The first ITV Racing broadcast of 2025 brings us four races from Cheltenham’s New Year’s Day meeting highlighted by the Grade 2 Relkeel Hurdle, plus a pair of lively handicaps from Musselburgh.
Prestbury Park is under the microscope for all three of our selections as we bid to get proceedings underway with some winners. They include a backable favourite to get the ball rolling, a handicapper spot-on after a recent tune-up and a graded hurdler going places.
ITV Racing Tips – New Year’s Day
1.30 Cheltenham – Broadway Boy to win @ 11/10
2.05 Cheltenham – Lounge Lizard @ 10/1
3.15 Cheltenham – Lucky Place @ 7/2
Bet on the latest horse racing odds at Betzone
Twisters’ consistent chaser to gain Coral Gold Cup recompense
Nigel Twiston-Davies’ admirably consistent chaser BROADWAY BOY found only our selection the Kandoo Kid too good in last month’s Coral Gold Cup at Newbury. He is reasonably priced at X/X to get back to winning ways in the Betfair Handicap Chase (1.30).
That Newbury race is working out nicely, with Victorino – five and a half lengths back in third – landing the Class 1 Howden Silver Cup off the same mark three weeks later, while the fifth Henry’s Friend landed the Class 2 Mandarin Chase off 1lb lower at the weekend.
The selection is up just 2lbs for that fine silver medal effort and, with his yard in fine form having saddled five winners from their past 24 runners at the time of writing, he can land his fourth win in six runs at Cheltenham.
Tip: 1.30 Cheltenham – Broadway Boy to win @ 11/10
Prep-run should have Lizard spot-on for in-form Daly operation
There’s little hope of any improvement in the forecast soft ground at Prestbury Park with hardy racegoers expected to contend with 16mm of rain over the course of New Year’s Day morning and afternoon.
That’ll be a hindrance to some runners in the Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase (2.05), including favourite Gemirand, whose consecutive handicap wins this term have come on good and good to soft respectively. Other contenders unlikely to enjoy the cut include Marble Sands and Lismanult Lad.
More at home on soft going that could get worse, outsiders Seddon and LOUNGE LIZARD both appeal, with preference for the latter. Seddon is only rated 1lb higher than when he won the Plate at the 2022 Festival, but his long-time partner Ben Harvey has long since ridden out the 5lb claim he had back then.
Lounge Lizard, on the other hand, is rated only 5lbs higher than when a close second to Ga Law in the Paddy Power Cheltenham Countdown Podcast Handicap Chase over course and distance last January when. He did well to secure the runner-up reward having made a couple of significant mistakes.v
Trainer Henry Daly has saddled an impressive four winners from his last 10 runners so the yard is in form and the selection should be cherry ripe after running well for a long way in his seasonal pipe-opener at Carlisle a fortnight or so ago.
Tip: 2.05 Cheltenham – Lounge Lizard @ 10/1
Lucky can cement Stayers’ credentials with win under a penalty
The presence of handicapper’s nightmare Langer Dan adds an intriguing angle to the Relkeel Hurdle (3.15). His BHA mark puts him 11lbs clear of the field, suggesting he should trounce the opposition if doing himself justice.
However, even though no amount of poor runs will be enough to get the 160-rated hurdler well handicapped for Cheltenham this term, trainer Dan Skelton’s assertion that the horse is simply a better animal in spring is enough to swerve him on this occasion.
He’s opposed with Nicky Henderson’s LUCKY PLACE, who is taken to confirm the superiority he showed over Dawn Run Novices’ Hurdle winner Golden Ace when landing last month’s Ascot Hurdle.
Jeremy Scott was keen to play down his mare’s chances that day, suggesting she’d come on plenty for the run, but the same can likely be expected from Henderson’s hurdler, who finished only a quarter of a length behind that rival last term with the pair race-fit despite conceding her a stone in weight.
Lucky Place will run with a Grade 2 penalty for his Ascot victory here, but still has an easier task at the weights than on that occasion, with Golden Ace receiving 10lbs from the selection.
