We are now less than 3 weeks away from the start of The Cheltenham Festival and the pinnacle of the horse racing jumps calendar. The festival is host to an electrifying 4 days of racing, and this year it kicks off on Tuesday 11/03/2025. So let's take a quick look at what the first day has in store for us.
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13:20 - Supreme Novices' Hurdle
This is a Grade 1 race for novice hurdlers, often featuring some of the most promising young talent around. It is for horses aged 4yo+ and run over 2m 87y. In a race dominated by the Irish, this year's favourite is Kopek Des Bordes (4/5), trained by Willie Mullins, who is currently unbeaten over the 2m trip. This will be his first race outside of Ireland.
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14:00 - The Arkle
Now over fences, this race puts the young steeplechasers to the test over a short 2m trip. Another Grade 1, this is a title for the speediest young chaser. This year's favourite is the 2024 Triumph Hurdle winner, Majborough (4/7) who made a magnificent chasing debut at Fairyhouse in December, and followed this up with another convincing win in the Irish Arkle earlier this month. He should be hard to beat.
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14:40 - Ultima Handicap Steeplechase
This is the first handicap of the Cheltenham Festival and is open to horses aged 5 years or older. It is run over a 3m 1f trip and is always a stiff test. This is one of the few festival races that the British tend to dominate. Some of the favourites for this year's contest include Masaccio (7/1), Crebilly (9/1) and Lowry's Bar (9/1).
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15:20 - Mares' Hurdle
This is a Grade 1 race restricted to the girls, and run over 2m 4f. The current strong favourite is Brighterdaysahead (1/2), closely followed in the market by Lossiemouth (5/4). However, it is still to be confirmed if these horses will be redirected to have a go at Constitution Hill in the Champion Hurdle. Brighterdaysahead has won 9 of her 10 career starts and has been taking her form to the next level this season.
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16:00 - Champion Hurdle
The Champion Hurdle is arguably the most prestigious hurdle race in the world and is a contest featuring the most talented hurdlers. Horses are aged 4yo+ and the race is run over 2m. Previous winners of this race include some of the sports' most famous alumni, including Faugheen, Honeysuckle, and Constitution Hill. This year's favourite is the 2023 winner Constitution Hill (4/7) who will be looking to make up for missing out on last year's festival. Constitution Hill is unbeaten from 10 starts, with 3 Cheltenham wins to his name.
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16:40 - Juvenile Handicap Hurdle
This is a 2m Group 3 race and is exclusively for 4yo horses. The favourites for this year's contest are Stencil (6/1), Lady Vega Allen (8/1) and Willy De Houelle (8/1). Another race where the Irish has a strong hand.
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17:30 - National Hunt Chase
The National Hunt Chase gives the amateur riders a chance to strut their stuff over a gruelling 3m 6f trip. There are plenty of well fancied horses in the race, with Now Is The Hour (3/1), Haiti Couleurs (5/1) and Will Do (6/1) currently topping the market.