Cheltenham Festival Wednesday Cheat Sheet: Best bets plus Paul Nicholls and Rachael Blackmore

• Betfair Cheat Sheet for day two of Cheltenham Festival 2025 after a pair of winners on Tuesday

• Expert tipster Daryl Carter landed four winners on Day 1

• Get picks for every race on Wednesday of the Festival including the Champion Chase

• Get our tipsters' best bets and our ambassadors' insight

• Check out our 2025 Cheltenham Festival HUB

• Get a completely free bet every day of the Cheltenham Festival with Betfair

• Gamble responsibly with Betfair during the 2025 Cheltenham Festival

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Cheltenham Day 2 Superboost

Last year's Gallagher Novices' Hurdle winner Ballyburn is back in action on Wednesday looking to make it two from two at the Cheltenham Festival and Betfair have a very generous Superboost on him to win the Grade 1 Brown Advisory Novices' Chase at 14:00 today!

You can back him at the super-boosted price of 6/42.50  from 8/131.61 to win the second race on the card this afternoon. To take advantage, just click on the odds in the below bet banner to go directly to the pre-loaded betslip.

*Please note. This superboost is provided by the Betfair Sportsbook and not by any of our tipsters or writers. You can read about all of Betfair's offer on every day of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival right here.

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Racing... Only Bettor. Cheltenham Day 2. Watch Now!

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Cheltenham Festival Day Two Tips and Insight

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Turners Novices' Hurdle, 13:20, Cheltenham - Mark Milligan says: Final Demand can prove he is a class above

Mark Milligan: "Sometimes in betting it pays to not stray too far from the obvious, so I'm keeping it simple in the first two races at Cheltenham on Wednesday and siding with a pair of Willie Mullins-trained runners who should both take plenty of beating.

"Patrick Mullins is on record as saying Final Demand is one of the yard's strongest fancies of the week and it's hard to disagree with him based on the evidence of this one's two runs to date under rules.

"A winning pointer, the selection made a smooth transition to hurdling when bolting up in a maiden at Limerick in December, putting plenty of daylight between himself and a pair of subsequent winners.

"He was arguably even more impressive when clearing right away in Grade 1 company at Leopardstown on his next start, again putting plenty of daylight between himself and his 11 rivals for no more than vigorous hand riding.

"Regular readers of this column will know I also hold The New Lion in high regard, and he joined the J P McManus battalions for big money having sauntered home in the Challow at Newbury last time.

"As good as he looked that day, though, taking on Final Demand is a whole new kettle of fish and I'm not entirely convinced he'll prove up to it."

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Brown Advisory Novices' Chase, 14:00, Cheltenham - Daryl Carter says: Ballyburn my best bet of the meeting

Daryl Carter: "Ballyburn - 1/12.00 on the Betfair Sportsbook - has been less popular simply because of his defeat to the outstanding Sir Gino over a trip too short. Last year's Turners Novice Hurdle winner over 2m5f was spoken of as a future Gold Cup prospect, and that's precisely what he is. He is the horse in this field that will be running in a Gold Cup next year, and he is entirely unexposed over stamina trips.

"There is no doubt about his stamina; the drying ground also benefits him. He is the class act, the only horse in the field to reach a rating worthy of the Grade 1 status of this race, and he has plenty more to offer yet.

"If the National Hunt Chase conditions hadn't been changed, Dancing City would be in along with Stellar Story. Better Days Ahead's 2024 Martin Pipe hasn't worked out as well as one would like, and the sheer fact that he ran in a handicap instead of a Grade 1 last year is enough to put me off.

"Gorgeous Tom could influence this and follow the selection home, but Ballyburn is the best bet of the week and any bigger than EVENS, and he would rate an even stronger point staked selection.

"*Ballyburn was advised on the Cheltenham Focus Column at 5/16.00 and 7/24.50."

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Coral Cup, 14:40, Cheltenham - Timeform says: Back Dan Skelton to land another Coral Cup

Timeform: "Skelton faces another strong challenge from Mullins in the Coral Cup (14:40) but there's no-one better in Britain at readying one for the Festival handicaps and he can come out on top in this contest with Be Aware. Still lightly raced, Be Aware looks to have been laid out for this after performing well in two other hot handicaps before Christmas.

"Returning at Cheltenham in November, Be Aware ran a cracker in the Greatwood Hurdle, still having plenty to do two out but keeping on well to go down by half a length to all-the-way winner Burdett Road. While he was beaten further in the Ladbroke Hurdle at Ascot the following month, Be Aware shaped a good deal better than his well-held third behind Fiercely Proud and Kabral du Mathan would suggest. After a mistake two out, Be Aware was six lengths down when hampered by a faller at the last.

"Runner-up on his only try beyond two miles last season, Be Aware will be suited by the return to this longer trip. He heads the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings by 1 lb in this huge field and can give his trainer a third consecutive Coral Cup after Langer Dan was successful in the last two renewals."

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Cross Country Handicap Chase, 15:20, Cheltenham - Kevin Blake says: This has been Bussleton's target all year

Kevin Blake: "The Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase (15:20) will be a very different race this year having been reverted to a handicap after many years as a conditions race. It is likely to reward horses that have been well campaigned and trained to peak on this day. One that fits that bill is the Joseph O'Brien-trained Busselton.

"The eight-year-old has plenty of class back in his form having won the Kerry National off a mark of 142 as a five-year-old in 2022. While he hasn't recaptured that level of form since, he has had his attentions turned to cross-country racing in recent starts and it seems to have sparked him up no end.

"He shaped particularly well behind Stumptown in December, jumping the unique obstacles well. This race has been his target and with blinkers reapplied, he looks set to run very well."

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Queen Mother Champion Chase, 16:00, Cheltenham - Rachael Blackmore says: Captain Guinness looking for back to back Festival wins

Rachael Blackmore: "Captain Guinness gave us a fantastic day on this day last year when he won the Queen Mother Champion Chase. It was obviously a brilliant race to win, and he was very good on the day.

"He comes into the race this year a little under the radar. He hasn't managed to win yet this season, but we know that he always runs well at Cheltenham. As well as winning the Champion Chase last year, he finished second to Energumene in the race in 2023. 

"Also, he finished third behind Shishkin in the Arkle as a novice, and he was brought down at the second last flight when he was travelling well in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle. He's in good form and I'm looking forward to seeing how he goes."

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Grand Annual, 16:40, Cheltenham - Katie Midwinter says: Jazzy Matty can make it two wins at the Festival

Katie Midwinter: "Former Cheltenham Festival winner Jazzy Matty, who recorded an 18/119.00 success in the juvenile handicap on a memorable day under Michael O'Sullivan here in 2023, could provide a poignant victory at this meeting now over fences.

"This season, the six-year-old has been performing consistently well over the larger obstacles following a fall on his chasing debut at Wexford. He was able to bounce back to win at the same venue on his following start, before finishing third to the talented Gorgeous Tom.

"At Sligo in October, Jazzy Matty beat Space Tourist, staying on well over the 2m5f trip, before performing with credit when narrowly beaten by Path d'Oroux here over two miles on his latest chase start.

"On the basis of that effort, and considering the fact he has the scope for further progression still at a young age, Jazzy Matty can be competitive from a mark of 135. He's proven himself at the Festival in the past and has had a run over hurdles in January which should set him up nicely for this assignment.

"There's enough substance in his form to believe he's a horse worth keeping on side. This trip at Cheltenham should suit him nicely, particularly considering the fact he has proven stamina over further which will hold him in good stead in the closing stages."

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Champion Bumper, 17:20, Cheltenham - Paul Nicholls says: Hopeful of a big run for No Drama This End

Paul Nicholls: "We do like No Drama This End who won his only Point-to-Point for Will Biddick and looked very good when successful on his bumper debut at Warwick at the end of December. 

"He worked nicely on an away day a fortnight ago though in an ideal world I'd prefer softer ground for him at Cheltenham.

"This is a big step up in class for No Drama This End but as long as there is soft in the going description and it does not dry out too much he will take his chance. I'm hopeful he will run very well."

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Now read more Cheltenham Festival tips and previews here.

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