Cheltenham Festival 2025: Analysing the Prestbury Cup

In recent seasons the Prestbury Cup has been decided before the first race is even run at Cheltenham due to the obvious superiority of the Irish raiding party. Headed by the maestro Willie Mullins, it looks like 2025 will follow a similar path...

Np, I am not going to make the case for Britain winning the Prestbury Cup in 2025. I know that would get the most attention and raise the most eyebrows, but it would also be a bet doomed to failure. The odds tell you that much, with Ireland sitting between 1/8 and 1/10 depending on where you choose to bet and Britain all the way out at 8/1. For any high stakes bettors who don't mind an odds-on play, that 1/8 is actually fairly decent when breaking down the Festival race by race, as it would take a serious underperformance mainly by the man who has made Cheltenham his playground over the last decade in Willie Mullins to give the home side a sniff.

Day One kicks off with the Supreme and after his stunning DRF romp it'd be a shock to see Kopek Des Bordes beaten, but even if he is turned over most of the rest of the field is likely to be Irish. Next up is the Arkle and another odds-on favourite in Majborough for Mullins and it should be 2-0, for all the Arkle looks to have a stronger British challenger than the Supreme with L'eau Du Sud and Jango Baie.

From past history there should be some respite in the Ultima for the home team as Britain has a fantastic record in that contest, but the Mares' Hurdle looks destined for Ireland next even if Brighterdaysahead skips the race for the Champion Hurdle. That race, the feature on day one, has a short priced British trained fav in Constitution Hill so it'd be a surprise were Britain not to be on two winners at this stage, but the Boodles market (bar the French trained favourite) is dominated by Irish Juveniles so that looks destined to not be a British winner. Day One wraps up with the NH Chase and once again Ireland dominates the antepost odds grids.

Day Two kicks off with a real Ireland vs Britain clash in the Turners as Final Demand and The New Lion collide in a race that could go ether way in terms of the Prestbury Cup. Even if Britain get the win here, it'll be a major shock if they win the next race the Brown Advisory with Ballyburn and Dancing City for Mullins along with Better Days Ahead for Gordon Elliott heading the market. The Coral Cup is a lottery next so could go either way, but the Cross Country next also looks destined for Ireland with Stumptown for Gavin Cromwell a warm order and most of the supporting cast also travelling across the Sea.

Britain's Wednesday hinges on the performance of Jonbon in the Champion Chase and this does look like his moment in the sun at the Festival at last, however he has disappointed at this track in the past and this race is a graveyard for short priced favourites. The Grand Annual next is another lottery which could go either way, but again the day ends with a race that looks very likely to be won by the Irish due to the strength of Mullins' bumper team.

Thursday kicks off with the Mares' Novices' Hurdle and while Paul Nicholls has nominated Jubilee Alpha as his best chance of the week, she has two fine Irish mares to get past at the top of the market in Sixandahalf and Maughreen. It'll probably be 1-0 Ireland come 13:30 on the day. The new race the novices' handicap could go either way, as could the Pertemps following this but then we have the Ryanair and Stayers' Hurdles with hot Irish favs in Fact To File and Teahupoo. Britain is not without challengers in those races, but it'd be a surprise were at least one of those two short priced favourites to win and even if they don't it may well be another Irish raider that bests them. Next up is the Plate and Kim Muir, which the latter in particular looks more likely to go to Ireland.

Friday kicks off with the Triumph Hurdle and this looks an excellent opportunity for Britain to get on the board with East India Dock and Lulamba both strong in the betting. 1-0 to the UK then on Day 4, but barring Valgrand the County Hurdle looks much more likely to remain with Ireland than be won by the Brits so that lead on the day may well be short-lived. The Mares' Chase, like all the mares only races, looks almost an Irish banker once again before the Albert Bartlett which looks hugely open so could go either way.

In the race of the week, the Gold Cup, it'd be a huge shock and shame if we are not celebrating Galopin Des Champs making history for Willie Mullins, and then it's Hunters Chase time in which Britain will fancy their chances of stopping the bleeding somewhat. The final race of the week could see red-hot antepost mover Kopeck De Mee for Mullins wrap things up in style in the Martin Pipe and I fancy the Prestbury Cup will have been decided long before this.

If hunting a bet in this sphere I would keep an eye out for any Mullins vs Britain odds as the master of Closutton looks a solid play in this market to me given the class and depth of his team. Obviously this is not an exact science, but by my rough calculations we are looking at a Festival in which Ireland have more than double the strong favourites that Britain do for races and the supporting cast in plenty looks to favour the Irish as well. Even being patriotic and assuming Britain win all the races I have marked as more lottery like, they still wouldn't get to the magic number of fifteen victories. I do think the French have a stronger team than usual this year so will allocate them a win, so my prediction for the 2025 Prestbury Cup is: Ireland 18-9 Britain