Cheltenham Wednesday Acca Tips: Lucky 15 Selections For Day 2

Cheltenham Festival 2025 is underway now and Day 2 brings with it another batch of excellent races to get stuck into. Billy Grimshaw once again goes on the hunt for big priced winners with his Wednesday each-way lucky 15...

14:40 Cheltenham - Coral Cup

I won't count yesterday's first tip as a place as Karniquet came fourth and only Sky Bet were paying an extra place but it does at least give me confidence I'm on the right lines. I wasn't particularly keen to take on either of the front two in the Turners market today and think Ballyburn just wins the Brown Advisory, so it's race three where we begin on our each way value hunt and the trickiest of the wee: The Coral Cup.

Take as many places as you can get for this one, but I am hopeful that BALLYADAM is in similar form as he has been the past couple of festivals for Henry de Bromhead, who always turns his horses around in the nick of time for the spring Festivals. Without the infamous Langer Dan this lad would have won last season's edition of this race and he is a pound lower in the handicap this season in a race which to my eye looks weaker than the 2024 edition. Ballyadam began his career as a precocious novice and was fancied by many to win a Cheltenham novice hurdle, but was never quite good enough truth be told.

Nevertheless, for a masterful target trainer he is good enough to win races like this and I don't see better ground this season compared to last being any inconvenience. There are too many in here for me to namecheck all with a chance but I'm confident our lad will be in the mix and hopefully we at least get placed returns.

15:20 Cheltenham - Cross Country Chase

I can fully see the case for both Galvin and Busselton, with the latter in particular being hammered in price of late, as the duo will love the drying ground but I don't particularly think either are a value proposition at this stage. Galvin could conceivably laugh at these if running up to his best as his mark looks unbelievably good for this race, which is for the first time in decades reverted to a handicap. Another horse who could destroy the field has to be favourite Stumptown, who won despite the least enthusiastic ride imaginable here at the Trials meeting. He is clearly a smart animal who has been targeted here by a master in Gavin Cromwell and while more rain would probably be better for him, I can't see good to soft being an issue.

This is one of those races through the years that has seen massive priced horses hit the frame and although it is a new race with the handicapping element in 2025. I fancy there'll be at least another big priced outsider to hit the frame and maybe even win if the big dogs don't bark in the old boy ESCARIA TEN. He is definitely being underestimated as a ten year old, with many seeming to think he is gone at the game.

I'm not having that considering how he ran with a lot more gusto than we'd seen in a good few efforts last time out for fourth at Sandown and for the same place on his penultimate outing here behind Stumptown, so with massive prices like 33/1 and extra places galore he'll do as horse number two for our bet.

16:00 Cheltenham - Champion Chase

Jonbon will have plenty roaring him home with the wonderfully consistent Seven Barrows inmate aiming for his first ever Cheltenham Festival win in what has been a storied career, however there's enough in his profile to take him on here as arguably the worst runs of his life have come at this track. There's no need to slate his Supreme second and his Arkle run was fine, but he's been beaten here by Elixir De Nutz and we know this race is a graveyard for short priced favourites.

Solness has been a revelation this season off the front end and he should insure this is an honest enough test, while Marine Nationale seems to slowly be getting back to his best and would be a wonderfully emotive winner considering that horse's bond with Michael O'Sullivan. At the prices, however, FOUND A FIFTY sticks out like a sore thumb to me and simply has to be backed each-way both as a single and in this accumulator.

He beat Solness a neck earlier in the year but after that he was pulled up behind the same horse, with something clearly amiss. Gordon Elliott wouldn't send him here if not cherry ripe, however, and his second place in the Arkle last season behind a bang in form Gaelic Warrior on soft ground is smart form. I think there could be a real battle for the lead in here which'll suit our pick. I hope he can win but I'm confident he can take second or third.

16:40 Cheltenham - Grand Annual

For transparency, I'm on favourite Unexpected Party at bigger odds than available now antepost, however he's not going in this column at 6/1 despite all his obvious claims. Last year's winner has clearly been laid out for the race but I'm not as keen on him on the day considering the drying ground. I do think, however, it'll be a British winner and the vote is going to Lucinda Russell's PRIMOZ, who looks a horse to me who will absolutely relish leading a race like this in a big field handicap.

There are doubts of course about his jumping and if he will have the pace to get the lead in a race where there will be at least five other sets of connections hoping their runner gets to the front, however this guy is not short of pace and to win a Grand Annual you need to be both quick out of the blocks but laden with enough stamina to go full pelt the whole way round. I think Primoz has that blend perfectly.

For placepot punters I do think My Mate Mozzie will once again be in the money but he's no price at around 6/1 and I wouldn't rule out a bounce right back to form for Matartor for Venetia Williams at a huge price. It's Primoz for me, however and hopefully he is the fourth bet in our acca to scoop some retunrs.