We may be some way off the 2025 Cheltenham Festival, but the antepost odds are alive with plenty of betting markets for those of you who like to get your bets on early.
The Irish representation once again looks set to be strong at the Festival, led by the Irish and British Champion trainer, Willie Mullins.
His yard is already in full swing, having already sent out more than 30 winners. That means he currently sits behind Gordon Elliott on the Irish jumps table; however, we’ve barely scratched the surface of the current season, and Mullins always comes into his own as the big meetings approach.
With his remarkable team in strong shape to build another assault on the festival after last year’s record tally of nine winners, there is no shortage of Irish challengers this time around.
So, which three of his potential runners are most likely to deal another blow to his rivals? With bonusfinder ireland offering insights into the best betting options, you can stay ahead of the game as they explore the early markets.
Jasmin De Vaux – Supreme Novices Hurdle
The Supreme Novices Hurdle is a race that Mullins has won seven times but there’s been a bit of drought since Appreciate It last won for the handler in 2021.
Ahead of the 2025 Festival, Jasmin De Vaux looks like the yard’s best hope for a win and is already an antepost favourite with plenty of bookmakers.
The five-year-old bay gelding, owned by Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, has already had three runs since January, winning the first by a staggering margin of 15 lengths. The second win was a closer affair but a win nonetheless.
However, the run at Punchestown in May did leave him exposed, and he was well beaten by Redemption Day, who also happens to be the joint favourite for the Supreme Novices.
All three were run on the flat, and as the current season gets underway, we fully expect the young horse to start tackling the hurdles with one eye on the Cheltenham Festival to crown off a solid season.
Lossiemouth – Champion Hurdle
This is a more difficult race to call simply because Lossiemouth could be up against the current champion, State Man, both of whom are trained by Mullins.
It’s a nice problem to have for Mullins, who could into this race two-handed, but both will have to overcome a challenge from Constitution Hill, who was withdrawn in 2024 due to illness.
Lossiemouth will only be six years old, which is young but not insurmountable. Espoir d’Allen was just five when he won the race in 2019.
With eight wins from nine runs, the grey mare is on the form of her life and added a win in the Mares Hurdle to her CV at Cheltenham in March. She has also stepped up in distance, can run, and win on a variety of grounds, and weight doesn’t appear to hamper her at all.
With five Grade 1 wins under her belt, she has real potential for the Champion Hurdle, which is why her antepost odds are currently so short. Can she take on State Man and Constitution Hill? Only time will tell.
Galopin Des Champs – Gold Cup
Despite the fact that only one horse has ever won the Gold Cup in three consecutive years, Galopin Des Champs is on track to join Best Mate in the history books.
Having already surpassed £1.3 million in earnings, the only course that has stumped him in the last two seasons is Punchestown. He began and ended last season there, losing both times. Thankfully, though, Leopardstown, and of course, the second Gold Cup win, more than made up for them.
With an average of four or five runs per season, we don’t expect to see Galopin Des Champs back until the end of November or early December, when he will begin his prep for a remarkable attempt at a third Gold Cup.
For now, he is the antepost race favourite, and while his rivals will be keen to take his crown, he clearly loves Cheltenham, which might be enough to see him back in the winner’s enclosure on March 14, 2025.
The Challengers
Believe it or not, despite winning a record 103 times at Cheltenham, there are some races that have historically gotten the better of Willie Mullins.
He has only won the Queen Mother Champion Chase twice and that was with Energumene in 2022 and 2023. El Fabiolo was his odds-on hope for 2024, but when he pulled up, the race went to Captain Guinness for Rachael Blackmore and Henry de Bromhead.
He potentially has Gaelic Warrior in the mix for 2025, but Nicky Henderson will have that race marked for Jonbon after what can only be described as a devastating Festival for the trainer in 2024, when almost his entire string was ruled out due to illness.
Likewise for the Stayers Hurdle, which Mullins hasn’t won since Penhill did the job in 2018. Teahupoo from Gordon Elliott is the current race favourite, with a possible challenge from the French-trained Theleme also in the mix.
Whatever happens, there are 28 races at the Cheltenham Festival, and Mullins can saddle serious contenders in about ten of them. But as we all know, anything can and usually does happen in racing, so nothing is guaranteed.
