The 2025 Cheltenham Festival is just around the corner, and anticipation is heating up as all eyes are on Gloucestershire. The biggest talking points this year, as is the case most years, are centred on the four championship races. The Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase, Stayers’ Hurdle, and the Gold Cup are without question the feature races of each day’s action, and this year, each race has a heavy favourite.
So, quite simply, can any of them be toppled?
Constitution Hill
Racing fans barely need an introduction to Constitution Hill. The latest Cheltenham festival betting odds currently make him the 4/7 favourite to win the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham on the Tuesday. However, if last year is anything to go by, punters shouldn’t get too carried away just yet.
All the talk heading into the 2024 showpiece centred around the Nicky Henderson-trained horse. His flawless record established him as one of the greatest hurdlers in recent memory, and he was expected to go on to dominate the Champion Hurdle like never before. He romped to glory in 2023 in a breakout performance that confirmed his legacy as an all-time great and, the following year, he was expected to deliver a similarly dominant performance.
Then, disaster struck. Just days out from the festival, Constitution Hill had a bad run, with trainer Henderson immediately fearing the worst. He ran blood tests on his prized horse and pulled him from the festival with a suspected lung infection. The news left racing fans reeling, especially those who had backed the huge favourite in the ante-post market without the security of non-runner no bet.
State Man was the one who stepped up in the 2023 champ’s absence. He was installed as the favourite without Constitution Hill and duly lived up to the billing, claiming the title for the first time. Now, he aims to defend his crown and prove that last year wasn’t a case of being in the right place at the right time.
However, there are plenty of others who are gunning for the crown. Both Brighterdaysahead (2/1) and Lossiemouth (4/1) have shorter odds than the reigning champion (6/1). All of them have Constitution Hill in their sights, and if anyone is to stop him reigning supreme for the second time in three races, they will have to be at their very best.
Jonbon
Over fences, Jonbon is another name that demands respect. Known for his flawless jumping and expert cruising speed, the brother to Douvan has risen to great heights. His Tingle Creek win showcased his mettle, and that performance solidified his reputation as a Cheltenham specialist. Now, he is aiming to step up and win the Champion Chase, and the bookies fancy his chances of doing exactly that.
The Champion Chase lights up the Wednesday of the Festival, and Jonbon is odds-on to dominate the two-mile division. If his 2024 campaign proved anything, it’s that his relentless pace often breaks rivals by the second-last fence. However, Willie Mullins’ Gaelic Warrior and French juggernaut Il Est Francais are gunning for the gold. Both of those two are priced as 9/2 joint second favourites, and they represent the best hope to upset the odds-on frontrunner.
Teahupoo
The Stayers’ Hurdle is one of the festival’s most gruelling contests, and Teahupoo stands poised as the main protagonist in 2025’s monstrous endurance test. Known for his endless reserves of stamina and a strong finishing kick, this Gordon Elliott-trained stayer demonstrated his prowess with a sensational victory in the 2024 renewal of the race. Now, he is out to defend his crown.
Teahupoo is the longest-priced of our four favourites, currently sitting at 10/11. But his odds on status prove that the bookies still feel like he has what it takes to get the job done. Home By The Lee could re-emerge as a strong contender after falling short in 2024, and he is a 6/1 second favourite, with Lucky Place just behind him at 7/1. While Teahupoo has the tools to dominate, his challengers may yet script an upset.
Galopin Des Champs
Finally, we turn to Galopin Des Champs, the reigning king of the Cheltenham Gold Cup. This Willie Mullins-trained marvel is on the hunt to write his name into the history books by winning the feature race of the entire festival for the third year in a row. He managed to reign supreme in 2023 before successfully defending his crown last year. Now, he’s the odds-on favourite to make it a three-peat, and if he lives up to the billing, he will become just the fourth horse in history to win the race three years in a row.
However, history tells us that the Gold Cup is notoriously unforgiving. Both Fact To File and Banbridge are two young up-and-comers who are aiming to take the fight to the ageing champion. They are priced at 5/1 and 6/1, respectively, but it would be an almighty upset if either of them could usurp the 2/5 favourite and reigning king.
