Supreme Novices Hurdle 7/1 Ante-post Betting Tip – Cheltenham Festival 2025

The traditional curtain-raiser to the Cheltenham Festival, the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle kicks off the four-day feast of racing at Prestbury Park on Tuesday 11 March with another top-class renewal of the extended two-mile contest.

Famous for its’ ‘Cheltenham Roar’ which heralds the start of the race as the runners break the tape and gets the 2025 Cheltenham Festival underway in earnest, the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle has a habit of throwing up top-class horses and a brief look back through the list of winners of the race certainly backs that up as a race to watch!

Constitution Hill, Shishkin, Altior, Douvan, Vautour, Champagne Fever, Al Ferof, Menorah and Brave Inca are just a few graduates of the Sumpre Novices’ Hurdle who have gone on to great things in their careers with a host of Grade One victories to their respective names. Could the 2025 renewal throw up another?

 

2025 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle Ante-Post Tip

13.20 CHELTENHAM – TUESDAY MARCH 11 2025

The ante-post betting market for the traditional Festival curtain-raiser is fairly open at the time of writing with just two of the initial race entries trading below double-figure odds.

Current ante-post favourite Salvador Mundi and second-favourite Romeo Coolio both boost solid form and both have previous Cheltenham Festival experience to call upon with each having run at the Festival last year.

Salvador Mundi, trained by Willie Mullins may only have finished sixth in the Triumph Hurdle behind stablemate Majborough, but it was a very good performance given it was his first run in almost a year following his move from France and that experience wasn’t lost on him when bolting up in a minor contest at Tipperary two months later. He’s a sure improver over hurdles this term and one that is certainly worthy of plenty of respect.

ROMEO COOLIO hails from the Gordon Elliott camp and found only Jasmin De Vaux too good in last season’s Champion bumper. The Kayf Tara gelding is 2-3 over hurdles this term, most recently winning by nine lengths at Leopardstown over Christmas in the Grade One Pady Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle.

That victory saw him atone for a defeat when odds-on to win the Royal Bond Hurdle at Fairyhouse the time before where he was beaten by a more exposed rival from Willie Mullins’ yard although he didn’t help his cause by hanging right late on in that race, while the winner had been campaigning over the summer and possibly just had a fitness edge. It was hard not to have been impressed by his hurdling debut however when a clear-cut winner at Down Royal and his pleasing return to winning ways sees that defeat easily forgiven.

Gordon Elliott’s charge was seen to good effect at Leopardstown, given a positive ride by jockey Sam Ewing although perhaps that was more down to circumstance than to plan as he was left in the lead early following a near-race ending blunder by Karniquet. Clear approaching the last hurdle, he did made a mistake but it wasn’t enough to halt his momentum and he scored readily in the end despite the race being hard to watch given the course was shrouded in fog.

There looks to be more to come from him over hurdles and with the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle usually ran at a decent pace the race could be set up for him. A general 8/1 ante-post could prove generous come raceday and Gordon Elliott has already stated the Supreme is the most likely target for him.

This year’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle doesn’t look particularly strong and he looks sure to be involved at the finish on the back of his solid form this term, while previous experience of Cheltenham is another plus.

SUPREME NOVICES’ HURDLE ANTE-POST TIP – ROMEO COOLIO (7/1 with bet365)

 

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