Giddy up! The 2025 Cheltenham Festival is well under way and we’re already champing at the bit to get going with day 2 on Wednesday.
Who better, then, than the Festival’s winning-most jockey and Paddy Power ambassador Ruby Walsh to run the rule over March 12th’s action? Abso-bleedin-lutely no-one. That’s who.
We’ve rounded up the GOAT’s calls for Coral Cup day in one handy place and even knocked together one of Paddy’s legendary cheat sheets as we look to keep the good times rolling. So, what are you on today, Ruby?
Ruby Walsh’s Wednesday Cheltenham Tips
13:20 Final Demand
14:00 Ballyburn
14:40 Bunting
15:20 Vanillier
16:00 Jonbon
16:40 Third Time Lucki (each-way)
17:20 Copacabana (NAP)
*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 Final Demand
FINAL DEMAND is a very good horse. He jumped brilliantly at Limerick and brought that to a whole new level at the Dublin Racing Festival. He travelled really well and his jumping was rock solid. His form overall is more solid than The New Lion’s. If Paul Townend is positive on him then he’ll be hard to beat. The Yellow Clay is a bigger danger than The New Lion.
14:00 Ballyburn
BALLYBURN’s jumping has improved throughout the season. He’s the best horse in the race but I wouldn’t rule out the outsiders. There may only be seven of them but it’s a really decent race. I can’t get away from Ballyburn being the best horse.
14:40 Bunting
The Coral Cup is not a race I’d be mad keen on because it’s one of those handicaps you need a lot of luck – and I hate races you need luck! Be Aware sticks out for the Skeltons and they are really positive about him. I like Bunting, but I wouldn’t rule out Jimmy Du Seuil. It’s more a race for the Eliminator than trying to find the winner. I wouldn’t put you off BUNTING, but it’s a race I could never figure out
15:20 Vanillier
I’ve been all over VANILLIER for a while. He’s the one for me in the Cross Country Chase. Galvin is a bigger danger at the weights than Stumpton. Gavin Cromwell and Keith Donoghue are keen on Stumpton but I’m not listening, I’m still going with Vanillier.
16:00 Jonbon
JONBON, all day, every day. He comes here on an upward curve and I hope he wins. He’s a brilliant horse and I hope he gets the credit he deserves. He’s an absolute good thing.
16:40 Third Time Lucki (each-way)
Last year’s winner Unexpected Party has a massive chance again. THIRD TIME LUCKI ran well enough on his first run for Fergal O’Brien’s yard, he’s dropped enough in the weights and he’s an each-way poke.
17:20 Copacabana (NAP)
Bambino Fever surprised up a bit at Leopardstown. She’s a pretty good mare. We’ve only had Aqua Force a couple of weeks. Gameofinches came to us after winning a point-to-point in November, so we didn’t have him in the yard until a couple of weeks after that. He had been trained to win that, so he’s a very lean horse.
He’s not difficult to train, but you can’t train them like one you’ve had through pre-season, and you’re building through the year. COPACABANA is that horse. He’s been in the routine for a long time. I was impressed with him at Navan. I put him up after that and I haven’t changed my mind. He’s the one.
Cheltenham Day 2 tips
13:20 Final Demand
14:00 Ballyburn
14:40 Bunting
15:20 Vanillier
16:00 Jonbon
16:40 Third Time Lucki (each-way)
17:20 Copacabana (NAP)
*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.
More on Cheltenham 2025
- Cheltenham Tips: Timeform’s 4 handicappers for the Festival
- Horse Racing News: David Power Jockeys’ Cup standings for 2024/25 competition
- 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
- Cheltenham Festival: Brighterdaysahead ‘in the same mould’ as Dawn Run
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