Cheltenham Acca Tips: Gold Cup Day Lucky 15

The Cheltenham Festival of 2025 is now at the final day and after a frustrating first three days on these pages,  with near misses and hard luck stories aplenty, Billy Grimshaw is going for a few more safe looking punts in his lucky 15 on Gold Cup day...

13:20 Cheltenham - Triumph Hurdle

it's been a tough week, truth be told, thus far as I type this having just watched poor Springwell Bay - who we were cheering on - fall and subsequently lose his life in the Jack Richards. Tipping feels a bit redundant after news like that, but the show must go on and kicking off Friday's Cheltenham card I like the look of Gavin Cromwell's HELLO NEIGHBOUR as an each-way lock with a good win chance in the Triumph.

Cromwell has unsurprisingly been having a smashing week thus far and for all the Brits have looked to have more star quality with East India Dock and Lulamba, I do think Hello Neighbour looks the type who will only ever do just about enough to win his races, a quality which is like gold dust in horse racing. With a strong pace almost assured in this race every season, I can see Cromwell's raider travelling best of them all in here and cruising along until push comes to shove.

He's the best of the Irish as he proved at the DRF, and if we are beaten by one or both of the big name Brits in a finish similar to what we saw in the Turners then so be it, but I do think he is as close to a placepot lock as you can get in a juvenile race and you never know, the other two could be swinging for the fences while he's still on the bridle ready to just pull out that little bit more as he has done on every start thus far.

14:00 Cheltenham - County Hurdle

He doesn't often get this sort of thing wrong, but I am bemused that Paul Townend has deserted last year's winner ABSURDE here for the temperamental Kargese. Nevermind, we get a better price on the perceived second string with Danny taking over and I don't see that as much of a downgrade, so with 11/2 widely available he is another I cannot see outside of the places and think is the most likely winner.

Go back and watch the 2024 renewal, admittedly on much worse ground, and it is impossible to think this lad couldn't have won that race as he liked from a much higher mark. As things have panned out, he is yet to run over obstacles since that day but he's not been disgraced on the level and, for all that he was an eye-catching winner last year coming from last to first, I do think with a more efficient ride Danny could win this race by even further than Paul did onboard last time.

There are of course dangers aplenty in here and I respect last year's Fred Winter winner Lark In The Mornin an awful lot. He probably rates the main danger right now to my eye, but he'll have to improve bundles to get to a peak form Absurde and with drying ground in favour of last year's hero I'm confident in selecting him for another Cheltenham triumph.

16:00 Cheltenham - Gold Cup

Of course, the racing purist in all of us wants to see Galopin Des Champs romp to glory in a history making third Gold Cup to send Cheltenham into raptures. However purism doesn't pay the bills - mind you, neither do my tips so far this week. With that in mind I am going to do something I'm not normally keen on and that is backing a horse sub 5/1 each-way. BANBRIDGE is my Cheltenham Gold Cup 2025 tip.

Joseph O'Brien has steadfastly insisted his horse will only run here on good ground and the weather gods have played ball, so the King George winner is the chief threat and the main potential party pooper. I do think 9/2 underestimates his chances considering the week we've had for favourite backers thus far, and although Galopin Des Champs has looked better than ever this season he is always better at Leopardstown than here. I do think he deserves to be favourite, but not quite by the amount he is right now.

The big question mark around Banbridge of course is his stamina, with the horse never trying three miles let alone this extended three, but with his patient style of running I'm hopeful he has enough latent speed to stay in the contest behind whoever decides to front run, potentially Ahoy Senor, and could when push comes to shove use his two miles pace to get past these grinders and stayers. Getting by Galopin will be no mean feat, but he rates the main danger and I'm hopeful a place is the least we'll be cheering home.

17:20 Cheltenham - Martin Pipe

Kopeck De Mee could have a stone in hand but he's very short for a race of this nature and we've seen plenty of shorties backed into ludicrous prices as the punters panic before the lucky last of the whole meeting, so he's one I'm alright taking on. He can win at 5/2 with this many rivals and the same goes for second favourite Wodhooh, who is a horse that has done me plenty of favours in the past but won't get to dictate this race as she did last time out at Cheltenham and is running for Gordon Elliott who has not had a good week thus far.

I am going with an Irish runner for Henry De Bromhead to wrap the week up in style as I do think TAPONTHEGO has the perfect profile for this test. He has run the last twice over a sub optimal trip but has been staying on eyecatchingly and his mark of 135 looks tough but workable. He absolutely battered McLaurey four starts back and we know now how good that horse is so he has the form in the book, and in a race this competitive I want one I know has both the speed and stamina for the test.

Hopefully we are waiting on him for a nice payout but whoever you are backing in whatever race, I hope the gambling gods have smiled on you this week and thanks for reading!