Finally the first day of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival is upon us and Tuesday card has a typically punter-friendly profile with four odds-on favourites to latch on to – Kopek Des Bordes (1.20), Majborough (2.00), Lossiemouth (3.20) and Constitution Hill (4.00).
The presence of brilliant mare Brighterdaysahead in the Champion Hurdle may mean Constitution Hill is the short-priced jolly many will be most keen to take on, but we’re going against another of the big four.
Cheltenham Tuesday best bets
Nap: 1.20 – Workahead to win @ 7/1 (each-way)
NB: 2.40 – Whistle Stop Tour to win @ 10/1 (each-way)
Longshot: 5.20 – Klarc Kent to win @ 33/1 (each-way)
Bet on the latest horse racing odds at Betzone
De Bromhead challenger has upside to go close in Festival opener
Kopek Des Bordes is thoroughly deserving of his odds-on favouritism for the Michael O’Sullivan Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (1.20). The five-year-old is 9lbs clear of the field on official ratings off the back of his 13-length win the Grade 1 Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival.
However, he’s taken on by the intriguing WORKAHEAD, who makes plenty of appeal as an each-way play in a race that was down to 12 entrants by Tuesday’s declarations.
Henry De Bromhead saw enough in the five-year-old’s seven-length Boxing Day maiden win to plot a path straight to Prestbury Park and the race has worked out in a way that suggests the Waterford wizard’s is in fine order.
The well-fancied re-opposing subsequent listed winner William Munney (17/2) was seven lengths back in second that day, while the distant third Springt De La Mare and fifth Jacob’s Ladder both won their next two starts.
William Munney finished a length-and-a-half-second behind Kawaboomga in his next race, the same Kawaboomga that had gotten with two-and-three-quarter-lengths of Kopek Des Bordes in the Supreme favourite’s own Boxing Day maiden win.
Nap: 1.20 – Workahead to win @ 7/1 (each-way)
Consider Whistle whetted after Trials Day twist over inadequate trip
Lucinda Russell landed consecutive runnings of the Ultima Handicap Chase (2.40) with Grand National winner Corach Rambler and the flame haired Scottish handler has two strings to her bow in this year’s renewal WHISTLE STOP TOUR and Myretown.
On a line through Dare To Shout the latter would appear to be the better handicapped, having beaten the yardstick by nine-and-a-half-lengths in receipt of 10 lbs over 3m at Kelso in February.
Whistle Stop Tour only beat him by three-and-a-quarter lengths in receipt of 8 lbs over the same course and distance in December.
However, the selection is the choice of stable jockey and expert pilot of staying chasers Derek Fox. The go-to man for Russell in both her previous wins in the race and a dual Grand National winner to boot, it’s instructive that he opts for the selection over his stablemate.
NB: 2.40 – Whistle Stop Tour to win @ 10/1 (each-way)
Mullins inmate’s back form hints he could turn Superman over 3m6f
The National Hunt Novices’ Chase has changed much in character over the last few years. Up until recently a level-weights affair reserved for amateur jockeys and contested over 4m, it’s now a handicap the pros can ride in that’s run over 3m6f.
As the first running in this permutation it feels like the time to try something outside the box and at big prices Willie Mullins’ Klarc Kent makes each-way appeal.
Fourth in the 4m Scottish Grand National off 132 last April he’s proven he can run big in marathon handicaps. His form since has been reprehensible, but it is more interesting that he’s pitched in here in first-time cheekpieces off a 5lb lower mark.
Longshot: 5.20 – Klarc Kent to win @ 33/1 (each-way)
