2025 Cheltenham Festival Tips - Five Non-Runner No Bet Selections

Jon Vine

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Last updated: Wed 29 Jan 2025 15:38

Jon Vine 29 Jan 2025

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Non-Runner No Bet tips for the 2025 Cheltenham Festival
bet365 went NRNB on all 28 Cheltenham markets this week
Fact To File, Jagwar and The Wallpark feature in our selections

onjo O'Neill Jr. riding Jagwar (R, green/gold) clear. the last to win The Timeform Novices' Handicap Chase at Cheltenham. (Getty)

NRNB Cheltenham Tips

Fact To File (Ryanair Chase)
The Wallpark (Pertemps Final)
Jagwar (Festival Plate Handicap)
Only By Night (Mares' Chase)
Transmission (National Hunt Chase)

Five horses to back in the Non-Runner No Bet markets for the 2025 Cheltenham Festival.

Bet365 became the first bookies to offer Non-Runner No Bet markets for all 28 races at the Cheltenham Festival markets this week. NRNB stipulations mean that, if you back a horse in any of bet365's Cheltenham markets and the horse you've backed doesn't run in that race, you'll get your money back in cash.

Here are five horses that offer excellent value in the NRNB markets for the 2025 Cheltenham Festival.

2025 Cheltenham Festival NRNB Tips

Fact To File (Ryanair Chase)

This year's Ryanair is completely up for grabs, but that would change if FACT TO FILE gets rerouted. Willie Mullins' star was pointed at the Gold Cup at the start of the season and will take on Galopin Des Champs for a third time in the Irish Gold Cup this weekend.

Despite beating the two-time Gold Cup winner on their reappearances in the John Durkan, Fact To File was no match for Galopin Des Champs in the Savills Chase over Christmas. Willie Mullins said after that race that Fact To File might not be a thorough stayer over the Gold Cup trip and another loss at the hands of Galopin Des Champs on Saturday could see connections target the Ryanair Chase instead.

Fact To File is a very short price in bet365's NRNB market. However, Gaelic Warrior and Il Est Francais seem destined for the Champion Chase, Banbridge will go to the Gold Cup or wait for Aintree and El Fabiolo may not be fit enough to even run at Cheltenham. Mark Walsh's mount beat Spillane's Tower in the John Durkan and should have the likes of Protektorat, Jungle Boogie and Envoi Allen covered.

The Wallpark (Pertemps Final)

Another JP McManus runner who looks set for an outing on day three of the Cheltenham Festival is THE WALLPARK. Gordon Elliott's star ran up a sequence in handicap hurdles earlier in the season, and kept on well for fourth in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot on his first start in the famous green and gold hoops.

The Wallpark has been tipped up by plenty of experts as a Stayers' Hurdle contender on the back of that display. Elliott does, however, have defending champion Teahupoo sitting happily atop the market for the Championship race on St Patrick's Day and The Wallpark is qualified for the Pertemps Final on the same day.

A mark of 152 would put Elliott's seven-year-old near the top of the weights for the Final. Future Stayers' Hurdle winner, Sire Du Berlais was also rated 152 when he won his second Pertemps off top-weight in 2020. If The Wallpark was sent down the handicap route, he would be the shortest-priced favourite for any handicap at this year's Cheltenham Festival.

Jagwar (Festival Plate Handicap)

JAGWAR shot straight to the head of the betting for the Jack Richards Novices' Handicap Chase when scoring at Cheltenham this weekend. Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero's star was a big drifter as money arrived for stablemate Billytherealbigred, but it was Jonjo O'Neill Jnr's mount who pounced after the last to claim his third victory over fences.

A new rating of 139 should be ideal for the new Novices' Handicap Chase. However, several classy Irish novices are bound to be pointed at that Grade Two, including Down Memory Lane, No Flies On Him, Waterford Whispers and Johnnywho who all, like Jagwar, run in the JP McManus silks.

Having had his fourth run over fences on Trials Day, Jagwar can enter one of the open handicaps at the Cheltenham Festival. McManus seems to have a big say on what races his horses go for and the Festival Plate could turn out to be an easier target for Jagwar, who would undoubtedly go off as the favourite for that St Patrick's Day handicap.

Only By Night (Mares' Chase)

There could be a big opportunity for a novice to triumph in this year's Mares Chase. Defending champion, Limerick Lace has endured a poor season and current favourite Dinoblue has looked out of sorts too. 2023 winner, Impervious hasn't been seen for almost two years and Allegorie De Vassy never produces her best around Cheltenham.

Gavin Cromwell's Bioluminescence has impressed since switching to fences. She, however, seems to be ready for the step up to three miles and could tackle the geldings again in the Brown Advisory. Her stablemate, ONLY BY NIGHT looks better suited to this intermediate trip and could head to the Mares' Chase after running in the Scilly Isles this weekend.

Cromwell's mare has been super-impressive on her two chase starts thus far. Only By Night had more than enough gears to dispatch a classy gelding in Mirazur West on her chasing debut, before seeing off a future Grade Two winner in Nara to win a similar race at Cork in December. Another solid showing in the Grade One at Sandown on Saturday should set Only By Night up perfectly for something like the Mares' Chase, where I'd fancy her to take down her elders.

Transmission (National Hunt Chase)

TRANSMISSION has run four times this season, with all four of his outings coming around Cheltenham. Having lost out to the classy Hyland in a Novices' Chase on his reappearance, Patrick Mullins guided Transmission to an impressive victory in the Amateur Jockey's Handicap Chase during the November Meeting.

Neil Mulholland's eight-year-old kept on from well off the pace to finish a close second to Haiti Couleurs a month later. In a bid to protect his handicap mark over fences, Transmission dropped back to hurdles on Trials Day, finishing last of the six runners as Gowel Road won the Cleeve.

Transmission has run three times over fences this season and tackled fences on his final start for Ciaran Murphy back in July of 2023. While a tilt at the Kim Muir or the Ultima is now possible, Mulholland stated earlier in the season that the National Hunt Chase was the objective and Transmission would undoubtedly go off at single figures if confirmed for that handicap.

Verdict

Cheltenham Festival 2025 NRNB Selections:

Fact To File

2025 Ryanair Chase (NRNB)

@6/4 - 5 Units

Bet £10 Get £30

with bonus code NEWBONUS

Available to new customers only. Make a qualifying deposit of £5 or more and claim the offer within 30 days of registering your account to qualify for 300% of that amount in Bet Credits, up to a maximum of £30 in Bet Credits. Once released, your Bet Credits will be held in your account balance and are non-withdrawable. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Registration required. Time limits and T&Cs apply. The bonus code NEWBONUS can be used during registration but does not change the offer amount in any way. #ad

Bet at bet365

The Wallpark

2025 Pertemps Final (NRNB)

@5/1 - 5 Units

Bet £10 Get £30

with bonus code NEWBONUS

Bet at bet365

Jagwar

2025 Festival Plate (NRNB)

@6/1 - 5 Units

Bet £10 Get £30

with bonus code NEWBONUS