The 2025 Cheltenham Festival begins on Tuesday, with anticipation high leading up to the biggest jumps meet of the season.
There will be a seven-race card with the highlight being the Champion Hurdle at 16:00. Three other Grade 1s will also feature including the prestigious Arkle and Mares’ Hurdle.
The Champion Hurdle (16:00) – Preview and Tips
It’s Constitution Hill versus Brighterdaysahead in the feature race of the day, with the former having missed out last year. Nicky Henderson’s star won this race in 2023 and will be looking to become the first horse since Hurricane Fly in 2013 to regain the crown.
Constitution Hill has missed a good chunk of the season with physical issues, but returned to Kempton on Boxing Day to beat Lossiemouth by two and a half lengths. Lossiemouth has been shifted over to the Mares’ Hurdle at Cheltenham instead so the two won’t battle each other here, much to the disappointment of horse racing fans.
Questions still remain over whether Constitution Hill can regain his previous form, but an easy Trials victory at the end of January suggests he will certainly compete.
Last year’s winner, State Man, is the third favourite here due to an erratic campaign so all eyes will be on Brighterdaysahead. Gordon Elliott’s charge won the Irish equivalent of this race at Leopardstown by an imperious 30 lengths over Christmas. He will be looking to claim Elliott’s first success in the Champion Hurdle. She defeated State Man in that win at Leopardstown too.
The winner of last year’s Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, Golden Ace, will also feature in this race but is considered one of the outsiders. Golden Ace may be a good E/W pick though.
Looking at the odds, the tip here is Brighterdaysahead based on current form.
Tip: Brighterdaysahead
The Arkle Novices Chase (14:00) – Preview and Tips
Racing fans were dismayed when Sir Gino was ruled out of the Arkle earlier this year, so Willie Mullins’ Majborough is now the strong favourite. Last year’s Triumph Hurdle winner is seen as something of an odds-on banker.
There is stiff competition though, with Dan Skelton’s L’Eau Du Sud worth considering. He has jumped well on all four starts this season and Majborough took a while to get into his rhythm despite winning at Grade One level at Leopardstown last month. Skelton is also confident about his horse’s chances, so he could spring a surprise here.
However, I feel Majborough will probably still be too strong.
Tip: Majborough
The Mares’ Hurdle (15:20) – Preview and Tips
Lossiemouth has been moved from the Champion Hurdle to the Mares’ Hurdle and should comfortably see off the other contenders here. This is despite her defeat to Constitution Hill back in December, as well as a fall at the Dublin Racing Festival marring her preparation.
Willie Mullins’ mare may be odds-on favourite, but that’s not to say there will be no competition. Another Mullins horse, Jade De Grugy, could offer a stiff test, having won three of four starts over the jumps last season. Her only defeat was in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the 2024 Cheltenham meeting, where she finished fourth, four lengths behind winner Golden Ace (and two and a quarter lengths behind runner-up Brighterdaysahead).
A Grade One win at Fairyhouse two weeks later cemented her rise to prominence while she goes into this race off the back of a six-length win in the Quevega Mares Hurdle at Punchestown last month. If Lossiemouth has an off day then Jade De Grugy looks poised to pounce.
Another decent option could be Nicky Henderson’s Joyeuse, who is attracting significant interest after winning the William Hill Hurdle (Premier Handicap) at Newbury last month.
Despite this, if Lossiemouth is anywhere near her best, she should win this one easily.
