At the time of writing, we are at the halfway stage of the week, so it seems like a good time to put up my Cheltenham Festival 2025 Day 4 Tips.
The New Lion delivering in the Turners was nice as he was one of my stronger bets of the week, but it all went a bit downhill from there. Anticlimactic!
Hopefully, we can continue to stay ahead in the final two days.
Let’s roll onto my Gold Cup Day selections.
Cheltenham Festival 2025 Day 4 Tips
JCB Triumph Hurdle (1:20, Friday) – East India Dock @ 2/1 with Betfred – 2pt Win
East India Dock or Lulamba. Messi or Ronaldo. Federer or Nadal.
Three big sporting duels ranked in order of importance, and in this year’s Triumph Hurdle, East India Dock gets my strong vote.
There is an argument to suggest Hello Neighbour, Lady Vega Allen, and Gibbs Island are slightly underappreciated in the Triumph, but that’s because the front two in the market look like really nice unexposed horses.
Alas, James Owen’s four-year-old is my pick having shown so much ability over hurdles this season. He looks to have the ability of his talented older brother Burdett Road, though he doesn’t have his hyperactive tendencies.
He’s proven he has speed by winning on the Old course, he’s proven himself to stay the course and distance stamina test of the New course, and drying ground will suit his Flat breeding.
Furthermore, although Lulamba clearly looks smart, my feeling is that Henderson has been slightly windy about him all season.
He has ability, of course, but the boss of Seven Barrows isn’t waxing lyrical about him.
I think East India Dock is definitely the horse to beat in the Triumph, and any price north of 2/1 is very fair.
William Hill County Hurdle (2:00, Friday) – Valgrand @ 15/2 with William Hill (5 places) – 1pt EW
The lack of Kopeck De Mee boosts the chances of a few in the County Hurdle, and one of them is Valgrand.
Having not really fancied him in the lead-up to the Festival, I’ve come around to the idea that he is a well-handicapped horse off 134 considering he got himself all the way up to a rating of 140 in November.
As Dan Skelton does, he’s worked his magic to get him down 6lbs in three runs, starting with a fine effort behind Potters Charm in November.
He jumped very well that day, better than Potters Charm, but he didn’t stay the trip. Fine.
He was then buried at the December meeting when beaten by Mirabad and the same occurred at Kempton at Christmas.
Skelton seems confident that he is coming back to himself, and his bumper form alongside Tripoli Flyer, Good And Clever, and No Questions Asked is working out well.
He gets the vote.
William Hill County Hurdle (2:00, Friday) – Hansard @ 18/1 with Betfred (5 places) – 1pt EW
However, I want to cover Hansard in the County Hurdle because he is very interesting.
He got 2lbs for finishing third in the Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton last month, but amazingly, the race has produced the 1-2 in the Champion Hurdle with Golden Ace and Burdett Road.
I’m not using that form literally, but his performance suggested that he is slowly getting back to his best, and his best is very good.
He won the Gerry Feilden in 2023 off 138 when beating Brentford Hope (who improved 15lbs subsequently) and Our Champ (who has improved 7lbs since).
He then ran a big race behind Luccia, 3rd in the Champion Hurdle since, Impose Toi, a subsequent Newbury winner, and Altobelli, a horse who’s improved 15lbs since, in the 2023 Betfair Exchange Trophy at Ascot.
He should appreciate this sounder surface, and his form looks rock solid. This has been the plan, so I’ll back him.
Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase (2:40, Friday) – Brides Hill @ 6/1 with William Hill (3 places) – 1pt EW
I’m concerned that Brides Hill is as short as 5/1 in places for the Mares’ Chase as I considered her as an ‘under the radar’ contender a few days ago.
Considering she was 20/1 at the end of February, she has certainly come in by a few points over the last few weeks, but she is still my fancy for the race.
It’s no secret how much I like this mare; she was one of my biggest ante-post positions for last year’s race.
She didn’t run because of the ground, but she should get her conditions this year, or at least good to soft ground.
She’s been beaten on her two starts this season, but she started the season late and I imagine both races were to get her spot on for this.
Hopefully, that is the case, because if the same Brides Hill that bolted up at the Punchestown Festival last season turns up, this will be no contest.
She made that field of Instit and Allegorie De Vassy look very, very average, and her success at Huntingdon in January 2024 also showed good potential.
Keith Donoghue keeps the ride, so she is my pick.
Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (3:20, Friday) – The Big Westerner @ 8/1 (ante-post)
The Albert Bartlett sees another one of my ante-post tips come to the fore with The Big Westerner.
She’s 4/1 now, we tipped her at 8/1 in January, so the value is there. Can’t wait for her to lose.
For my full reasoning, click here.
St. James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase (4:40, Friday) – Rocky’s Howya @ 18/1 with William Hill – 0.5pt EW
The Hunters’ Chase is actually a race I’ve managed to find success in previously. Sine Nomine was nice last year and Its On The Line placed at a big price in 2023.
I’m taking the latter on with a horse who beat him in May 2023, and that’s Rocky’s Howya.
I’m not going to claim to know the Irish point-to-point form extensively, but this nine-year-old beat the classy hunter chaser comfortably on yielding ground at Ballindenisk.
The description suggests that he won “comfortably”, but he went on to have a setback that kept him away from the track until November 2024.
He finished second to Winged Leader, who has won four races since, on his reappearance and he returned to the winners’ podium at Cragmore when putting 26 lengths between himself and the third, the former Nicky Henderson-trained City Chief.
He has the ability to win this.
Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle (5:20, Friday) – East India Express @ 12/1 with William Hill (5 places) – 0.5pt EW
East India Express isn’t the typical Martin Pipe fancy, but he must have a good chance with just a 6lb raise for his win at Kempton on Boxing Day.
He’s snuck into the bottom of the weights (number 22 of 24) and he was only given a 6lb hike for comfortably beating a fine field on King George Day. The third, Samuel Spade, won at Ascot two starts later and the seventh, Mahons Glory, won on his chasing debut for Dylan Cunha on his latest start.
Freddie Gordon doesn’t get to claim in this race, so that is duly noted, but he won very nicely at the end on a sound surface.
He’s a young, steady improver who jumps nicely and can continue to win races.
