Cheltenham Day 4 Tips for Gold Cup Day 2025 – Race by Race Preview and Predictions
The 2025 Cheltenham Festival concludes on Friday 14th March with the Cheltenham Gold Cup taking place at 4pm and we’ve got a preview and betting tips for each of the seven races.
Once again, we get underway at 1.20pm with a competitive Triumph Hurdle and Ciaran has picked his best bets from Friday’s card below.
Cheltenham Day 4 Tips
- 1.20pm – Lulamba (5/2 with bet365)
- 2.00pm – Absurde (11/2 with William Hill)
- 2.40pm – Dinoblue (11/10 with BetVictor)
- 3.20pm – The Big Westerner (5/1 with Midnite) & Intense Approach (16/1 with bet365) EW
- 4.00pm – Galopin Des Champs (4/7 with Ladbrokes)
- 4.40pm – Willitgoahead (9/2 with SpreadEx)
- 5.20pm – Karafon (12/1 with William Hill) EW
Bet £50 get £50 in Free Bets
CLAIM!
1.20pm – JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1)
The general consensus this year is that the English Juveniles are superior to their Irish counterparts. The result of the Fred Winter on Tuesday would certainly make you reconsider this idea and the form of East India Dock in particular was let down by the run of Stencil (who was admittedly keen). However, I am still backing the English to take the win here with Nicky Henderson’s LULAMBA (5/2). It’s rare that a horse goes from 33/1 to 3/1 favourite without so much as stepping on a racecourse but that (alleged) piece of work seemed to translate to the course at Ascot where he gave 10 pounds to a high-profile recruit (500k and 110 flat rated Mondo Man) and beat him easily. This was extremely impressive and we are still not sure where the limit of his ability lies. East India Dock has course and distance form and has the speed figure gurus waxing lyrical but he hasn’t met a rival like he will today and I think he may come up short.
WIN – Lulamba (5/2 with bet365)
2.00pm – William Hill County Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap)
Just 16 runners go to post for the County Hurdle, which should favour the classier types with less traffic and potential bad luck stories. 9 out of the last 10 renewals have been won by Dan Skelton and Willie Mullins. Skelton relies on Valgraand here who has probably been laid out for the race but certainly doesn’t have the class of the Closutton challenge. And speaking of class, we have dual Melbourne Cup contender and defending champion ABSURDE (7/1) who runs here off just an 8-pound higher mark on ground that will suit infinitely more than last year, He hasn’t had the same prep this year and indeed is having his first run since the Melbourne Cup but Willie showed that he can get one ready first time out on Wednesday with Jimmy Du Seuil (interestingly in that race Paul Townend choice to ride a keen 5 year old backfired and he repeats that trick here). Lark in the Mornin is definitely well handicapped on last year’s Boodles win and McLaurey is hugely progressive but the biggest danger has to be Kargese who is the aforementioned choice of Paul Townend. But 7/2 is very short for a keen-going horse having her first start in a handicap, even off an attractive mark of 141. I can see it coming down to this pair and at the prices I marginally prefer the defending champ.
WIN – Absurde (11/2 with William Hill)
2.40pm – Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase (Registered As The Liberthine Mares’ Chase) (Grade 2)
The Mares Chase is a race that has certainly lost its appeal as the weeks have rolled by with Bioluminescence, Only By Night and Telepathique have come out in recent days for various reasons. It leaves DINOBLUE (11/10) at the top of the market and she is certainly the classiest horse in the race, capable of winning Grade 1 contests over 2m. For those saying she doesn’t get the trip, look back at last year’s race where she was closing the reopposing Limerick Lace all the way to the line. She left a couple of disappointing starts behind when scoring last time out over Allegorie de Vassy and is one pound better off here. Brides Hill may chase her home for the in-form pair of Cromwell and Donoghue and she gets her ideal ground conditions here.
WIN – Dinoblue (11/10 with BetVictor)
3.20pm – Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) (Registered As The Spa Novices’ Hurdle)
The Albert Bartlett has had a well-publicised ability to throw up some big-priced winners in the past with the average winning SP of 22/1 over the last 11 years. A mare has also never won the race. So with these trends in mind, the selection in the race is the mare, THE BIG WESTERNER the 9/2 favourite at time of writing. She has been exceptional on both her starts this year, beating Argento Boy and Mozzies Sister with more than just the winning distance in hand. Her RPR and mares allowance are 6 pounds clear of her nearest rival here and while ground would be a slight worry, there is no doubt that she is a classy mare and that could be enough for a trainer with a good record in the race. Given the price history, it would be rude not to put an EW alternative and preference is given to INTENSE APPROACH (16/1) who won over course and distance in October, before being freshened up with this race in mind. This is a tried and trusted path to a place in this race for trainer John McConnell, who achieved this with both Bardenstown Lad and Streets of Doyen. He returned on Good ground in Mussleborough and 3rd place that day has come out and won a handicap since.
WIN – The Big Westerner (5/1 with Midnite)
EACH-WAY – Intense Approach (16/1 with bet365)
4.00pm – Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase (Grade 1)
The blue riband event of the week sees GALOPIN DES CHAMPS (4/7) bid to emulate the likes of Arkle and Best Mate by winning his 3rd Gold Cup. It’s not always necessary to have a bet to enjoy a historic moment like this and surely only an act of God himself can stop Galopin from adding his name to the greats. He is tactically versatile, his jumping is accurate and reliable and the way he puts his rivals to the sword in the final furlong of a race is often breathtaking. He really doesn’t have any chinks in his armour. He is the best-staying chaser that I have seen in my lifetime.
Of his rivals, I don’t have any issues about stamina for Banbridige, who will get his ground and was getting better the further he went in the King George. Inothewayyooourthinkin won at last year’s festival and is supplemented for connections who have to be respected, especially with the extra 2 furlongs certain to suit. We have seen 4 odds on shots beaten in the first 2 days of the festival so we know there is no such thing as a sure thing. But here the head and the heart are in sync and they both say Galopin.
WIN – Galopin Des Champs (4/7 with Ladbrokes)
4.40pm – St. James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase
It’s not everyday that JP misses out on a target when he sets his mind to it, but the word is that he tried to buy WILLITGOAHEAD (4/1). If that is true, then the question must be asked about how much Noel Moran paid this week to get his hands on this progressive hunter-chaser. He absolutely bolted up last time out at Thurles and at just 7 is a relative baby in this division, and should still be improving. He is a fantastic jumper and his best form has come on good ground. This gives him the edge over Angel’s Dawn, who, while well handicapped on her Kim Muir performances in the last 2 years, would probably want more cut in the ground. Willitgoahead runs here in Gordons Elliot’s name but it is Sean Doyle who has overseen his prep and I hope that this culminates in festival glory.
WIN – Willitgoahead (9/2 with SpreadEx)
5.20pm – Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle
There is something extra special about finding the winner of the last race of the week, but this has been made more difficult by the fact that the favourite Kopeck du Mee has, depending on who you ask, anything from 10 pounds to 2 Stone in hand off French ratings. But I won’t be backing a horse that I hadn’t even heard of 3 weeks ago at 5/2 to win one of the most competitive handicaps of the week. I’ve seen that story a few times in the last couple of years (Gaelic Warrior, Ocastle des Mottes) and it hasn’t produced too many winners. In an earlier column this week, I said to watch out for Tiernan Power Roche in this race and I was glad to see that he gets the leg up on Willie Mullins’s other contender KARAFON (12/1). He has had a typical festival handicap prep, running down the field in 2 grade 1 contests and gets in here off just 135. The step back up to 2 and a half will also suit based on his run over that distance in Clonmel in December and he can put a bow on the Top trainer title for Willie here.
Just 362 more days until we do it all again!
EACH-WAY – Karafon (12/1 with William Hill)
Join Betfred to get £50 in Cheltenham Free Bets:
1 Join Betfred using this link to the special offer
2 Register and place a £10 bet
3 Get £50 in Cheltenham free bets (5x £10)
More Cheltenham Bookies Sign-up Offers
Bet £50 get £50 in Free Bets
Bet £10 get £50 in Cheltenham Free Bets
✅Best odds Guaranteed
✅NRNB
✅Existing Customer Offers
Bet £10 on Cheltenham get £30 in Cheltenham Free Bets
Bet £10 get £20 in Free Bets
Bet £10, Get £30 in Free Bets & a £10 Free Bet
Relevant news
Cheltenham Day 4 Lucky 15 Tip – £1 Lucky 15 Returns £665
The last day of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival gives us another chance to get a…
Cheltenham Day 3 Tips – Thursday’s Race by Race Predictions and Betting Tips
We move onto our 2025 Cheltenham Festival day 3 tips and Ciaran is back with…
Cheltenham Day 3 Each-way Lucky 15 Tips for Thursday 13th March
Our day 3 Cheltenham each-way lucky 15 tip gets underway at 1.20pm and a £1…
Cheltenham Day 2 Tips – Wednesday’s Race by Race Betting Tips and Predictions
The 2025 Cheltenham Festival rolls into day 2 and Ciaran has been through the Wednesday…
Cheltenham Day 2 Each-way Lucky 15 Tips for Wednesday 12th March
Our day 2 Cheltenham lucky 15 tip is another each-way bet, starting in the 2.40pm…
Cheltenham Day 1 Tips – Tuesday’s Race by Race Betting Tips and Predictions
Cheltenham Festival day 1 betting tips, predictions and race-by-race preview for the seven-race card on…
