Cheltenham Festival 2025: Day 2 Preview & Betting Tips

The excitement of the Cheltenham Festival continues into Day 2, also known as Ladies’ Day, on Wednesday, March 12, 2025. The highlight of the day is the Queen Mother Champion Chase, a race that has produced some legendary winners over the years.

With a mix of top-class novice races, ultra-competitive handicaps, and the thrilling Cross Country Chase, there’s plenty to look forward to. Below, we break down the races, key contenders, and best betting tips for Day 2 at Cheltenham.

1:20 PM – Turners Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1, 2m 5f)

The festival’s first novice hurdle over intermediate distances sees some of the season’s most exciting young talents take center stage.

Key Contenders:

The New Lion – A dominant winner of the Challow Hurdle, trained by Dan Skelton.
Final Demand – A strong stayer with form in deep ground, but might need softer conditions.
Sixmilebridge – Has shown improvement this season and could be a lively outsider.

🏇 Betting Tip: The New Lion looks like a superstar in the making and could be tough to beat.

2:00 PM – Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (Grade 1, 3m)

This is the premier staying novice chase of the festival, often producing future Gold Cup contenders.

Key Contenders:

Ballyburn – Last year’s Turners Novices’ Hurdle winner and the standout runner.
Dancing City – A strong stayer who will thrive if the ground softens.
Stellar Story – Won the Albert Bartlett last year and has the stamina to challenge.

🏇 Betting Tip: Ballyburn is the class horse here, but Stellar Story offers excellent each-way value.

2:40 PM – Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3, 2m 5f)

One of the toughest betting puzzles of the week, with a huge field and plenty of contenders.

Key Contenders:

Comfort Zone – A well-backed handicap specialist.
Jipcot – Lightly raced but highly progressive.
Eagle Fang – Brings strong Irish form into this race.

🏇 Betting Tip: The Coral Cup always produces big-priced winners, so an each-way bet on Jipcot could pay dividends.

3:20 PM – Cross Country Chase (Class 2 Handicap, 3m 6f)

A unique race over Cheltenham’s twisting and turning Cross Country course, often dominated by specialists.

Key Contenders:

Galvin – A previous Grade 1 winner with strong course form.
Stumptown – Won the Crystal Cup last time out but faces a weight penalty.
The Goffer – Looks well-handicapped and could spring a surprise.

🏇 Betting Tip: Galvin has the class and course experience to take this.

4:00 PM – Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1, 2m)

The feature race of Day 2, showcasing the fastest chasers in the sport.

Key Contenders:

Jonbon – Has been brilliant at Sandown and Ascot, but has yet to prove himself at Cheltenham.
Quilixios – A huge price, but has beaten some top names before.

🏇 Betting Tip: Jonbon is the obvious favourite, but for each-way value, Quilixios looks tempting.

4:40 PM – Grand Annual Handicap Chase (Grade 3, 2m)

A blisteringly fast handicap chase, often full of shocks.

Key Contenders:

The King of Prs – Impressive in recent starts and well-handicapped.
Nells Son – A big outsider with strong past form.

🏇 Betting Tip: The King of Prs looks well-weighted to strike here.

5:20 PM – Champion Bumper (Grade 1, 2m)

The only flat race of the festival, showcasing future stars of jumps racing.

Key Contenders:

Fortune De Mer – Has Cheltenham form and could be underestimated.
Kalypso’chance – A strong traveller, suited to how this race usually unfolds.
Gameofinches – Unbeaten so far and a major contender.

🏇 Betting Tip: Fortune De Mer has the ability to cause an upset.

Final Thoughts- Cheltenham Festival 2025: Day 2 Preview & Betting Tips

Day 2 of the Cheltenham Festival 2025 is set to be another thrilling day of racing, with the Queen Mother Champion Chase taking center stage. Jonbon is the obvious favourite, but Quilixios offers an interesting each-way angle.

Elsewhere, Ballyburn looks like the most solid selection of the day, while The New Lion has a great chance to land the Turners Novices’ Hurdle.

Don’t overlook Fortune De Mer in the Champion Bumper, who could run a big race.

🏇 Best Bets for Day 2:
✅ The New Lion – Turners Novices’ Hurdle
✅ Ballyburn – Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase
✅ Galvin – Cross Country Chase
✅ Quilixios – Queen Mother Champion Chase (Each-Way)
✅ The King of Prs – Grand Annual Handicap Chase
✅ Fortune De Mer – Champion Bumper (Each-Way)

With big fields and wide-open races, it’s all about finding the value and staying ahead of the market. Get ready for another spectacular day at Cheltenham! 🏇🔥