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Cheltenham Festival 2025: Day One Highlights
| Time | Event/Update | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 09:15 | Morning Report | Good morning from Prestbury Park! It’s a bit cold, but the sunshine is glorious. The Mullins battalion has been out stretching their legs, and it’s a sight to behold. Majborough was lively, Kopek Des Bordes seemed to take to the hood nicely, and Salvator Mundi was relaxed under Patrick Mullins. I’m already £14 up from a couple of birthday scratch cards, full of hope and optimism for the week ahead. We start on Good to Soft ground. |
| 09:35 | Sporting Life Newspaper | The Sporting Life newspaper is back for one day only! Rugby royalty Mike Tindall handed out copies at Paddington Station. Grab a free copy there or at the racecourse when buying a Timeform race card. The newspaper features a Q&A with Willie Mullins, a deep dive into Constitution Hill, and tips for each race. Annie Power backers might want to skip page 12. |
| 09:47 | Media Centre Breakfast | The bacon sandwiches have been dished out in the media centre. Decent, with a good crispy bun, but the bacon was a bit fatty. It’s a 7/10 from me. Epsom still leads the way in the Press Room Bacon Sarnie Stakes with their gammon-esque rashers. |
| 10:19 | Expert Insights | Enough of the bacon chat. We want some winners, don’t we? Patrick Mullins, a man who knows a thing or two about winners, thinks his ride in the opener, Salvator Mundi, has a “fantastic chance” and is a “very big price.” They’ll be gutted if Majborough gets beat, and you get the impression they feel State Man can turn the form around with Brighterdaysahead with the cheekpieces on. |
| 10:50 | Money Going | Michael Shinners of Sky Bet tells me William Munny has been “extremely well backed” in the opener. There won’t be a dry eye in the house if he can win the Michael O’Sullivan Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in those yellow and blue silks Michael had his finest hour in aboard Marine Nationale. |
| 11:02 | Ultima Tips | Famous Bridge is a popular selection in the Ultima, at least in this area of the media centre. He’s been tipped by Matt Brocklebank in his excellent Value Bet column, and Dave Massey of Punting Pointers fame is keen on his chances, too, as is Shinners. Three great minds all in alignment. Magnificent. |
| 11:53 | Four-Fold Bet | Are we backing the day one four-fold? Kopek Des Bordes, Majborough, Lossiemouth, then Constitution Hill to bring it home. It pays just over 6/1 with Sky Bet. Easy, right? Well, Kopek Des Bordes needs to get through the prelims first. He got himself worked up at Leopardstown and this atmosphere will be on another level. He’s in the hood though, which should help, and if he behaves himself, he should win. A few people have been knocking Majborough’s jumping, but I’m not in that camp. For me, the faster he went, the better he jumped at the DRF and we know the engine is there. He should have too much class for L’eau Du Sud. Then onto Lossiemouth. The Mullins team report all is well since her crashing fall in the Irish Champion and a late switch to the Mares’ Hurdle leaves her with a golden opportunity to get a third Festival win on her CV. She’s 9 lb clear on the Timeform figures. And that leaves us with Constitution Hill. I’m still firmly a believer and while the addition of Brighterdaysahead, plus King Of Kingsfield, adds some serious spice to this race, I’m of the opinion that the relentless gallop they seem sure to set will bring out the best in the old champion. The last time he had a proper gallop to chase, set by a genuine Grade 1 horse, was in that Supreme and I’m hoping we’ll see another monstrous performance from him today. So, am I on the day one four-fold? Yes, yes I am. |
| 12:42 | Course Walk | Just been for a walk around the course to stretch my legs and take it all in. The Guinness Village is rammed, there’s a live band blasting out the bangers, and someone dressed as a giant Gold Cup as the racegoers pore over their free copy of the Sporting Life. It’s all going on. There’s a tempting smell wafting over from the other side of the media centre and a large queue forming. Dinner must be served. It’s hard graft this gig, you know. I’ll report back with what’s on offer. |
| 12:55 | Lunch Time | Venison stew with roast potatoes. Another solid 7/10. Would have been higher but I marked it down for the cardboard knives and forks. |
| 13:00 | Race Day Coverage | They’re in the parade ring for the first race. Luckily for us, we have paddock expert Dave Massey on hand to give us the positives and negatives. Hot favourite Kopek Des Bordes is nice and calm, taking the prelims well, while William Munny is the one who catches the eye, says Massey. |
| 13:00 | Trackside Analysis | Trackside is a paddock analysis service, offering a new perspective for a unique betting angle. The expert team give the insight from the pre-parade and the parade ring before traditional coverage begins – information vital for making winning bets. You can find out more here. |
Supreme Novices’ Hurdle Result
| Position | Horse |
|---|---|
| 1 | Kopek Des Bordes |
| 2 | William Munny |
| 3 | Romeo Coolio |
| 4 | Karniquet |
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