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Cheltenham Day 2 Tips - Free tips through the card on Ladies' Day
- Free tips through the card on day two of the Cheltenham Festival
- The Champion Chase headlines the action at Cheltenham on Wednesday 12th March
- Galvin, Quilixios and The King Of Prs feature in our day two selections
Expired
Harry Skelton riding The New Lion (black) clear the last to win The Coral Challow Novices' Hurdle at Newbury. (Getty)
- 1:20pm Cheltenham - Turners Novices' Hurdle Tips
- 2:00pm Cheltenham - Brown Advisory Novices' Chase Tips
- 2:40pm Cheltenham - Coral Cup Tips
- 3:20pm Cheltenham - Cross Country Handicap Chase Tips
- 4:00pm Cheltenham - Champion Chase Tips
- Live Stream
- 4:40pm Cheltenham - Grand Annual Handicap Chase Tips
- 5:20pm Cheltenham - Champion Bumper Tips
Cheltenham 2025 Day 2 Tips
The Cheltenham Festival excitement rolls into Wednesday this week and another capacity crowd is expected on Ladies' Day.
The Queen Mother Champion Chase has been pushed back to the main event slot at 4:00pm. Wednesday's card opens with two excellent Grade One races, with the Cross County Handicap Chase now leading into Wednesday's Championship race.
Here are our free tips for all seven races on day two of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival.
Cheltenham Day 2 Card
| Time | Wednesday Races | Status | Distance |
| 13:20 | Turners Novices' Hurdle | Grade One | 2m 5f |
| 14:00 | Brown Advisory Novices' Chase | Grade One | 3m |
| 14:40 | Coral Cup | Grade Three Handicap | 2m 5f |
| 15:20 | Cross Country Chase | Class Two Handicap | 3m 6f |
| 16:00 | Champion Chase | Grade One | 2m |
| 16:40 | Grand Annual Chase | Grade Three Handicap | 2m |
| 17:20 | Champion Bumper | Grade One | 2m |
Cheltenham Festival Day 2 Tips
1:20pm Cheltenham - Turners Novices' Hurdle Tips
The day two clash that we were all hoping for has been confirmed, as three seasonal Grade One winners take each-other on for the first time.
I have great respect for Final Demand and can't wait to see him jump fences next season. If he were running in the Albert Bartlett, I wouldn't side with him. Yet, that Nathaniel Lacy race he won looked like an awful race to me. While some rain is now due on day two, he would want the ground to be much softer than it is.
On decent ground, THE NEW LION (15/8) could prove extremely hard to beat. Dan Skelton's star thrashed a decent rival in Belliano when making a winning hurdles debut at Chepstow. The New Lion was then a little workmanlike when following up at Newbury, but the runner-up that day has since won the Sidney Banks and the third and fourth are unbeaten in three starts between them since.
JP McManus' purchase has to reverse the curse of the Challow Hurdle, which hasn't produced a Cheltenham Festival winner this century. Yet, the way in which Harry Skelton's mount won that Grade One smacked of superstar quality and Dan couldn't have been more complimentary about The New Lion in his pre-Cheltenham stable tour. They think he's a Champion Hurdle horse for next season.
SIXMILEBRIDGE (16/1) is interesting from an each-way standpoint. Fergal O'Brien's star was well-beaten in last year's Champion Bumper, but he seemed to relish the track when beating Potters Charm on Trials Day. Ben Pauling thought plenty of this young horse last season and he's done nothing but progress since joining Fergal. If you wait until the day of the race, you might even get bigger than 16s.
Turners Novices' Hurdle 2025 Tips
- Best Bet - The New Lion (15/8)
- Value Bet - Sixmilebridge (16/1)
2:00pm Cheltenham - Brown Advisory Novices' Chase Tips
Ballyburn is the most talented horse in this Grade One. Willie Mullins' seven-year-old was brilliant in the Turners Novices' Hurdle last year and his victory at the Dublin Racing Festival gets better with every viewing. He'll go off odds-on and, probably, win.
Better Days Ahead hasn't impressed me all that much. Dancing City is a real, old-fashioned staying chaser, who will serve it up to the market leader. However, I'd always favour the horse that Paul Townend rides in Grade Ones at the Festival and the prospect of good-to-soft ground favours the speedier Ballyburn over Dancing City.
I do have a bit of a soft spot for STELLAR STORY (14/1), who I backed when he won the Albert Bartlett 12 months ago. Gordon Elliott's star beat two experienced stablemates in the Florida Pearl on his chasing debut, before again showing a clear dislike for Leopardstown when finishing a distant fourth behind Croke Park over Christmas.
Around a more suitable track in Navan, Stellar Story jumped well and showed tremendous battling qualities when finishing just a neck behind Better Days Ahead in the Ten Up. Elliott's second-string was giving the 1/2 favourite five pounds at the weights that day too, yet, Better Days Ahead is less than half of Stellar Story's price.
Elliott's eight-year-old relished the uphill climb for home when reeling in The Jukebox Man in the Albert Bartlett. The Old course may not suit this hardy stayer as well as the New one did last year, but this race should be right up Stellar Story's street and he offers each-way value, despite there only being two paid places up for grabs.
Brown Advisory 2025 Tips
- Most Likely Winner - Ballyburn (6/5)
- Value Bet - Stellar Story (14/1)
2:40pm Cheltenham - Coral Cup Tips
I backed Comfort Zone at 20/1 ante-post for this year's Coral Cup and I'm not surprised to see that he's shortened considerably in the betting. I wouldn't be keen to back anything at single-figures for a race as volatile as the Coral Cup, but I'll certainly be cheering Mark Walsh's mount home if they're in a position to challenge.
I shortlisted JIPCOT (25/1) for the Pertemps Final at the ante-post stage, and I fancy he'll run well here after sneaking in at the bottom of the weights. Kielan Woods' mount bolted up on his first start over two-and-a-half miles at Newbury in December, thrashing some decent handicappers like Mr Hope Street and Mr Bramley.
On his first start over three miles, Jipcot attempted to win from the rear at Windsor - something that has proven impossible this term - and his late challenge came up two lengths short. Jonjo & AJ O'Neill's gelding then travelled nicely into the Pertemps qualifier at Haydock last month, but when it became clear One Big Bang had flown the nest, Woods wasn't overly harsh on his mount late on, allowing him to coast home in fourth.
Ben Pauling thought enough of Jipcot to run him in the Triumph Hurdle in 2023 and he's done nothing but progress since being stepped up in distance by Jonjo & AJ O'Neill. A mark of 131 is by no means this horse's ceiling.
An Irish challenger worth watching at a big price is EAGLE FANG (25/1), who won hurdles races either side of a poor effort in last year's Fred Winter. William Durkan's five-year-old returned to action this season with a solid second to Aspire Tower at Punchestown, a performance that persuaded Durkan to set his sights on bigger targets.
Eagle Fang then travelled nicely into the Lismullen Hurdle at Navan, before fading a little as Home By The Lee saw off Bob Olinger. Oakley Brown was then forced to take a horrible wide trip in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot in December, which eventually took it's toll as Eagle Fang was beaten nine lengths back in seventh.
Brown wasn't able to make the most of his five-pound claim in either of those top Graded races, but that'll come back into effect on Wednesday, leaving Eagle Fang shouldering 11-3. Last year's juveniles were a very good bunch and Eagle Fang's form this season shouldn't be underestimated.
Coral Cup 2025 Tips
- Ante-Post Selection - Comfort Zone (8/1)
- Value Bet 1 - Jipcot (25/1)
- Value Bet 2 - Eagle Fang (25/1)
3:20pm Cheltenham - Cross Country Handicap Chase Tips
Stumptown's cosy victory here at Cheltenham in the Crystal Cup didn't go unmissed by the British handicapper. Gavin Cromwell's raider was slapped with an eight-pound rating hike, meaning Stumptown will have to carry a top-weight of 11-10 in this handicap contest.
GALVIN (4/1) won the National Hunt Chase and the Savills Chase in 2021, and was narrowly beaten by Delta Work in this race two years ago, where the soft ground would have suited his ill-fated stablemate better.
After last year's renewal of the Cross Country was cancelled, Galvin placed fourth in the Grand National behind I Am Maximus. Elliott's 11-year-old has only run once since then, suffering a narrow defeat in the American version of the Grand National at Far Hills in October.
Galvin is always at his best when fresh and the British handicapper has rated him one pound lower than his mark in last year's Grand National. The more good there is in the going description on day two of the Cheltenham Festival, the more I'll fancy Galvin's chances.
THE GOFFER (16/1) has also shown a clear liking for nicer ground and good late gains to finish seventh behind Stumptown as he made his Cross Country debut in the Crystal Cup. Gordon Elliott's charge was the beaten favourite in last year's Ultima and has hardly done anything since, but he's much better off at the weights for his second crack at this discipline and the brilliant Sean Bowen has been booked to ride. I'd be hopeful of getting much better than 16/1 on the day of the race.
Cross County Chase 2025 Tips
- Best Bet - Galvin (4/1)
- Value Bet - The Goffer (16/1)
4:00pm Cheltenham - Champion Chase Tips
Jonbon is a sensational two-mile chaser and you'd be hard-pushed to find anyone who didn't agree that his career deserves a Cheltenham Festival victory. Around Sandown and Ascot, Nicky Henderson's star is simply magnificent. However, Nico De Boinville's mount has never produced his best form around Cheltenham and he'll have to be at his very best to win the Champion Chase.
Johnny Dineen stole my thunder somewhat when putting him up on Upping The Ante, but I picked out QUILIXIOS (28/1) as an overpriced contender in my ante-post Champion Chase guide.
Henry De Bromhead's star came in for significant support ahead of last year's Arkle Challenge Trophy, but the race couldn't have gone any worse. Rachael Blackmore was caught out by the false start and handed the field an early lead. Quilixios was then badly hampered by a faller at the second flight and, although he managed to work his way into contention down the back straight, the tank emptied rapidly in the closing stages.
De Bromhead's eight-year-old kicked this season off with an eight-length demolition of Marine Nationale in the Barberstown Castle Chase, before finishing second to Jonbon in the Tingle Creek - where he was sent off as the 15/2 second-favourite. Quilixios then finished a distant fourth on his prep-run for the Festival in the Dublin Chase, which came at a time when Henry's horses were woefully out of form and he was found to be lame afterwards.
Quilixios is a former Cheltenham Festival winner, having struck in the 2021 Triumph Hurdle. The Champion Chase has seen plenty of shock results in recent years and several of those have been caused by Henry De Bromhead horses. For me, he's the value selection against Jonbon.
Champion Chase 2025 Tips
- Value Bet - Quilixios (28/1)
Live Stream
Visit our Champion Chase Live Stream page if you want to watch any race on day two of the Cheltenham Festival via a mobile or tablet.
4:40pm Cheltenham - Grand Annual Handicap Chase Tips
Unlike the Coral Cup, I have no trouble backing one of the short-priced runners in this handicap chase and I'm keen to keep my ante-post Grand Annual selection, THE KING OF PRS (7/1) on-side.
Gavin Cromwell's raider was given a rating of 132 going into this race 12 months ago, despite a couple of poor efforts leading into Cheltenham. Sean Flanagan's mount was a big drifter on the day and didn't take to the first-time cheekpieces, jumping poorly before eventually falling two from home.
Cromwell's seven-year-old has done nothing but progress during his second season over fences. The King Of Prs ran well in defeat behind The Folkes Tiara and An Pean Dearg on his first two starts, before running out a comfortable winner of the Dan & Joan Memorial Handicap Chase at Fairyhouse, where Conor Stone-Walsh's claimer reduced his burden to just 9-13.
Despite completely contrasting form to 12 months ago, the British handicapper thinks The King Of Prs has only improved six pounds, after handing him a mark of 138. The talented Stone-Walsh keeps his spot in the saddle, reducing The King Of Prs' burden to just 10-7.
At a massive price, NELLS SON (40/1) catches my eye. Nicky Richards' star might be a ten-year-old, but he registered two impressive victories earlier in the season, beating Unexpected Party and Matata in two valuable races.
Danny McMenamin's mount does have some Cheltenham Festival form to his name, having finished eighth as Langer Dan won his first Coral Cup, and we've seen nine, ten and even 12-year-olds claim victory in the Grand Annual in recent years.
Grand Annual 2025 Tips
- Best Bet - The King Of Prs (7/1)
- Value Bet - Nells Son (40/1)
5:20pm Cheltenham - Champion Bumper Tips
Copacabana and Gameofinches have been extremely popular in the Champion Bumper betting since their impressive winning debuts. Both are lacking in experience, though, and if Kalypso'chance or Bambino Fever were to drift out to a double-figure price on the day, I'd be very tempted with an each-way bet on either.
I'm going to take Dan Skelton's word that FORTUNE DE MER (20/1) was well undercooked when beaten at 10/11 on his prep-run at Huntingdon. Skelton's star has run at Cheltenham twice prior to that outing, finishing second to Block Rockin Beats in October before reversing that form to claim Listed glory at the November Meeting.
Usually, it's the horse who gets racing last that finishes best in the Champion Bumper. Fortune De Mer is a strong traveller who likes to come from the rear of the field. Skelton has been busy prepping his five-year-old for this race since his defeat at Huntingdon and the vibes coming out of the stable are strong.
Champion Bumper 2025 Tips
- Value Bet - Fortune De Mer (20/1)
Verdict
Cheltenham Festival 2025 Day 2 Top Tips:
The New Lion
1:20pm Cheltenham
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Galvin
3:20pm Cheltenham
@4/1 - 5 Units
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The King Of Prs
4:40pm Cheltenham
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Quilixios
4:00pm Cheltenham
@28/1 - 5 Units
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