The Cheltenham Christmas Meeting of 2025 gets underway on Friday, 12 December with a cracking card headlined by the Turners Handicap Chase. This Premier Handicap uses the same course and distance as the Gold Cup. Supporting races on the opening day of this fixture include Cross Country action, a superb National Hunt novice hurdle and other handicaps.
It provides great variety for punters looking for some Friday fancies. Leading online Cheltenham bookmakers have some competitive contests to price up. We asked our experts to get their teeth into all that’s going on at Prestbury Park, which gets underway at just after midday. Either of the opening two races could threaten to steal the show.
Later on the Cheltenham Christmas Meeting 2025 day 1 card, there’s a veterans only race over the middle-distance of two-and-a-half miles. That allows some old favourites to strut their stuff one more time at the home of jumps racing. Finding winners is what our experts do each and every week, so they assess the fields and identify horse they feel could improve or look well-handicapped.
That’s what it’s all about. There are plenty of past Cheltenham winners taking part in these festive races, so we can help you narrow things down. Form study, age and/or ratings profile and previous performances from Prestbury Park all play their part in arriving at decisions. See who our experts fancy for this particular Friday card below…
Cheltenham Christmas Meeting 2025 Day 1 Preview for Friday, 12 December
12:05 – 2m 179y Class 2 National Hunt Novice Hurdle
David Pipe’s mare is a Listed bumper winner whose Chepstow success last time has been franked by the runner-up and third landing races since. Kingston Queen could well have the class to handle this shorter trip. The runners from big stables highlighted above all pose credible threats, however, alongside course bumper second Our Boy Stan. Ben Pauling’s charge gone one better twice since that track debut at Cheltenham races in January.
There are other last time out winners in the line-up. Huntingdon specialist Glance At Midnight has more on his plate here. Harry Fry’s Sherminator must defy a racecourse absence of 277 days, but doesn’t have a penalty for his Junior National Hunt hurdle victories. Over from Ireland is Mullaghglass, but he didn’t beat much in an amateur jockeys only maiden at Thurles for Andrew Slattery.
12:40 – 2m 4f 127y Class 2 Novice Chase
A great turn of foot 🏇💨
CALIFET EN VOL quickens up well to win the Listed Sidney Banks Memorial Novices’ Hurdle under @NdeBoinville for trainer @sevenbarrows and @McNeill_Family 🥇
💻 Tote Win: £2.25 💰@Huntingdon_Race | 🔞 https://t.co/isLAft11QP pic.twitter.com/J5qYvnkHTy
— Tote (@ToteRacing) February 6, 2025
Henderson has an excellent recent record in this event at the Cheltenham Christmas Meeting with four victories since 2016. He landed it with a chasing debutant in Jango Baie 12 months ago and CALIFET EN VOL appeals to follow suit. The form of his Listed success over hurdles in the Sidney Banks around Huntingdon has worked out particularly well. Califet En Vol beat three horses that have up into winning chasers.
Fergal O’Brien saddles the first past the post from the Classic Novices’ Hurdle from Festival Trials Day in Sixmilebridge. He won his bow over fences without convincing up at Ayr. Better jumping of the Cheltenham fences is essential here. The same stable also has Tintintin, but he pulled up around Lingfield when switched to this discipline and that’s not exactly encouraging.
Skelton goes chasing with Royal Infantry, but he needed three goes to win a British Point. He didn’t seem to get up the hill here in a 2m 5f handicap hurdle on the Old Course last month. A tongue tie goes on Royal Infantry to aid his breathing. He lacks the same potential as Califet En Vol, who placed between the flags in Ireland before joining Seven Barrows.
1:15 – 2m 179y Class 3 Handicap Hurdle (0-140)
Also of interest is Fergal O’Brien inmate Leloopa, successful during The Showcase here in October. A 6lb rise for that victory in a conditional jockeys’ race is almost entirely offset by jockey Tom Broughton being able to claim 5lb off his back. Sharp Novices’ Hurdle winner Fortune De Mer is also still feasibly handicapped for Skelton off 127, meanwhile.
He just got up here in the autumn, but the target is the County Hurdle at the Festival. Where it becomes difficult for a punting perspective with Fortune De Mer is knowing whether connections are having a go here en route or if this is just a stepping stone as part of the qualification process for the big pot over course and distance in March.
Course bumper winner Kel Du Large is lurking off bottom weight for Jane Williams. At the other end of the handicap, topweight Iberico Lord seems to have lost his way, but could come forward for his reappearance ninth in the Greatwood here last month. He drops markedly in class for Henderson and leading owner JP McManus. The others don’t appeal much.
1:50 – 3m 2f 70y Turners Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap)
King Turgeon lands the hat-trick of wins impressively at Cheltenham under @jacktudor9 🏆
A young horse improving quickly for David Pipe.pic.twitter.com/vOef4Q9bol
— Stephen R Power (@racingblogger) December 13, 2024
Worst effected is Sean Bowen’s mount Herakles Westwood for the in-form Warren Greatrex yard. Racing from 9lb out of the handicap puts him 10lb higher than his November Meeting second last time. It looks a big ask. Irish raiders Blaze The Way (still a maiden over fences) and The Short Go run from 2lb out of the weights for Maggie Mullins and Henry De Bromhead respectively.
The two that appeal most are HENRY’S FRIEND and KING TURGEON. Pauling trains the former and, although behind The Short Go in the Ultima here from the Cheltenham Festival result in March, he has won over this trip before. That came in the Mandarin at Newbury. Henry’s Friend also landed the Sodexo Gold Cup around Ascot on reappearance and only has 3lb more to carry now.
With L’Homme Presse framing the handicap, he has a nice racing weight of 10st 12lb. King Turgeon, meanwhile, is effective 3lb higher than when landing this very race 12 months ago. While he didn’t win the Grand Sefton again en route for Pipe, that was his reappearance over the Grand National fences this season and he should strip fitter for it here.
Soft ground is a concern for Alan King’s The Doyen Chief, while Tom Lacey runner Cruz Control has had success over fences on flat tracks like Aintree and Newcastle. Course regular Gowel Road jumps fences for the first time in three years.
2:25 – 2m 4f 127y Class 2 Middle Distance Veterans’ Chase Series Handicap Chase (0-150)
What a jump at the last!
A beautiful round from the 11-year-old Eldorado Allen 👏 @TizzardRacing pic.twitter.com/uBveo9egbQ
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) November 14, 2025
Elsewhere, it was two years ago on the Cheltenham race cards when Fugitif had his moment in the sun. He landed the December Gold Cup off a mark of 151 when nabbing Il Ridoto on the line. Richard Hobson’s charge has now slipped down the handicap to just 143. Charlie Maggs takes a further 5lb off with his claim and it’d be no surprise if Fugitif took a big step forward from finishing fifth behind Eldorado Allen.
Courtland saw his neck second at Sandown franked when Twig came out and just hung on in the Becher Chase last weekend, so he’s a contender off an unchanged mark. Le Milos seems very in and out for the Skelton stable, while Laura Morgan’s Whistleinthedark has a 5lb rise to contend with for his ready Carlisle success in a lower grade.
Like many of these, Torn And Frayed perhaps wants a bit further for the local Twiston-Davies yard. Can You Call split Eldorado Allen and Fugitif when third in November, but unlike then Evan Williams’ charge finds himself racing from 3lb out of the handicap. John McConnell saddles elder statesman Seddon, rising 13, and completes the line-up.
3:00 – 3m 5f 56y Class 2 Glenfarclas Crystal Cup Cross Country Handicap Chase
What a wonderful race 🫶
Busselton is inspired under JJ Slevin en route to a stunning success in the Mongey Communications La Touche Cup! 🏆
What a buzz, too, for Joseph O’Brien and owners, the Friendship Partnership 💥 pic.twitter.com/gK5DL5yisx
— Punchestown (@punchestownrace) May 1, 2025
After dropping 6lb in the weights since his first foray into Cross Country, last season’s sixth and La Touche Cup hero BUSSELTON looks a good bet here. Trained in Ireland by Joseph O’Brien, he bested subsequent Risk Of Thunder hero Desertmore House in the big one at Punchestown in the spring. Busselton is a stronger horse for his experience of this discipline, runs in a first-time visor and JJ Slevin takes the ride again.
Iceo Madrik parted company with his rider at the third obstacle during the Cheltenham Christmas Meeting 12 months ago, so comes over from France looking to give a proper account of himself. David Cottin also runs Placenet, who hasn’t any race experience of the banks, ditches and hedges. Similar comments apply to Emmet Mullins newcomer J’Arrive De L’Est.
Such horses have more scope for further progress as opposed to veterans like Latenightpass and Mister Coffey, who seems to finish second an awful lot. Gordon Elliott sends Favori De Champdou into this discipline for the first time, so that one is probably best watched. Gavin Cromwell saddles Final Orders and Peaches And Cream, but his runners are still struggling to find form.
Statuario is 10lb lower in the weights than when fourth over course and distance in November 2024. Amirite has a go at this for De Bromhead, but the stable’s form is a concern. Vital Island knows the Punchestown banks like the back of his hand, but has only visited Cheltenham once and was well-beaten two years ago in this race. Aged 13, he’s the oldest horse on show.
3:35 – 2m 7f 213y Class 2 Handicap Hurdle
Tranquil Sea, meanwhile, qualified for the Pertemps Final with his Market Rasen second the last day. An unchanged mark of 123 is nowhere near enough to actually make the final cut for the big Festival Premier Handicap on the Cheltenham schedule, so he needs to perform and climb the weights significantly to get a run in March. Similar comments apply to Lihyan, behind Tranquil Sea for Rebecca Menzies last time.
Topweight Long Draw needs the ground to dry out to be at his best for Olly Murphy. This is because he’s a staggering 17lb higher in the handicap than when landing this very at the Cheltenham Christmas Meeting 12 months ago. Long Draw has the Pertemps Final as a long-term target after only being a reserve last season, so connections won’t want to leave themselves badly handicapped for it.
Mel Rowley’s Kyntara finished second at the 2024 Festival off his current mark, so should be there or thereabouts again. As a nine-year-old, however, he looks vulnerable to younger legs. Martin Keighley is another Cheltenham local trainer and combines with son Freddie with Pike Road. He’s won around Hexham before, so handles uphill climbs after a 5lb rise for his Uttoxeter success the last day.
