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As 2025 firmly kicks into gear, all eyes are on the world of sports. Luke Littler made history just days into the New Year when he became the youngest ever Darts World Champion. Over in America, the gridiron took center stage as the Philadelphia Eagles ransacked the Kansas City Chiefs to obliterate Patrick Mahomes and Co.’s hopes of completing a history-making three-peat of Lombardi trophies.
When it comes to Britain, of course, football’s Premier League and Champions League always feature prominently. But most of the attention at present is locked on the fast-approaching Cheltenham Festival. The four-day spectacle gets underway on March 11th, and there are already plenty of talking points weeks out from the showpiece. Here are the biggest and best of them.
Can Constitution Hill Regain His Champion Hurdle Crown?
Last year, Constitution Hill stole the show at the festival for all the wrong reasons. He was widely favored to successfully claim his second straight Champion Hurdle crown, but on the eve of the festival, he was pulled from action due to a suspected lung infection. Up stepped State Man in his place, winning the race as the newly appointed favorite. Now, the two former champions look set to go head-to-head.
At present, online sports betting sites make the 2023 king the frontrunner. The latest sports betting odds for the day one extravaganza make Constitution Hill the 5/6 favorite, and he will be aiming to build on his reputation as perhaps the best of his generation. The showstopping hurdler enjoyed a jaw-dropping novice season that culminated in his maiden Champion Hurdle success, earning him comparisons to some of the all-time greats. But now, all attention is on reclaiming his crown.
For the reigning champion State Man, however, things are a little murkier. The latest Cheltenham odds currently make him a rank 10/1 outsider to retain his crown, only good enough for a fourth-favorite tag, with Lossiemouth and Brighterdaysahead sandwiched between the two champions. Last year, he had enough about him to fill in for the absent Constitution Hill, but now, the pressure is on to ensure that his 2024 triumph wasn’t just a result of being in the right place at the right time.
More Racing Than Ever with ITV’s Expanded Coverage
Perhaps the best news for racing fans heading into Cheltenham is the fact that ITV is stepping up its game, broadcasting more races than ever before. They have chosen to cover one additional race each day of the festival, up to six daily from the previous five, taking the total number of races broadcast to 24.
This decision comes in response to surging interest in horse racing and a demand for more inclusive coverage of the iconic event. The Cheltenham Festival has grown in stature as a marquee event in British sport, and broadcasters are keen to reflect the festival’s importance. With larger audiences tuning in each year, having an extra live race allows ITV to showcase even more drama, triumph, and heartbreak, offering fans a broader view of the festival.
Galopin Des Champs Eyes History in the Gold Cup
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is the most prestigious prize in National Hunt racing, and Galopin Des Champs stands at the brink of greatness. Having stormed to victory in each of the last two years, the Willie Mullins-trained thoroughbred is bidding to complete a historic hat trick.
Only four horses throughout the 101-year history of the race have ever claimed a three-peat of titles. The brilliant Golden Miller claimed an unprecedented five straight Gold Cups throughout the 1930s, with Cottage Rake following in his footsteps somewhat a decade later, becoming the second horse to claim three straight. Throughout the swinging ’60s, Arkle became the one to beat, winning a hat trick of his own before having a feature race at Cheltenham named after him for his exploits decades later.
Most recently, Jim Culloty’s Best Mate claimed three consecutive Gold Cup wins following the turn of the millennium. He won as a 7/1 outsider in 2002, and the bookies wouldn’t make the same mistake of offering such long odds on his victory in the following years. In 2003, he duly went off as a 13/8 favorite and repeated his heroics, before winning at an even shorter 8/11 the following year.
Now, Galopin Des Champs stands on the precipice. Almost two decades on from Best Mate’s finest hour, the French horse aims to get the job done for a third straight time, and the bookies certainly think that he is up to the task. They have priced him as the 4/5 favorite to complete the three-peat. But with the likes of Fact To File and Gerri Colombe both breathing down his neck, he will certainly have to be at his very best if he is to etch his name into the history books.
