Three Festival favourites our team are taking on

Favourites to oppose at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival including Final Demand and Teahupoo

By Sporting Life

Horse Racing

Tue March 04, 2025 · 10M ago

Our experts put forward the Cheltenham Festival favourites they are looking to take on at Prestbury Park in just over a week's time.

Stencil (Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle, Tuesday March 11)

You only need to glance at the SPs of the winners of this fiercely competitive handicap to realise you'd have to be brave to side with the market leader with so many runners unexposed given the nature of the race. The same connections' Milan Tino was backed down to 10/3 favourite last year and ran respectably in sixth off a mark of 126. Stencil has been allotted 135 off the back of his 10 length second to East India Dock which looks plenty high enough for all that he finished 18 lengths clear of the third. It looked as though the race rather fell apart with several of those behind not putting their best foot forwards for whatever reason and I'd be surprised if there isn't at least one too good against him. (Ian Ogg)

Willie Mullins Stable Tour: Cheltenham Festival 2025

Final Demand (Turners Novices’ Hurdle, Wednesday March 12)

Final Demand has created a fine impression in winning both starts over hurdles by double-figure margins, including a Grade 1 at the Dublin Racing Festival last time. There's no doubt that he's an exciting prospect, but his general price of 6/4 for the Turners Novices' Hurdle looks short considering The New Lion also has the Timeform Large P to denote he's open to significant improvement, while The Yellow Clay is unbeaten after four starts over hurdles and his performance in the Grade 1 Lawlor's of Naas Novice Hurdle has been rated of similar merit to what Final Demand showed at Leopardstown. Throw into the mix the likes of James's Gate, a winner on both starts over hurdles this season, and impressive Cheltenham Trials Day winner Sixmilebridge and this has the makings of a good-quality edition of the Turners. Final Demand faces a stiffer task than his price would suggest. (Tony McFadden)

Final Demand wins at Leopardstown

Fact To File (Ryanair Chase, Thursday March 13)

The Ryanair Chase is shaping up to be one of the best races at the Festival and for that reason alone Fact To File looks short at around 5/4 and 6/4 for the Thursday feature. He was impressive in the Brown Advisory at the Festival last year but a hell-for-leather 2m5f in the Ryanair is a very different test and I’m not sure he deserves to be so short just because he avoids stablemate Galopin Des Champs by going down this route. He might need softer ground at this trip as well and that is not a given, while the opposition looks hot, with Il Est Francais and Protektorat having even better form in the book – including from this season – while the likes of Djelo could improve to have a say, as well. (Ben Linfoot)

https://www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/cheltenham/events-tickets/the-festival/tickets/

Teahupoo (Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle, Thursday March 13)

The Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle market is completely dominated by one horse and, seeing as Teahupoo was below-par in his sole start earlier this season and probably does need very testing ground to be seen at his absolute best, he’s one Festival favourite I’m happy to take on with something else each-way. Granted, if it comes up soft as it did when an impressive winner last March, Gordon Elliott’s horse is by far the most likely winner but it’s not like there aren’t a few dangerous rivals. One could argue it’s a bit of a rogue’s gallery in against Teahupoo, with Langer Dan, Mystical Power and Bob Olinger the real ‘eye-rollers’ were any of them to triumph. But Joseph O’Brien’s Home By The Lea seems as good as ever this season, the Nicky Henderson-trained Lucky Place is a promising horse who looks about as straightforward as they come, while The Wallpark surely merits a shot at this prize (over the Pertemps Final) after his encouraging effort at Ascot last time. While obviously a stablemate of the favourite, The Wallpark could easily be the one to give him most to do, especially coming back to Cheltenham where he was dead impressive in a handicap that has worked out extremely well earlier in the season. (Matt Brocklebank)

Teahupoo wins at the 2024 Festival

Dinoblue (Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase, Friday March 14)

I was tempted to put up Final Demand in the Turners’ Novices Hurdle, but I’m a little concerned about the possible lack of strength in depth behind The New Lion, and instead it’s another Willie Mullins runner that I’m keen to oppose. Dinoblue was a well-backed favourite in this race 12 months ago, and supporters must have felt comfortable for a long way as she travelled well off the pace. However, she had to make up more ground to reach the leaders than eventual winner Limerick Lace who had too much in the closing stages. Allegorie de Vassey was fourth. Though Dinoblue's form this term includes a gutsy defeat of Allegorie de Vassey, who had previously been miles clear of Limerick Lace (receiving weight) at Fairyhouse, I still have reservations over this test if Dinoblue is held up to get the trip. It’s also worth noting that she again has to give weight away to all her rivals due to her Grade 1 win at Leopardstown in December 2023, and I wouldn't be surprised to see a back-to-form Limerick Lace or stablemate Bioluminescence - who are also both owned by JP McManus – finish ahead of her. With Spindleberry, another strong stayer who beat Bioluminescence last time, also given a good chance, there appear to be a host of alternatives to the general 13/8 favourite. (Nic Doggett)