*Paddy Power is now Non Runner Money Back for the 2025 Cheltenham Festival. That means that if your selection does not line up in the race you back it in for any reason – you will now get your stake back. TC’s apply.
*Paddy also has the more traditional ante-post market where you will lose your stake if your selection doesn’t run in the race for whatever reason.
Paddy Power Media’s ‘From The Horse’s Mouth’ podcast ‘Cheltenham Countdown’ is back as host Tom Nugent picks the brains of well-known journalist and broadcaster Rory Delargy, and jockey and son of the festival’s most successful trainer Willie Mullins, Patrick Mullins for their Cheltenham betting tips.
In the sixth episode of this year’s series, the gang looked at the Brown Advisory ahead of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival.
RORY DELARGY
The Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase this year is certainly a better race, because the Turners Novices Chase has been taken off the roster. If we had that 2m 4f contest still, then Ballyburn would be going for that contest, because he’s clearly got the speed for 2m 4f.
The slight concern now with Ballyburn is that he doesn’t have experience over 3m. He’s got the pedigree, as most of his siblings are 3m chasers, but he did go from 2m to 2m 4f and he ran free enough.
He can lean on his rider, which probably makes it a little bit harder for him to settle, until he gets into a jumping rhythm. It would have been a lot easier to put him in a 2m 4f race and have Dancing City, a proper stayer, in the 3m contest, so the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase is definitely a deeper contest as a result of the Turners Chase going by the wayside.
Fences
I don’t know how big the field will be, maybe 10, but there’s a lot of strength at the top. Willie’s got three decent horses – Ballyburn, Dancing City and Lecky Watson – and Gordon’s also got three – Better Days Ahead, Croke Park and Stellar Story. I don’t fancy an awful lot behind that.
Nicky Henderson’s potential runner, Jango Baie, is not one I’m in love with.
Lecky Watson is a horse I’ve loved since day one. He was a decent bumper performer and a decent novice hurdler, but he was learning on the job. I’ve always been waiting for him to go over fences.
You can knock the form he’s shown so far, as both wins have been over 2m 4f and his jumping wasn’t terrific at Punchestown last time. I’ve backed him ante-post for this and I like him still. You’d want to get a decent price based on the collateral form now though.
I’d be inclined to wait until Wednesday to play the race, to be perfectly honest, but if I had to back one at this stage, I’d be backing Croke Park each-way.
Value
As I’ve said many times before, horses who are beaten in their prep runs tend to automatically be swept aside by punters as they are looking for horses that have won. Croke Park was put in his place at the Dublin Racing Festival by Ballyburn but I loved the way he jumped there.
He’s a really solid jumper for a novice and he’s tough. He’s won narrowly on his two previous starts in the Drinmore and the Fort Leney when just holding on from Better Days Ahead.
He was value for winning that race. Better Days Ahead is a shorter price because Croke Park’s been put in his place by Ballyburn, but I still think he represents each-way value.
*Paddy Power is now Non Runner Money Back for the 2025 Cheltenham Festival. That means that if your selection does not line up in the race you back it in for any reason – you will now get your stake back. TC’s apply.
*Paddy also has the more traditional ante-post market where you will lose your stake if your selection doesn’t run in the race for whatever reason.
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