Latest news with #UnibetChampionHurdle
The Independent
11-03-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
Cheltenham Festival LIVE: Tips, odds and results as racing gets underway on Day 1
The 'greatest show on turf' kicks off today with 'Champion Day', with non-stop action over the next four days as the best jockeys, trainers and horses descend on the 2025 Cheltenham Festival. Today's opener will be followed by Style Wednesday, St Patrick's Thursday and finally the showpiece event, Gold Cup Day, which brings the Festival to its close on Friday 14 March. Fans can look forward to 28 races across the four days and a compelling battle between British and Irish trainers as they vie for supremacy. Last year, Willie Mullins ' Galopin Des Champs took the Gold Cup honours and, with jockey Paul Townend, won the prestigious race for a second consecutive year. He's the favourite to claim a hat-trick of three straight wins this year but, before then, Mullins has the chance to open his 2025 Festival account with Lossiemouth, who has made a last-minute switch from Tuesday's Unibet Champion Hurdle to race the Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle on the same day. The full race card and Festival schedule is here, and we'll be bringing you all the action as the Festival unfolds. Cheltenham Festival weather forecast and ground prediction The weather can be crucial to results, with punters studying the going days and hours out from each race. If the course is heavy, then expect a real test of the horse's stamina, though the forecast currently suggests a quicker track due to a dry spell just before and throughout the festival. The forecast looks good during the week: the BBC shows light cloud and a gentle breeze on day one, sleet and a gentle breeze on day two, sunny intervals and a gentle breeze on day three and day four for the Gold Cup. Cheltenham Festival weather: Latest forecast including Gold Cup day Could rain disrupt this year's Festival? Punters will be aware of how the forecast will impact the horses' chances each day Flo Clifford11 March 2025 07:30 Ruby Walsh's tips for Day 1 at Cheltenham Festival The legendary Ruby Walsh has shared his Cheltenham Festival Day 1 tips with Paddy Power: 4.00: Unibet Champion Hurdle (Grade 1) Race conditions: £450,000 | 2m½f | 8 hurdles | Old Course Ruby Walsh - Brighterdaysahead (Champion Hurdle) – 15/8 She [Brighterdaysahead] blew me away in Leopardstown – I was watching it thinking, you're going too fast, you're going too fast, you're going too fast the whole way, and all of a sudden, they were going too fast for the pacemaker, he falls in a hole going to the third last, King Of Kingsfield, the next minute the mare picks up, heads on to the second last and away with her off the bend again. It's the one hurdle performance this year that you went 'Jesus.' 4.40: Boodles Fred Winter Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3) Race conditions: £80,000 | 2m½f | 8 hurdles | Old Course Ruby Walsh - Beyond Your Dreams (Fred Winter) – 6/1 'I'll have to go for a price so I'll go for Beyond Your Dreams [in the Fred Winter]. I think the obvious ones early in the card – Kopek Des Bordes [Supreme], Majborough [Arkle] but look if you're going for something at some bit of a price.' Flo Clifford11 March 2025 07:15 Cheltenham Festival race card, dates, start times and full four-day schedule With seven races per day the action is non-stop at Cheltenham. Fans will look out for 13 of the races run at Grade 1 standard, while five are run as Grade 2s, six Grade 3s and the other four are Listed. Here's the full race card, start times, and schedule for the Festival: Cheltenham Festival 2025 race card and full four-day schedule The Cheltenham Festival is back with the coveted Gold Cup the highlight of the four-day event Flo Clifford11 March 2025 07:00 Cheltenham tips for day one Our experts give their best bets and 10 horses to watch on day one: Cheltenham Festival tips, best bets and horses to watch on day one Bravemansgame returns to Cheltenham looking to improve on last year's runners-up placing in the Gold Cup, while Fastorslow and Gerri Colombe are also tipped to compete with favourite Galopin Flo Clifford11 March 2025 06:45 Full schedule: Tuesday, 11 March - Champion Day Here's the full schedule for Day 1, with the first race of the Festival kicking off at 1.20pm. 1.20pm : Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1) Race conditions: £150,000 | 2m½f| 8 hurdles | Old Course 2.00pm: My Pension Expert Arkle Novices' Chase (Grade 1) Race conditions: £200,000 | 2m | 13 fences | Old Course 2.40pm: Ultima Handicap Chase (Grade 3) Race conditions: £150,000 | 3m1f | 20 fences | Old Course 3.20pm: Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle (Grade 1) Race conditions: £120,000 | 2m4f | 10 hurdles | Old Course 4.00pm: Unibet Champion Hurdle (Grade 1) Race conditions: £450,000 | 2m½f | 8 hurdles | Old Course Flo Clifford11 March 2025 06:30
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The Independent
10-03-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Cheltenham Festival LIVE: Latest news with fields for Day 2 races revealed
The Cheltenham Festival is back. It's that time of year again when the sporting world turns its eyes on horse racing as the best jockeys, trainers and horses prepare for four days of intense and gruelling competition. The festival starts with Champion Day on Tuesday 11 before Style Wednesday, St Patrick's Thursday, and Gold Cup Day bringing the event to a close on Friday this week. Willie Mullins ' Galopin Des Champs took the honours last year and, with jockey Paul Townend, won the Gold Cup for a second consecutive year. He's the overwhelming favourite to do so again this week but a late addition to the field may throw a spanner in the works. [CONFIRM Inothewayurthinkin has been added to Gold Cup race] Elsewhere, the battle between the Irish and British trainers will be renewed as near 250,000 spectators descend on the racecourse for a festival of skill, class and showmanship. Cheltenham Festival 2025 Unibet Champion Hurdle declarations Burdett Road Sam Twiston-Davies Constitution Hill Nico de Boinville King Of Kingsfield Danny Gilligan State Man Paul Townend Winter Fog Brian Hayes Brighterdaysahead Jack Kennedy Golden Ace Lorcan Williams Jack Rathborn10 March 2025 08:20 Lossiemouth makes late switch at Cheltenham Festival 2025 In the early news surrounding the confirmed runners and riders, Lossiemouth will avoid a mouthwatering showdown with Constitution Hill and Brighterdaysahead in Tuesday's Unibet Champion Hurdle by racing the Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle on the same day instead. Lossiemouth has made the late switch despite appearing to target the Champion Hurdle trail, after banking wins last year in the Mares' Hurdle and the Triumph Hurdle in 2023. Willie Mullins' decision appears to have been influenced by the preparation, which saw a heavy fall in the Irish Champion Hurdle in February, with the move to defend the Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle title. Jack Rathborn10 March 2025 08:16
Telegraph
09-03-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Cheltenham Festival day 1: Tips, odds, races and weather for Tuesday
The first day of the Cheltenham Festival is very nearly upon us, drawing back the curtain on four days of the very best jump racing has to offer. The undoubted highlight of day one is the Unibet Champion Hurdle (3.00), in which Constitution Hill is the red-hot favourite to regain the crown he first one back in 2023. Brighterdaysahead and last year's winner State Man will be those attempting to stop Nick Henderson's charge from making it a perfect 11 wins from 11 starts in his career. The first race of the meeting has been renamed the Michael O'Sullivan Supreme Novices' Hurdle, in honour of the late jockey who died after a fall at Thurles last month. Click here to remnind yourself of some of Telegraph Sport's ante post Cheltenham selections. Cheltenham Festival day one tips 1.20: Michael O'Sullivan Supreme Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1 ) Marcus Armytage: The red hot favourite has an engine but pulls hard and Tripoli Flyer beat a good horse at Kempton and has a massive engine for a 25-1 shot. Charlie Brooks: Willie Mullins says Kopek des Bordes may be one of the best he has. He looks like a champion. 2.00: My Pension Expert Arkle Novices' Chase (Grade 1) Marcus Armytage: Again the favourite Majborough looks like his jumping might be flawed and L'Eau du Sud can kick off a good week for Dan Skelton. Charlie Brooks: I loved the way L'Eau de Sud quickened up at Cheltenham in November and was really clever when wrong at the last. 2.40: Ultima Handicap Chase (Grade 3) Marcus Armytage: A runaway winner at Kempton last time, Katate Dori is fast improving and jockey's 3lb claim comes in handy. Charlie Brooks: I like horses that come through the Kempton meeting before the Festival. Some people thinks its too close to Cheltenham, but I don't. Katate Dori has gone up 12lbs but he's got a nice racing weight. 3.20: Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle (Grade 1) Marcus Armytage: Joyeuse won the Betfair Hurdle off a low weight but rapidly improving and the favourite Lossiemouth had the mother and father of falls last time. Charlie Brooks: Fancied Lossiemouth for the Champion hurdle, and this is much easier. Kempton at Christmas was too sharp for her, and her fall last time was a one off blip.
