Expert's Best Bets: Cheltenham Festival Day 2 tips with Enda McElhinney
Sports Journalist at FST, Gareth qualified as a journalist after graduating from university and spent over a decade as a freelance broadcast journalist, commentator and tipster before joining FST. Now living in Manchester, he is a long suffering Bolton Wanderers fan who also enjoys boxing, the NBA, tennis and rugby league.
The Cheltenham Festival continues on Wednesday afternoon with the second of four incredible days at Prestbury Park set to be headlined by the Queen Mother Champion Chase.
Day two of the Cheltenham Festival on Wednesday could be a day for favourite backers, with some strong chances in major races hoping to justify their hype.
The feature is the Queen Mother Champion Chase, where Jonbon bids to finally win at The Festival with that race due off at 4.00. We’ve got race-by-race tips from the Racing Post’s Enda McElhinney for all the day two action at Cheltenham.
All prices quoted are with bet365, where new customers can claim up to £30 in free bets to use on the Cheltenham Festival. You can also back our biggest tips of the day below, while the rest of our hand-picked accumulators are available over on our Cheltenham Festival tips page!
Cheltenham Festival 2025 Day 2 Expert’s Best Bets
1:20 – Turners Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1, 2m5f)
Experts’ Best Bet: Final Demand
Willie Mullins and Paul Townend enjoyed a dream start on day one and it could be more of the same here with Final Demand. He’s unbeaten after two starts over hurdles, running away with a 2m6f Grade 1 prize at last month’s Dublin Racing Festival as he left a good barometer in Wingmen toiling in his wake. UK trio Sixmilebridge, Potters Charm and The New Lion – possibly in that order – are all dangers along with Gordon Elliott’s The Yellow Clay, who is 4-4 over hurdles.
2.00 – Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (Grade 1, 3m)
Experts’ Best Bet: Ballyburn
So impressive at this meeting as a novice hurdler last season, Ballyburn can carry the hopes of punters again. He’s had two straightforward wins from three starts over fences, jumping with assurance rather than sparkle, but that should serve him well over this trip. His defeat behind Sir Gino over 2m at Kempton can be easily overlooked, he still finished second, and he’s got the class to come out on top in this field made up exclusively of Irish-based runners.
2.40 – Coral Cup (2m5f)
Experts’ Best Bet: Sandor Clegane
A typically fierce renewal in which market leaders Be Aware, Bunting, Impose Toi and Comfort Zone demand respect but the hardened Sandor Clegane could shine here for Paul Nolan. He was third in the Albert Bartlett here two seasons ago, showed useful form as a novice over fences last time and has been holding his own in graded hurdles recently. He goes handicapping now and is worth a try. At a massive price, Ike Sport isn’t dismissed.
3.20 – Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase (3m6f)
Experts’ Best Bet: Stumptown
This is a handicap again after a decade but top-weight Stumptown could still be a blot. He laughed at Mister Coffey over course and distance in December, hovering alongside for as long as Keith Donoghue wanted before cruising on by. He’s 8lb higher now but that wouldn’t have stopped him then.
4.00 – Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1, 2m)
Experts’ Best Bet: Jonbon
Nicky Henderson will be breathing easier after watching Jango Baie win the Arkle and it can be a two-mile Grade 1 chasing double via Jonbon. He’s proven himself to be the best around in this division this season and his lack of a Cheltenham Festival win isn’t a slight, given the high-class pair that beat him in the Supreme and Arkle. He’s as polished as ever now and will land this if he continues in his recent vein of form.
4.40 – Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase (2m)
Experts’ Best Bet: General Medrano
Last year’s winner Unexpected Party is back for another crack and is just 6lb higher, he is a danger to all but General Medrano is a second-season chaser with a chance. A winner at Newbury in November, he was second at Doncaster in January off a mark of 141 and is only 2lb higher now for Emma Lavelle.
5.20 – Weatherbys Champion Bumper (2m½f)
Experts’ Best Bet: No Drama This End
Irish runners dominate this contest and Willie Mullins in particular, with 13 wins, is a major force. He’s got Copacabana, Gameofinches and Aqua Force as three for starters, while Gordon Elliott’s Kalypso’chance is much respected but perhaps Paul Nicholls can snare this contest at last with No Drama This End. He was an easy winner in his only point and he put away a well touted runner at Warwick on New Year’s Eve in his bumper debut, doing so impressively and in a good time. The Ditcheat team like him and he can carry the Denman silks up the Cheltenham hill.
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