It’s the mooooooost wonderful time of the year! The 2025 Cheltenham Festival is under starter’s orders, and we’re champing at the bit ahead of the big off at Prestbury Park on Tuesday.
Who better, then, than the Festival’s winning-most jockey and Paddy Power ambassador, Ruby Walsh, to run the rule over the opening day’s action? No one. That’s who.
We’ve rounded up the GOAT’s calls for Tuesday 11th of March in one handy place and even knocked together one of Paddy’s legendary cheat sheets as we look to kick off the Festival in style. So, what are you backing, Ruby?
Ruby Walsh’s Tuesday Cheltenham Tips
13:20 Kopek des Bordes
14:00 Majborough
14:40 Whistle Stop Tour
15:20 Lossiemouth
16:00 Brighterdaysahead
16:40 Beyond Your Dreams
17:20 Resplendent Grey
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
13:20 Kopek des Bordes
KOPEK DES BORDES has been doing everything really well at home since winning at the Dublin Racing Festival. I thought there’d be more runners in the Festival opener, but with Workahead and Romeo Coolio in here, there should be a strong pace from the start. It’s hard to get away from Kopek des Bordes as the likely winner.
14:00 Majborough
MAJBOROUGH should win, and I won’t oppose him. However, if you wanted one to chase him home then Touch Me Not could be one for the forecast or the ‘betting without’ market.
14:40 Whistle Stop Tour
I liked Broadway Boy but his last run disappointed me. WHISTLE STOP TOUR will be better suited by the step up in trip to 3m 1f so I’ll side with him.
15:20 Lossiemouth
The hope was that LOSSIEMOUTH would turn into a Champion Hurdle horse, but she hasn’t really proven it, so this looked the obvious option. I think she’ll win but it looks a stronger race than last year. Kala Conti shouldn’t be discounted.
16:00 Brighterdaysahead
State Man worked really well in cheekpieces this week, so they stay on. He’ll have to put in a career-best run to beat Constitution Hill, and I’m not sure State Man is as good as he was. I’ve been with BRIGHTERDAYSAHEAD for a while and won’t be abandoning her now.
16:40 Beyond Your Dreams
Paul Townend rides Sonny Bill, and he has a chance. Neither of Willie’s horses looks particularly well handicapped, but the drying ground will help Murcia. I fancy BEYOND YOUR DREAMS, who has the cheekpieces on, and that will sharpen up her jumping. That has been her Achilles heel so far. She has a great chance.
17:20 Resplendent Grey
A couple of the Irish challengers, like Captain Cody and Now Is The Hour, have their chance, but I like the English challenger, RESPLENDENT GREY, for Sean Bowen and trainer Olly Murphy. He appears to be dropping in grade, will stay the 3m 5f trip well and looks a player.
Cheltenham Day 1 tips
13:20 Kopek des Bordes
14:00 Majborough
14:40 Whistle Stop Tour
15:20 Lossiemouth
16:00 Brighterdaysahead
16:40 Beyond Your Dreams
17:20 Resplendent Grey
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
Read More on Cheltenham 2025
- 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
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