to second, but it's still Caldwell Potter in front as they take the third-last. What's Up Darling goes down. Caldwell Potter kicks off the turn and the lead is stretching up to three lengths approaching the last... 14:04 , Matt Verri Caldwell Potter has led from the off, setting the early pace. Firefox and Springwell Bay among those travelling well in the middle of the pack. 14:02 , Matt Verri Away in the Jack Richards Novices' Limited Handicap Chase at the second time of asking! 13:52 The second race of the afternoon is the Jack Richards Novices' Limited Handicap Chase, which is new to the Cheltenham Festival this year. Our tipster Johnny Ward fancies Terence O'Brien's Answer To Kayf as an each-way play here. Gordon Elliott's Firefox enters as favourite ahead of Springwell Bay and Caldwell Potter, the most expensive National Hunt horse ever sold at auction who is part-owned by Sir Alex Ferguson. 13:38 That was some late surge and stamina from Air of Entitlement - who started the day at 18-1 and went off at 16s - and a wonderful ride from Rachael Blackmore. It looked to all and sundry as if favourite Sixandahalf had done more than enough to win that after a fine effort from Diva Luna, who wound up third. Karoline Banbou in fourth. 13:26 , George Flood RACHAEL BLACKMORE AND AIR OF ENTITLEMENT STORM THROUGH TO BEAT FAVOURITE SIXANDAHALF! Wow, absolutely amazing stuff that. What a finish! A fine start for the Irish on St Patrick's Thursday. A seventh Cheltenham winner for Blackmore. Henry de Bromhead will be absolutely delighted with that. 13:25 , George Flood Diva Luna with the lead heading to the last... 13:24 Maughreen is carrying on here but lost a huge amount of ground. Brendas Asking is ahead with three hurdles to go, but it's very close at the moment... 13:23 , George Flood Another messy start to a race this week! Maughreen spins out at the start and is going the wrong way... 13:19 , George Flood Galileo Dame, Aurora Vega, Jubilee Alpha and Karoline Banbou are sitting behind 9-4 favorite Sixandahalf in the betting just minutes before the Ryanair Mares' Novices' Hurdle gets underway. Then it's Maughreen at 9-1. 13:11 , George Flood Rachael Blackmore is aboard Air Of Entitlement in the Ryanair Mares' Novices' Hurdle. The first of three rides on a busy afternoon for Blackmore, who is also racing Envoi Allen in the Ryanair Chase later and Bob Olinger in the Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle. There are 24 runners in total on a busy opening race of the day, seven of which are for Willie Mullins. 12:59 , George Flood In terms of today's other non-runners, Ryan's Rocket is out of the Jack Richards Novices' Limited Handicap Chase. Monmiral has also been withdrawn from the Stayers' Hurdle along with Langer Dan, while Lord of Thunder is no longer running in the TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase. Where It All Began is also out of the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup. 12:56 We have four non-runners declared for today's televised races at Cheltenham. That number includes Langer Dan, the back-to-back Coral Cup winner who was due to compete in the Stayers' Hurdle later on but trainer Dan Skelton was unhappy with the results of his tracheal wash this morning and pulled him from the race. He hopes Langer Dan will be able to compete at the Aintree Hurdle next month instead. Langer Dan non runner this afternoon @CheltenhamRaces Here is an update from Dan this morning. — Dan Skelton Racing (@DSkeltonRacing) March 13, 2025 12:47 There's a St Patrick's Day theme at Prestbury Park this afternoon and a huge contest between Irish trainers Willie Mullins and Gavin Cromwell seems fitting first up. Looks like a number of fans are getting into the spirit of the occasion too, four days before the actual St Patrick's Day on March 17... 12:38 Under an hour to go now until the first race of the afternoon on day three at the Cheltenham Festival. The Ryanair Mares' Novices' Hurdle is the curtain-raiser in a new look for the Thursday schedule and is one of four handicap races on the bill. We could be in for a great battle between the Gavin Cromwell favourite Sixandahalf and Willie Mullins' Maughreen. Our tipster Johnny Ward calls Sixandahalf the 'lock of the day' after a great run of form that includes a fearsome 12-length victory on debut at Fairyhouse last month. But this race has been known to throw up its fair share of surprises in the past... 12:12 The stars are out for day three at the Cheltenham Festival! Zara and Mike Tindall, Sir Alex Ferguson, Danny Dyer and Peter Crouch are just some of the famous faces spotted at Prestbury Park so far today... 12:01 Yesterday was a hugely emotional day at Cheltenham as Marine Nationale stormed to victory in the Queen Mother Champion Chase and Jazzy Matty later won the Debenhams Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase. Both horses were memorably winners at the 2023 Festival while being ridden by the late Michael O'Sullivan, who tragically died last month aged just 24 as the result of injuries suffered in a fall at Thurles in January. 'This place has a habit of writing the most unbelievable stories. It's a bit like Honeysuckle (winning the Mares' Hurdle) after Jack de Bromhead died,' said trainer Barry Connell after Marine Nationale's stunning success. "I'm stunned and it probably won't be until later that it sinks in. I've been fortunate to come here and ride a couple of winners here at the November meeting and I've owned winners here before, but training winners is on another level altogether. "Charlotte [Giles] was helping to tack him up and we got her in the photograph. I've spent a good bit of time with her in the last couple of weeks, and the family as well, and any little thing we can do to help everybody involved we will do. "It's been a heart-wrenching time for everybody. I'm sure he would be proud." 11:44 , George Flood And here's our racing expert Malik Ouzia on the best of the rest of today's action away from the Stayers' Hurdle, including a potentially feisty Ryanair Chase... The Ryanair Chase shares headline billing and with Galopin Des Champs scaring a number of potential rivals away from the Gold Cup, this looks a decent renewal. Fact To File, having been beaten twice by the reigning Gold Cup winner, steps back in trip and heads the betting, with Skelton and Protektorat heading the British challenge after winning this race last year. There is an intriguing third nation involved here, with Il Est Francais crossing the Channel after so nearly blowing the King George field away at Kempton at Christmas. Elsewhere, long-time favourite Maughreen must prove as good as the hype having won only one modest race over hurdles if she is to prove the outstanding novice mare. 11:28 , George Flood Standard Sport's racing expert Malik Ouzia sets the scene for what should be a thrilling Stayers' Hurdle later on as defending champion and favourite Teahupoo faces a potential stern battle to defend his crown... Teahupoo was an authoritative winner of this race 12 months ago and returns as favourite to defend his title, but with plenty willing to take him on. The eight-year-old has had the same light campaign as last season, but this time around was beaten on his sole start when finishing second to Lossiemouth at Fairyhouse in December. That race came over a trip too short but with Gordon Elliott's runner not seen since, there are questions over whether he will replicate last year's showing. In Teahupoo's absence, Home By The Lee has been the standout Irish horse in the division this season, with Joseph O'Brien's charge unbeaten in two starts and now seeking to win this race at the fourth time of asking. Beyond the 10-year-old, the ranks have been refreshed with if not new stars then at least new blood. Lucky Place and The Wallpark are young improvers on either side of the Irish Sea, while Mystical Power tries three miles for the first time as a left-field option sent in by Willie Mullins. Then there is the curious case of two-time Festival winner Langer Dan, whose pre-Cheltenham form has been non-existent, but whose trainer, Dan Skelton, insists he always comes right in the spring. 11:17 , George Flood Here are the betting selections for day three of the Cheltenham Festival from tipster Johnny Ward. 1:20 Sixandahalf (nap) 2:00 Answer To Kayf 2:40 Karl Des Tourelles 3:20 Fact To File 4:00 Mystical Power 4:40 Thecompanysergeant 5:20 Walking On Air11:10 , George Flood Last week's lovely sunny weather has turned decidedly cold this week, with snow even falling at Prestbury Park yesterday morning. We're set for another chilly and cloudy day on Thursday, with a highest temperature of only around eight degrees Celsius and a low of zero after we briefly got into the minus numbers overnight. There might be some drizzly rain around in the afternoon and a gentle breeze throughout the day. In terms of the going, clerk of the course Jon Pullin reported this morning that it's good to soft. Cheltenham Festival - St Patrick's Thursday ☘️Going update from Jon Pullin, Clerk of the Course — CheltenhamRacecourse (@CheltenhamRaces) March 13, 2025 11:01 , George Flood TV channel: Today's Cheltenham Festival action will be broadcast live and free-to-air in the UK on ITV1, with coverage lasting from 12:45pm GMT until 5pm. Racing TV also has full live coverage for subscribers. Live stream: You can also follow proceedings live online via ITVX, which is free with a registration. Racing TV subscribers can also watch the races online via their website and app. 10:57 Here's today's Cheltenham Festival race card and schedule in full... 13.20: Ryanair Mares' Novices' Hurdle 14.00: Jack Richards Novices' Limited Handicap Chase 14.40: Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle 15.20: Ryanair Chase 16.00: Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle 16.40: TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase 17.20: Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup 10:48 , George Flood It's all set to be a bumper St Patrick's Thursday at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival. There are another six races to enjoy at Prestbury Park this afternoon, including two sharing the headline billing as the Ryanair Chase is followed by the Stayers' Hurdle. We've already seen plenty of shocks this week with the likes of Constitution Hill and Jonbon among the big favourites to fall short, can Teahupoo and Fact to File buck the trend? Stay tuned for all the latest results, updates and betting tips for day three at Cheltenham.
Telegraph
13-03-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Cheltenham Day 3 free bets: Scoop £360 in bookmaker offers
P There's just over an hour to go until the first race on day three of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival, the Grade 2 Mares' Novices Hurdle (1.20pm) in which 24 runners go to post. Today's seven races include two Grade 1 contests, the Stayers' Hurdle (4.00pm) and the Ryanair Chase (3.20), in which last year's winners – respectively Dan Skelton's Protektorat and Gordon Elliott's Teahupoo – both return to defend their crowns. Cheltenham Festival Day 3 top betting offers 1. Betfred – Get £50 in free bets when you stake £10 The Betfred new customer offer has a substantial £50 in free bets on offer when you place a £10 bet at evens or greater. Those free bets come in the form of three £10 bets on any sport and two £10 accumulator bets. The two accas will naturally be harder to turn a profit on, but with a bit of luck during Cheltenham week you never know what the outcomes could be. But take care when placing the qualifying bet as there are a few odds-on favourites throughout Cheltenham that would not then qualify for the offer. 2. Sky Bet – 60/1 for Teahupoo to finish in the top four of the Stayers' Hurdle Sky Bet has boosted the odds of Teahupoo to finish in the top four of today's championship race, the Stayers' Hurdle, to 60/1 for new customers. The maximum stake is £1 and your winnings are paid as six £10 free bets. Last year's champion goes into the race as the favourite yet again and rightly so, given his unique mix of staying ability and raw speed. He is lightly raced this season, having only had one run behind the Mares' Hurdle winner Lossiemouth, so it is not a certainty. But he does his best work when fresh, so that preparation will suit. 3. bet365 – Bet £10 and get £30 in free bets The bet365 welcome offer is regarded as one of the best in the industry despite the lower amount of free bets on offer. After betting £10 at minimum odds of 1/5, meaning you could back one of the short-priced favourites throughout the Cheltenham Festival, you will receive £30 in bet credits. You have ultimate flexibility with these bet credits to use them in any combination you wish and they still qualify for things such as best odds guaranteed. They do expire after seven days, but that shouldn't be too hard during Cheltenham Festival week. 4. BetMGM – Bet £10 get £40 in free bets BetMGM made a big splash at Cheltenham last year and this year it also has a competitive offer with a total of £40 in free bets. Two of the four £10 free bets must, however, be used on an accumulator with a minimum of three legs – which will make it harder to turn a profit on. 5. Betano – Get £30 in bonuses when you bet £10 This is Betano's first Cheltenham in the UK betting market and it has a great offer where you can get two £10 free bets and £10 of free spins on Big Bass Day slots. It does say it could take three days for the bonuses to be credited to your account, but often this will be done much sooner – just something to bear in mind when betting on the latter stages of the Cheltenham Festival. 6. LiveScoreBet – Bet £10 get £30 in free bets + Get a £10 free bet every day of Cheltenham when you place a Racing Multi LivescoreBet has a great Cheltenham betting offer for 2025 where you can score £30 in free bets once you have placed a £10 bet at minimum odds of 1/2 (1.5), which means it can be used on short-priced favourites and still qualify for the bonus amount. In addition to this, LiveScore Bet is offering a £10 free bet each day of the Festival when you place a £10 racing multiple with a minimum of three legs. 7. Midnite – Bet £10, get £20 + 50 free spins Midnite is offering £20 in free bets plus 50 free spins when you place a £10 accumulator (minimum odds of 3/1). With so many short-priced favourites at Cheltenham this year, you could just find a lucky combination that provides a return on the initial investment. 8. Paddy Power – Bet £10 on Cheltenham, get £40 in free bets The Paddy Power Cheltenham offer means that when you place a bet of £10 at odds of 1/2 or greater on any race at the Festival you will receive £40 in free bets to use as you like throughout the meeting. This is particularly useful as you can place your qualifying bet on one of the odds-on favourites during the week and still qualify for the welcome offer. But the free bets won't be eligible for things such as best odds guaranteed. 9. CopyBet CopyBet will not be outdone this Cheltenham Festival and is offering a market-leading £60 in free bets. In order to claim the free bets, you must first opt in via its app or website, make a first deposit using instant bank transfer, and then place a bet at odds of 9/10 or greater (1.9). It is worth noting that there is a maximum payout of £500 attached to this offer and the free bets expire after seven days. CopyBet is the perfect bookmaker for horse racing bettors and can boast that it is the only bookie that offers best odds guaranteed from the night before racing. Take a look at our list of the best betting sites and Cheltenham free bets for more betting offers to use during Festival week. Key talking points on day three Willie Mullins again dominates the talking points for day three after popping up with multiple winners on day two and not necessarily from the horses you would think. Just how many will he have today? A good place to start for Mullins would be the Ryanair Chase where he saddles Fact To File who won last year's Brown Advisory with ease. At the start of the season he looked Gold Cup-bound, but the two defeats that followed a victory over stablemate Galopin Des Champs meant that this horse, with age on his side, will get another Cheltenham Festival run under his belt here before tackling the extended three miles on Friday in years to come. In order to win that, he will have to beat the French raider Il Est Francais – who looks a monster of a horse when he is on song and jumping boldly from the front. A less likely source of a Mullins winner would be one of the three handicap chase races on the card today. Believe it or not, he entered the 2025 Festival without winning a single handicap chase at Cheltenham.
