Cheltenham Favourites 2025
Last Updated 20 May 2025 | By The GrandNational.org.uk StaffCheltenham favourites are always the most popular picks during the Festival. With Cheltenham 2025 week here, it’s worth getting to know the key contenders. Betting favourites often feature in special Cheltenham betting offers from top bookmakers, so having some knowledge about each can pay off!
Cheltenham Festival 2025 Winning Favourites
We’ll keep you in the loop with all the winning favourites throughout Cheltenham 2025. You can find all the Cheltenham favourites who justified their betting odds in the table below.
| Day | Race | Horse | SP* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Supreme Novices’ | Kopek des Bordes | 8/11 |
| 1 | Ultima Chase | Myretown | 13/2 |
| 1 | Mares’ Hurdle | Lossiemouth | 4/6 |
| 1 | National Hunt Chase | Haiti Couleurs | 7/2 JF |
| 2 | Cross Country Chase | Stumptown | 5/2 |
| 3 | Ryanair Chase | Fact To File | 6/4 |
| 3 | Trust-A-Trader Plate | Jagwar | 3/1 |
| 4 | County Hurdle | Kargese | 3/1 |
| 4 | Mares Steeple Chase | Dinoblue | 6/4 |
Cheltenham Gold Cup Favourites
Galopin Des Champs, a two-time Gold Cup champion, is currently the 2025 Cheltenham Gold Cup betting favourite. We’ll run you through the rest of the Gold Cup contenders and how the ante-post odds have shifted in the run-up to Cheltenham 2025.
2025 Cheltenham Gold Cup Runners
Galopin Des Champs cemented his position as the Gold Cup favourite over Christmas by winning the Savills Chase at Leopardstown. The Cheltenham Gold Cup odds shifted slightly after February’s Irish Gold Cup. Galopin Des Champs triumphed again, finishing nearly five lengths ahead of many of his potential Gold Cup rivals. He’s been the odds-on favourite to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup ever since.
The long-time second favourite Fact To File dropped out of the betting after it was confirmed he’d be running in the Ryanair Chase. That left Banbridge as the second favourite. One of this year’s Grand National favourites, Inothewayurthinkin, was a late entrant for the gold Cup. The Gavin Cromwell trained runner immediately entered at third place in the Gold Cup betting.
| Gold Cup Runners | Nov ’24 Odds | Dec ’24 Odds | Feb ’25 Odds | Latest Odds* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galopin Des Champs | 7/2 | 6/4 | 8/13 | 8/15 |
| Inothewayurthinkin | – | – | – | 15/2 |
| Banbridge | – | 33/1 | 8/1 | 15/2 |
| Montys Star | 25/1 | 20/1 | 12/1 | 11/1 |
| Corbetts Cross | 25/1 | 40/1 | 16/1 | 16/1 |
| The Real Whacker | – | 25/1 | 40/1 | 33/1 |
| Gentlemansgame | – | – | 50/1 | 40/1 |
| Ahoy Senor | – | – | 66/1 | 50/1 |
| Royale Pagaille | – | – | 50/1 | 90/1 |
*Latest odds correct at 3:55pm on 14th March 2025 and are subject to change.
Cheltenham Festival Betting Guide 2025
Many horses are set to return for another shot at the Cheltenham Festival in 2025, with previous winners often leading the ante-post markets. Galopin Des Champs, a two-time champion, is currently at the top of the 2025 Cheltenham Gold Cup betting. Unfortunately, Gerri Colombe, who finished second in last year’s race, will miss out this time due to injury.
Day 1 – Champion Hurdle 2025
The Champion Hurdle is the feature race on day one of the Cheltenham Festival. Constitution Hill, who had to miss out in 2024 due to wind surgery, returned with a dominant win in Kempton’s Christmas Hurdle. That victory has solidified the 8-year-old’s position as the favourite for the 2025 Champion Hurdle. The table below uses the current betting market to give an insight into the perceived percentage chances of the top four contenders for the 2025 Champion Hurdle.
| Champion Hurdle Runners | Winning Chance |
|---|---|
| Constitution Hill | 57.9% |
| Brighterdaysahead | 34.8% |
| State Man | 8.3% |
| Golden Ace | 2.5% |
Implied probability based on best odds on 11th March 2025. Percentages can add up to more than 100% due to bookmakers’ margin.
Day 2 – Champion Chase 2025
The Champion Chase, a top Grade 1 contest, features the best two-mile chasers in the business. It’s Jonbon who looks the one to beat. The elite runner comes to the festival in form, having won at the Cheltenham November Meeting and again at Sandown in the Tingle Creek.
| Champion Chase Runners | Winning Chance |
|---|---|
| Jonbon | 52.4% |
| Marine Nationale | 16.7% |
| Energumene | 11.8% |
| Solness | 11.1% |
| Found A Fifty | 5.9% |
Implied probability based on best odds on 12th March 2025. Percentages can add up to more than 100% due to bookmakers’ margin.
Day 3 – Ryanair Chase 2025
Day three’s most valuable race, if not the feature event, is the 2½-mile Grade 1 Ryanair Chase. Also known as the Festival Trophy, this event has raised its profile gradually over the years to become one of the most important races on the National Hunt calendar. Fact To File is the Ryanair favourite, and any doubts about which contest he’ll run in is over.
| Ryanair Chase Runners | Winning Chance |
|---|---|
| Fact To File | 36.4% |
| Il Est Francais | 23.1% |
| Protektorat | 14.3% |
| Djelo | 10.0% |
| Jungle Boogie | 6.7% |
Implied probability based on best odds on 13th March 2025. Percentages can add up to more than 100% due to bookmakers’ margin.
Day 3 – Stayers’ Hurdle 2025
Thursday’s championship event is the Stayers’ Hurdle, a three-mile slog around the New Course. Last year’s winner Teahupoo is the favourite to win the race again.
| Stayers’ Hurdle Runners | Winning Chance |
|---|---|
| Teahupoo | 35.7% |
| The Wallpark | 16.7% |
| Lucky Place | 13.3% |
| Home by the Lee | 12.5% |
| Langer Dan | 10.0% |
Implied probability based on best odds on 13th March 2025. Percentages can add up to more than 100% due to bookmakers’ margin.
Day 4 – Gold Cup 2024
This is the big one. The Cheltenham Gold Cup staged on the final day of the meeting, is the sport’s ‘Blue Riband’ event. Run over 3¼ miles of the New Course, the Gold Cup really takes some getting with only the very best able to conquer it down the years.
Galopin Des Champs certainly justified favouritism in both 2023 and 2024, and he heads the Cheltenham Gold Cup ante post market once again.
| Gold Cup Runners | Gold Cup Betting Odds | Winning Chance |
|---|---|---|
| Galopin Des Champs | 8/15 | 65.2% |
| Inothewayurthinkin | 15/2 | 11.8% |
| Banbridge | 15/2 | 11.8% |
| Monty’s Star | 11/1 | 7.7% |
| Corbett’s Cross | 16/1 | 5.9% |
Implied probability based on best odds on 14th March 2025. Percentages may add up to more than 100% due to bookmakers’ margin.
Cheltenham Favourites 2025 – Ante-Post Betting Guide
One of the key advantages of Cheltenham betting is the ability to place ante-post bets on major championship races well in advance of the Festival.
As soon as one Cheltenham Festival ends, betting sites like Paddy Power and Betfair open ante-post markets for the following year’s top races, including the Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle, and Champion Chase.
As the Festival approaches, more races become available for betting, with odds and favourites constantly shifting based on horses’ performances in the lead-up to the event.
Non-Runner, No Bet
In the weeks leading up to the Cheltenham Festival, major betting sites like Paddy Power, William Hill, Coral, and bet365 typically introduce Non-Runner No Bet (NRNB) on their ante-post markets. This means that if your selected horse doesn’t run, your stake is refunded, and the bet is voided.
Ante-post betting carries risk, as stakes are usually lost if a backed horse is withdrawn before race day. However, many bookmakers offer NRNB as a safeguard, initially covering the feature races before expanding to all 28 Cheltenham Festival races closer to the event.
Additionally, operators like Paddy Power and Betfair often provide extra places and odds boosts, giving you even more value on your Cheltenham bets.
Cheltenham Festival: Horse Racing – Cheltenham Festival – Cheltenham Racecourse, Cheltenham, Britain – March 12, 2019 Jeremiah McGrath on Beware The Bear celebrates winning the 2:50 Ultima Handicap Chase REUTERS/Eddie Keogh/Ritzau Scanpix
Cheltenham Festival Live Betting
Paddy Power and bet365 are two of the UK’s biggest bookmakers, both offering live betting on Cheltenham Festival races. This allows customers to place bets on race winners even after the race has started, with odds adjusting in real time as the action unfolds. Betting remains available until the result becomes clear.
Some bookmakers also offer place-only betting and each-way options on live races, particularly for Cheltenham favourites.
Many UK betting sites provide live streaming of Cheltenham races, though access typically requires a placed bet. Additionally, a cash-out feature is available on select bets, enabling customers to secure a profit or minimise losses before the race is over.
Cheltenham Betting Offers 2025
Most bookmakers will have extra Cheltenham Festival offers in the weeks leading up to the event – these can include faller insurance and extra place offers so it’s always best to shop around and find the best Cheltenham offers.
The welcome offers are generally matched deposit and bet bonuses. Any bonus funds can be used for betting on winners at Cheltenham. Each welcome offer is available when the Terms & Conditions are followed completely. You can check out all the best Cheltenham 2025 betting offers here.
Cheltenham Favourites Summary
The Cheltenham Festival is one of the biggest events in the betting calendar, with all major bookmakers offering ante-post markets on race winners. Customers can place win and each-way bets, with some bookmakers also providing enhanced odds on selected runners.
In the weeks leading up to the Festival, Non-Runner No Bet (NRNB) becomes a popular concession, offering added security for ante-post bets. With a wide range of welcome offers and promotions available, Cheltenham presents plenty of opportunities to bet on the Festival’s biggest races and favourites.
*All odds subject to change.
Cheltenham Festival Favourites FAQs
How many favourites win at Cheltenham Festival?
Over the past five meetings there have been 45 winning favourites from 149 total races at the Cheltenham Festival. The exact number of winning SP favourites varies from year to year.
What percentage of favourites win at the Cheltenham Festival?
Using the data from the last five years, 32.1% of horses that were the SP favourite at the Cheltenham Festival won. This result correlates closely with the well-established belief among horse racing fans that roughly 1 in 3 SP favourites go on to win.
Who is the heaviest favourite at Cheltenham?
The heaviest favourites at this year’s Cheltenham Festival are Sir Gino in the Arkle and Constitution Hill in the Champion Hurdle. Both are odds-on, so bookmakers will be facing an expensive first day payout if the double comes in.
Who is favourite to win the Cheltenham Champion Hurdle?
Constitution Hill is now the odds-on favourite for Tuesday’s Cheltenham Champion Hurdle. The Nicky Henderson trained superstar was forced to miss Cheltenham 2024 due to illness so would prove a popular winner.
Who is favourite to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup?
Galopin Des Champs is a strong favourite for this year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup. The Willie Mullins star won the race at last year’s Cheltenham Festival, as well as the Irish Gold Cup in 2023 and 2024.
What is the most popular race at Cheltenham?
The Gold Cup is undoubtedly the headline contest of the Cheltenham Festival. The majority of racing fans recognise it as the most prestigious race at the year’s most significant jumps meeting. While the Cheltenham Gold Cup is a highlight, there’s elite action to enjoy throughout the card on all four days.
Who is the leading jockey at Cheltenham Festival?
Champion Jump Jockey Paul Townend has won the Leading Jockey title at the Cheltenham Festival in four of the last five years. His total of 6 winning runs in 2024 put him head and shoulders above his nearest rival. Townend’s haul included winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Galopin Des Champs and the Champion Hurdle on State Man. Given the quality of his potential rides, he has a solid chance of retaining the title at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival.
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The GrandNational.org.uk Staff
