Best Cheltenham Ante Post Bets: Four Tips For The 2025 Festival
With the Cheltenham Festival fast approaching, betting sites are seeing plenty of market movers as punters decide on their ante-post bets for 2025.
Everyone likes to have wagers prior to the meeting, hoping to grab a little more value for their bets before the odds on their selected horses begin to shorten.
This year sees a lot of short-price favourites at the head of the Cheltenham odds offered by betting apps, so many people will be looking elsewhere for potential winners.
That could see a lot of money coming for runners at bigger odds, so it pays to bet early before the value disappears.
If you are still undecided on which horses to back before the meeting begins, The Panel have picked out four runners to back right now.
Panel Tip 1: The New Lion - Turners Novices' Hurdle
The Turners Novices' Hurdle is shaping up to be one of the races of the meeting, with some unbeaten hurdlers set to meet.
The Willie Mullins-trained Final Demand is the current 6/4 favourite with horse racing betting sites, and that is no surprise given his impressive Grade 1 victory last time.
He may prove to be the latest superstar to come off the Mullins conveyor belt, but he is worth taking on at the prices.
The New Lion is another unbeaten youngster, and at 11/4, he is far better value given his performances to date.
His trainer, Dan Skelton, has waxed lyrical about the six-year-old, who was recently snapped up by leading owner JP McManus.
Britain's best chance of a winner in the race, he looks like an exceptional talent and is likely to be a shorter price come festival time.
Panel Tip 2: Copacabana - Champion Bumper
The Champion Bumper is always a complex puzzle to solve, and most runners have the potential to improve significantly on their previous efforts.
Mullins has cleaned up in the race over the years, and the Irish trainer again holds a strong hand in 2025.
Part of his squad this year is the once-raced Copacabana, who looked like an extremely good horse when winning on debut at Navan.
He was highly touted before winning, and he has attracted even more supporters after beating what looked like an above-average group of youngsters.
His stablemate, Gameofinches, shades favouritism, but that could change quickly, particularly when jockey bookings have been confirmed.
If Mullins' number one jockey, Paul Townend, chooses Copacabana, then 5/1 will prove to be plenty of value at this stage.
Panel Tip 3: Lucky Place - Stayers' Hurdle
If the vibes coming from Nicky Henderson's stable are to be believed, then Lucky Place (10/1) could be one of the best each-way bets at Cheltenham in 2025.
He will have to get the better of the defending Stayers' Hurdle champion Teahupoo if he is to prevail, but he shapes as if the Grade 1 contest could be right up his street.
Yes, he has to prove his stamina over this trip, but how he finished his race off when winning the Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham last time was a good sign.
On that occasion, he beat the subsequent Cleeve Hurdle winner, Gowel Road, and he will reoppose at the Festival.
He is said to be working very well at home, and his trainer is confident of a big performance.
He may not be one of the bankers of the week, but 10/1 is a cracking price, particularly from an each-way betting angle.
Panel Tip 4: Hello Neighbour - Triumph Hurdle
Another race filled with potential improvers, the Triumph Hurdle always proves to be a dramatic affair.
Juvenile horses jumping hurdles at top speed always has its dangers, and shock results are not unusual.
This year's betting market is headed by the impressive British pair of East India Dock and Lulamba, joint-favourites at 2/1.
They may prove to be tough nuts to crack, but an Irish raider is waiting in the wings if the pair fail to fire on the day.
Hello Neighbour was unbeaten on the flat, and he has taken very well to hurdling, jumping nicely when comfortably winning a Grade 1 at Leopardstown a few weeks ago.
His trainer, Gavin Cromwell, has described him as ' a proper one', and 11/2 is a very generous price.
