The 2025 Cheltenham Festival is here baby! And we’re all mad excited here at PP Towers. One of the best in the business and new PP ambassador Harry Cobden is here to give us his thoughts on Day One.
You can check out Paddy’s full list of options across all markets on Cheltenham betting as the action gets underway.
Harry Cobden’s Cheltenham Day One tips
13:20 Kopek Des Bordes
14:00 Majborough
14:40 Crebilly
15:20 Lossiemouth
16:00 Constitution Hill
16:40 Puturhandstogether
17:20 Gericault Roque
13:20 Kopek Des Bordes
My ride Tutti Quanti is the outsider of the field and he’s got an extremely tough task ahead of him but I’m sure we’ll drop him in and ride him to run well. Maybe he can pick up a few pieces, but he’s certainly got his work cut out.
If I was riding one of Willie Mullins’ I’d want to be on Kopek Des Bordes. He looks like a good thing to kick the week off for punters. Of the big four I think Kopek Des Bordes could be the weakest bet, Cheltenham could get to him before the start, but I can’t really see it being an issue if I’m honest.
14:00 Majborough
I can’t see Majborough getting beat. There’s only five declared in this race but I was in Nicky Henderson’s on Monday morning and I did see Jango Baie run. He was in very good form. He seems to have loads of speed, he’s quite a keen horse and certainly not slow so he could run alright. If I’m honest I can’t see it troubling the favourite, though.
14:40 Crebilly
I’m on Stay Away Fay who’s obviously on a bit of a recovery mission and he’s been disappointing of late. He’s in good form at home but he’s a long shot. He didn’t run for a while and there was probably something amiss with him. I couldn’t tell you what that was but his run the other day wasn’t too bad. You’ve got to be in it to win it!
I really like Crebilly, some of his form is great. He didn’t show a great deal on his last run but I sometimes think that’s a good thing, coming into a handicap at Cheltenham. He could be one that just has a little bit up his sleeve.
15:20 Lossiemouth
Lossiemouth is absolutely the one to beat. I’d say Christmas came early for Paul Townend on Sunday morning with the declarations because now he doesn’t have to make the choice between her and State Man in the Champion Hurdle! If there’s one very happy man with the news of Lossiemouth going here it will be him. She looks like a penalty kick.
16:00 Constitution Hill
Constitution Hill looked phenomenal on Monday at Nicky Henderson’s. No other horse was allowed to school or be anywhere near him. Nico de Boinville schooled him on his own and he jumped great. This is a good thing. I know everyone’s going on about the sectionals with Brighterdaysahead earlier on in the season but Constitution Hill loves good ground and he’s the fastest horse in the race. Touch wood he jumps great and he’s got Nico on board which is another positive. I can’t see past him.
They’re so confident about him. Gordon Elliott has chucked in King Of Kingsfield as a pacemaker but the faster they go the easier Constitution Hill is going to beat Brighterdaysahead. He’s going to be coming down the hill on half speed, she’s going to be on the limiter and Nico’s just going to follow. Brighterdaysahead is going to lead Constitution Hill into the last, he’s going to pull him out just before and they’ll be long gone.
16:40 Puturhandstogether
I’m on Quantock Hills which is a last-minute thing due to James Bowen’s ban last weekend. I schooled him on Thursday morning for Warren Greatrex and he jumped great. The team are very confident. He’s a longish shot but in the Fred Winter anything can happen, can’t it? Mark Walsh is on Puturhandstogether. That’s a big sign so he’s worth considering.
17:20 Gericault Roque
I should have won on Herakles Westwood at Ayr last season but I gave him a terrible ride and got beat. I’m surprised the owner and Warren have let me back on him but he’s certainly not badly handicapped, he’s a class horse and he felt and schooled great on Thursday morning.
The team’s pretty positive, whether he’s good enough to win I’m not sure but I think he’ll run well. The trip will be no issue whatsoever. He didn’t run his race last time so we’ll put a line through that but, before that, all his runs were pretty good.
If there’s one horse I do fancy a bit it’s Gericault Roque, David Pipe’s horse. He ran in this race a few years ago and went very well. His comeback run at Windsor was pretty good and David knows to ready one for a big day. I think he’s got a big chance.
Harry Cobden’s Cheltenham Day One tips
13:20 Kopek Des Bordes
14:00 Majborough
14:40 Crebilly
15:20 Lossiemouth
16:00 Constitution Hill
16:40 Puturhandstogether
17:20 Gericault Roque
Read More
- Paddy’s Eliminator! Our new free-to-play horse-racing game ahead of the Cheltenham Festival
- Cheltenham Tips: Timeform’s 4 handicappers for the Festival
- Who will be the top trainer at the Cheltenham Festival? Odds for 2025
- Who will be the top jockey at the Cheltenham Festival? Odds for 2025
- When is the Cheltenham Festival 2025? Dates for this year’s mega meeting
- Cheltenham Festival race times and schedule for 2025 meeting
THE PADDY POWER GUIDE TO SAFER GAMBLING – EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
