Five Early Shouts For The 2025 Cheltenham Festival

The 2024 Cheltenham Festival has come and gone and it was a successful final day for me on the blog, picking out four winners and two places to end the week on a high!
We’ve seen some terrific performances over the past four days, with the likes of State Man, Teahupoo and Galopin Des Champs producing the goods while a number of new young stars – Ballyburn, Slade Steel and Majborough – have also been in the winner’s enclosure.
Already excited for the 2025 Festival? Me too. I’ve got the crystal ball out in a bid to predict five Cheltenham winners at next year’s meeting. Here are my (stupidly) early selections for 12 months’ time...
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WILLIAM MUNNY – Supreme Novice Hurdle
Barry Connell said that he felt William Munny was “the best bumper horse in Ireland” after his success at Naas last month and I’d say he is likely to improve for a hurdle.
I’d say he is a Supreme type. He has plenty of speed in his pedigree and he showed a lovely turn of foot in both of his bumper wins, fending off a couple of nice prospects on his last start.
His trainer has said he will be aimed at the Grade 1 Punchestown Champion Bumper and his price will be a lot shorter than the 25/1 currently available if he wins in May. He could go for the Gallagher but I’d say Connell would favour the Supreme at this stage.
MAUGHREEN – Mares Novice Hurdle
A half-sister to the legendary Faugheen, Maughreen could be a machine and I was gutted to hear she suffered a minor setback that forced her out of the Cheltenham Festival.
However, the good news is that the prognosis for a full and speedy recovery looks positive and I am really looking forward to seeing her over a hurdle. She showed impeccable cruising speed that day at Punchestown and she could be top class.
She is likely to be a short enough price for the 2025 Festival but Willie Mullins has gone four years since his last win in the race and he’ll want to stop the rot. She’ll be on my Cheltenham team sheet for sure.
SIR GINO – Arkle Novice Chase
You have to go back a while to find the last 5-year-old that won the Arkle but Sir Gino is no ordinary horse and I’d say he must have a decent chance of bucking that particular trend.
I felt so sorry for Nicky Henderson this week as he was forced to withdraw Sir Gino from the Triumph Hurdle and we’ll never know how he’d fared against Majborough and Kargese. I’d say he would’ve been bang there approaching the last for sure...
He clocked a faster time than subsequent Mares Hurdle winner Lossiemouth when the two ran on the same card over two miles on Festival Trials Day. Here’s to hoping Nicky Henderson wastes no time going chasing as 8/1 for the Arkle is a nice price.
BALLYBURN – Brown Advisory Novice Chase
He looks like an absolute superstar, doesn’t he? I was really taken by his performance in the Gallagher on Wednesday and he looks a chaser all over to my eye.
Willie Mullins mentioned the Champion Hurdle but I can’t see him going down that route if I’m honest. He could be a future Cheltenham Gold Cup horse and I’m hoping they send him down the same route as Fact To File.
He’s by Flemensfirth out of an Old Vic mare and is bred to stay. Saying that, he isn’t slow so he could go for the Turners before stepping up to three miles in open company. Welcome to the 2025 edition of Willie Mullins Bingo!
FACT TO FILE – Cheltenham Gold Cup
Last but not least, we have Fact To File. Tipped up by several of the Closutton team as their NAP of the week, he absolutely bolted up in the Brown Advisory and I like his chances in the 2025 Gold Cup.
It is hard to oppose Galopin Des Champs – I was in awe of his performance in the Gold Cup on Friday – but history suggests that he is going to find it very difficult to win the race for a third successive year. And the obvious contender for his crown is Fact To File.
Willie Mullins has raved about this fella since Day 1 and the decision to skip novice hurdling and go straight over fences was an inspired one. He is a fantastic jumper of a fence and I’d really excited to see him outside of novice company next season.