Cheltenham Day Two Best Bets
Following the Champion Hurdle on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival, the 2m chasers get their chance to shine on Day 2 in the headline event of the Queen Mother Champion Chase.
We aren’t particularly keen to take Jonbon on in the feature, but nor are we in a rush to back him at skinny odds. Happily, there are six other cracking contests to sink our teeth into on what looks like another excellent day for an each-way punt. Here, we pick out our three best value bets for the Wednesday afternoon card.
2:40 Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle
We kick things off in one of the most competitive handicaps of the meeting, with a maximum field of 26 set to line up for the 2025 Coral Cup. 2m5f is the trip for this £110,000 event, which is invariably run at a fierce gallop.
In common with many events at the meeting, a Willie Mullins runner sits atop the market. Going in the colours of Brighton & Hove Albion supremo Tony Bloom, Bunting couldn’t quite cut it in Grade 1 company but should find this easier. A handicap debutante stepping up in trip for the first time and hailing from an all-conquering yard, he looks like a major threat to all. However, at 5/1, he is now a little on the short side, and we will look elsewhere.
Fellow Irish raiders Sandor Clegane and Staffordshire Knot make out each way shortlist. However, at a really big price, we can’t resist taking a swing at the Evan Williams runner, Minella Missile.
Looking back to the 2023/24 season, this son of Beat Hollow went straight into our notebook as a horse to follow when scoring in good style at Chepstow. Next time out over this course and distance, he took the next step up the ladder in style when landing a Grade 2 contest in good style. Unfortunately, injury then ruled him out for 429 days.
In truth, the horse hasn’t looked anything like as good since his return, but we aren’t ready to write him off just yet. His ninth at Windsor first time out is easily forgiven due to a lack of fitness, whilst the 2m trip was against him in the William Hill Hurdle, and he appeared to hate the soft ground at Chepstow last time. He receives a 5lb drop in the handicap for those efforts and is worth chancing as he returns to the scene of his finest hour.
- Recommended Bet - Minella Missile each way @ 40/1 with BetFred- £5 each way returns £250 if Minella Missile wins
4:40 Debenhams Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase
Next up, another maximum field affair as 20 runners go hell for leather over the 2m course in this £150,000 event. The Joe Tizzard-trained JPR One heads the weights and could prove dangerous, having performed with credit in Graded company of late. At a double-figure price, he seems likely to be popular each way.
It is tempting to keep things simple here and side with the 2024 winner, Unexpected Party, from the yard of Dan Skelton. He’s 6lb higher this year but was value for more than the 2¼l winning margin that day and hails from a yard with an excellent record in handicap contests at this meeting. However, at 6/1, he looks no more than fairly priced in a race where luck in running can play such a big role.
For our selection, we will turn to the ex-Skelton runner, Third Time Lucki. A dual Grade 2 winner in his pomp, this ten-year-old finished third in the 2023 edition of this race. Whilst beaten 11l that day, we are happy to upgrade that run, considering he was hampered by a faller at a crucial stage, and the race took place on ground far softer than ideal. The forecast good to soft ground could bring him closer if he avoids trouble, whilst he is fully 15lb lower in the handicap this time. He’s shown very little in three starts for Fergal O’Brien, but the odds make up for that, and we suspect this may have been the long-term plan.
- Recommended Bet - Third Time Lucki each way @ 20/1 with BetFred - £5 each way returns £130 if Third Time Lucki wins
5:20 Weatherbys Champion Bumper
Last, but not least, the only flat contest of the meeting, as 18 go for gold over 2m½f in the Champion Bumper. The obvious first port of call here is the yard of Willie Mullins, with the Closutton maestro having claimed five of the past seven editions.
Mullins has five entered in 2025, headed by Copacabana, who tops the market at 11/4. However, Paul Townend opts to ride second favourite Gameofinches, which confuses matters a little. The third of the Mullins runners, Bambino Fever, initially appealed each way, but with the double-figure odds now a thing of the past, we fancy the value may lie with Aqua Force.
By Derby winner Workforce and out of a Kayf Tara mare, this six-year-old mare makes plenty of appeal on paper and delivered on that potential when roaring 28l clear on debut at Gowran Park. That effort came for the small yard of Miguel Gunn and prompted J P McManus to splash the cash and transfer the mare to the Mullins operation. In receipt of the mare’s allowance, we like her chances of at least hitting the frame.
- Recommended Bet - Aqua Force each way @ 12/1 with BetFred - £5 each way returns £82 if Aqua Force wins
A £1 each-way patent on the above selections returns £13,198 with BetFred if all three win and £263 if all three only finished placed.
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