Willie Mullins continues a ruthless pursuit of retaining his UK trainers’ championship at the Cheltenham April Meeting of 2025. The master Irish handler has two runners in the opening day feature, the Grade 2 Silver Trophy, a limited handicap chase on Wednesday, 16 April.
With a mares only card to follow at the Prestbury Park track, there are a lot of handicaps for punters here. These take in both hurdles and fences with some long distance races supporting the Silver Trophy.
Mullins, who has completed an Aintree-Ayr double with the English and Scottish Grand National in consecutive seasons, now turns his attentions here. The favourable Cheltenham results from the Festival last month, including 10 winners, set up another tilt at being champion trainer in Great Britain again.
Set to miss out again is Dan Skelton, who continues to do everything possible to emulate mentor Paul Nicholls. Both of these big yards have horses heading to Prestbury Park in search of prize money, but momentum is firmly with Mullins.
Although the leading Cheltenham betting sites naturally don’t prioritise the April Meeting as much as the Festival, it’s still a showcase. Runners here on perhaps the fastest ground at the track all year need to act on sound surfaces.
We asked our horse racing experts to take a look through the Wednesday card and see what caught their eye. Read their thoughts on all seven races with detailed analysis.
Cheltenham April Meeting 2025 Preview for Wednesday, 16 April
1:30 – 2m 4f 56y Class 2 Novice Hurdle
Better ground could bring about more from him after scoring in a bumper last spring from useful types Intense Approach and Phantomofthepoints. Dr Eggman’s stable companion Toad Hall probably wants further but is lightly-raced, so joint-topweight Jax Junior looks a danger too.
Lucy Wadham enjoys winners at this fixture and fits a first-time tongue tie to aid her horse’s breathing. Block Rockin Beats has course bumper form here, meanwhile, and Oliver Signy’s runner should appreciate both this trip and the ground. The others have little to recommend them.
2:05 – 2m 4f 56y Class 2 Kingston Stud Handicap Hurdle
The handicapper hasn’t overreacted to Dr Richard Newland’s horse producing a 15-length rout on Merseyside the last day with just a 6lb rise. Typhoon Flyer will love the forecast good going and Luke Scott still takes 3lb off with his claim. Spirits Bay and Royale Margaux are next to the market principals in the Cheltenham odds, but do need to find more.
At a bigger price, Olly Murphy’s Deploy To Spy looks an each-way player. Completely unexposed over this trip, there’s every chance on breeding he will stay it. Sound surfaces are important to Deploy To Spy too and any showers staying away from Prestbury Park only enhance his hopes.
2:40 – 2m 4f 127y Grade 2 Silver Trophy Handicap Chase (Limited Handicap)
With stable companion Classic Getaway framing the handicap for him, O’Moore Park has a lovely racing weight of just 10st 9lb. The former must prove he handles this quicker going, but commands respect alongside last year’s runner-up Hang In There.
Emma Lavelle’s runner is a good ground lover but 6lb higher than 12 months ago. Joe Anderson’s claim is down to 3lb as well. Skelton must decide if turning Riskintheground just five days after he ran up at Ayr is wise.
Regular Cheltenham horses Moon D’Orange, Il Ridoto and Fugitif all know what it takes to win around Prestbury Park. Going or their marks pose questions, though. Bhaloo tends to jump to his right, meanwhile, and that’s a problem here.
3:15 – 3m 4f 21y Class 3 Handicap Chase (0-125)
Yes Day follows up with success in our feature race, the Devon Stayers Handicap Chase, under a perfectly-timed @richiemclernon ride for @oneill_racing pic.twitter.com/XqAmailIfG
— Exeter Racecourse (@ExeterRaces) March 23, 2025
In-form trainer Christian Williams can come away from the Cheltenham April Meeting of 2025 with a winner courtesy of PLANNED PARADISE. Placed behind Transmission here earlier in the season, he has since won at Windsor and finished second to re-opposing rival Yes Day over further around Exeter.
Planned Paradise meets that Jonjo O’Neill runner off 4lb better terms with just a couple of lengths between them the last day. Yes Day is obviously a big threat, but old favourites Northern Poet and Back On The Lash are also worth a closer look. The latter is very well-treated on the pick of his Cross Country course form.
Good ground is also important to Martin Keighley’s Back On The Lash. Mahland is a fascinating steeplechasing debutant for Mel Rowley pitched in over this long distance. Ask Brewster beat that one in a Point-to-Point and is better off at the weights, however, so could confirm form for Evan Williams.
3:50 – 2m 7f 213y Class 2 Handicap Hurdle (0-145)
Long Draw then did the bare minimum to qualify for the Pertemps, but missed out on a place in the Cheltenham schedule for the Final by one. Last year’s winner Zain Nights is almost an entire stone (13lb) higher in the weights, but loves sound surfaces and Wadham has enjoyed recent winners.
Guard The Moon for the local Twiston-Davies stable is better off at the weights with Aintree conqueror Harbour Lake here. Right down the bottom of the handicap, meanwhile, is My Bobby Dazzler who hopes wind surgery sparks a revival. Topweight Dashel Drasher may be one run away from retirement.
4:25 – 3m 2f Class 2 Handicap Chase (0-150)
Last year’s winner Manothepeople is another better off with Moroder for Fergal O’Brien. He could go well, but Grandads Cottage looks unexposed over this trip after a keeping on second around Newbury. Murphy’s horse is actually very lightly-raced for a 10-year-old and could have more to offer.
As for the others, Java Point runs here a lot but seldom wins. Topweight Does He Know hasn’t held his form for the local Kim Bailey yard and What Path is difficult to assess for Keiran Burke. Hymac is second youngest in the field and gets the nod.
5:00 – 2m 179y Class 3 Conditional And Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle (0-135)
The concluding race on day one of the Cheltenham April Meeting 2025 can go to topweight CASA NO MENTO. She came good this time last year for Twiston-Davies with consecutive wins including at Listed level during the Punchestown Festival.
Casa No Mento beat fellow mares now rated 150, 142 and 135 over fences, so her own mark of 134 looks exploitable. Finn Lambert takes 3lb off with his claim too. Ben Clarke has had placed horses in this race in recent years, so Game Colours could go well with Freddie Gingell taking the ride.
O’Brien duo Castel Gandolfo and Liverpool Knight both like good ground, meanwhile. Keighley and son Freddie, who claims 10lb, combine with in-form Continuance, who seeks a hat-trick. It’s a very trappy concluding race to proceedings for punters, that’s for sure.
