Take nothing for granted. That has been the clear message at Cheltenham this week, starting with the monumental turn-up in the Champion Hurdle, followed by the snow from nowhere, and then Jonbon’s calamitous blunder in the Champion Chase.
Even Galopin Des Champs, the most reliable of horses and bidding for his third Gold Cup in a row, cannot be celebrated with confidence until he is home and hosed. It has been that sort of week.
The bookies have him as the 1-2 favourite, which might make him appear like a bit of a certainty, but that also means that they believe there’s a one in three chance he’ll be beaten. So don’t assume anything.
square HORSE RACING Cheltenham Festival 2025 schedule, how to watch, odds and weather forecast
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That all said, he is, on all known form (rated 9lb higher and more above the rest) and in perfect ground conditions (good to soft), impossible to oppose.
Galopin Des Champs is a wonderful horse managed by a remarkable trainer. Willie Mullins doesn’t wrap him up in cotton wool, racing him four or five times a season, and so he doesn’t always win, but he wins when it really, really matters and that means on this day for the past two years.
It’s a bit of a shame that more horses aren’t taking him on. Best Mate, who early this century was the last horse to win three Gold Cups, took on an average of 14 opponents, while Galopin Des Champs faces just eight in the afternoon.
Banbridge is likely to prove the best of them. He proved his stamina for three miles when winning the King George VI Chase at Kempton. Mind you, the final extra quarter mile at Cheltenham is a punishing climb and will expose any stamina limitations.
Grand National favourite Inothewayurthinkin, supplemented at £25k, is very interesting, having finished a respectable fourth to Galopin Des Champs in the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown last month (Monty’s Star just behind in fifth).
The Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Hurdle, introduced in 2009, has proved to be more than just a fantastic opportunity for young claiming riders to make a real mark on jump racing’s main stage, it’s also a breeding ground for top-class chasers of the future.
Which brings us back to the beginning. Mullins’ four high-class winners of this contest include Galopin Des Champs on his first visit to Cheltenham in 2021, while chief threat Banbridge won it the following year, and then the hot Grand National fancy Iroko won it the year after that.
Cheltenham 2025 tips, day four
1.20pm East India Dock 2-1 2.00pm Absurde (Each-Way) 11-2 2.40pm Dinoblue 6-5 3.20pm Derryhassen Paddy (Best Bet) 11-1 4.00pm Galopin Des Champs 4-7 4.40pm Willitgoahead 9-2 5.20pm Kopeck De Mee (Next Best) 5-2Odds correct on 13 March via Oddschecker
So, we should maybe take the hint with Mullins’ Kopeck De Mee, who makes his debut for Mullins in the finale.
Actually, it’s far more than a hint. The winner of his last three races in France, Kopeck De Mee has been shouted from Ireland’s rooftops for several weeks now and the seemingly lenient handicap rating allotted by the handicapper has only boosted confidence.
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