Cheltenham 2025: How Many Winners Will Team GB Have?

The Cheltenham Festival was historically a competitive duel between the British and the Irish, but that has all changed in recent years as Ireland have begun to dominate the Festival.

And things don’t look like they will change anytime soon, with the Irish on course to clean up again in 2025.

The home team's leading hopes consist of Constitution Hill, The New Lion, Jonbon and East India Dock/Lulamba, but other than that, they don’t have many other leading fancied runners.

This article examines the English runners in more detail and assesses their daily chances. Be aware that this doesn’t make for pleasant reading for the home side, as Ireland look set to boss the meeting again.

Tuesday, March 11

The opening two races at Cheltenham don’t look good for the home side. Ireland have two odds-on favourites, Kopek Des Bordes and Majborough, who will both be very hard to beat.

However, Britain should get their first winner on the board in the Ultima Handicap Chase as all the leading contenders, such as Broadway Boy, The Changing Man and Katate Dori, are all trained in the UK.

It’s hard to see past the Irish in the Mares Hurdle, with Lossiemouth now pitching up here. 

Willie Mullins also has the second favourite, Jade De Grugy.

Constitution Hill is Britain's best chance of a winner all week, according to betting sites. 

He takes on Brighterdaysahead and State Man, but I still think the Nicky Henderson-trained superstar will have too much for his rivals and should regain his Champion Hurdle crown.

The Fred Winter looks like it should go Ireland's way, while the National Hunt Challenge Cup is the final race on the card, and based on the current odds from betting apps, it could go either way.

Day 1 Prediction: GB 2 winners

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Wednesday, March 12

All eyes will be on The New Lion in the opener on Wednesday as he locks horns with Final Demand in one of the clashes of the week.

His performance in the Challow Hurdle was breathtaking, and a reproduction of that form should be good enough to land the Turners.

The Brown Advisory Novices' Chase looks sure to go to Ireland as they dominate the horse racing betting sites market. 

Ballyburn is a banker of the meeting for many at 6/5.

The Coral Cup is arguably the most challenging race of the week to predict and could go either way.

Elsewhere, Ireland look set to continue their winning ways in the Cross Country again this year.

Jonbon is a short-priced favourite to land his first Cheltenham Festival victory in the Champion Chase, but were he to fluff his lines, Ireland have a strong hand in the race with Marine Nationale, Energumene and Solness.

The Grand Annual is another unpredictable handicap that is hard to call. 

Ireland should round off Wednesday with another win in the Champion Bumper as they look for their ninth consecutive victory.

Day 2 Prediction: GB 2 Winners

Thursday, March 13

Britain have won the Mares Novices' Hurdle for the past three years, but the Irish hold all the aces this year as they have the top four in the betting.

The Golden Miller and the Pertemps both look like wide-open handicaps, although Great Britain have the favourite in both races with the JP McManus owned duo of Jagwar and Jeriko Du Reponet.

Protektorat and Djelo have outside chances for the home side in the Ryanair Chase, but they will have to be at the top of their game to beat Fact To File and Il Est Francais.

The Stayers’ Hurdle looks likely to go the way of Ireland, with the Gordon Elliot-trained Teahupoo a short-priced favourite to win the race for successive seasons.

The final two races on the card are wide-open handicaps that could go either way.

Day 3 Prediction: GB 2 winners

Friday, March 14

Things should start well for the home side on Gold Cup day, as East India Dock and Lulamba dominate the market in the Triumph Hurdle.

East India Dock has won around Cheltenham impressively twice, while the form of Lulamba’s Ascot win hasn’t worked out; he is priced up more on reputation than anything.

The rest of the card looks bleak for Great Britain as Irish runners dominate the betting in the County Hurdle and the Albert Bartlett, while Dinoblue is one of the Irish bankers at 11/8 in the Mares Chase.

The Irish already look to have the Gold Cup wrapped up as the hat-trick-seeking Galopin Des Champs spearheads the Emerald Isle’s challenge.

Ahoy Senor, Royale Pagaille, and The Real Whacker seem to be the only UK runners, and they are all priced at around the 50/1 mark for the race.

The Hunters Chase and the Martin Pipe should go the way of Ireland, which would round off another dominant week for the Irish.

Day 4 Prediction: GB 1 winner

Total Great Britain winners prediction: 7