Cheltenham Day 1 Tips & Free Bets - Champions Day Tips
The opening day of the Cheltenham Festival is known as ‘Champions Day’, and its feature race is the Champion Hurdle, which is due off at 3:30pm.
There is a fantastic supporting card, including the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, the Arkle, and the Ultima Handicap.
Get set for the Cheltenham Festival with our Cheltenham Day 1 tips, offers and free bets here!
Cheltenham Day 1 Betting Tips
Day one of the Cheltenham Festival kicks us off in style and we will be here with tips for the first day of action from our resident experts, Alan Kelly and Charlie McCann.
Champion Hurdle - Latest Betting Odds
Check out the latest Champion Hurdle betting odds for 2025 below.
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Cheltenham Festival Day 1 Schedule & Racecards
Check out the full schedule for the opening day of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival.
| Time | Cheltenham Day 1 Races |
|---|---|
| 1:30pm | Supreme Novices’ Hurdle |
| 2:10pm | Arkle Challenge Trophy |
| 2:50pm | Ultima Handicap Chase |
| 3:30pm | Champion Hurdle |
| 4:10pm | Mares’ Hurdle |
| 4:50pm | Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle |
| 5:30pm | National Hunt Chase |
Supreme Novices’ Hurdle
The opening race on day one of the festival, the curtain raiser and tone setter. A race that often throws up a Champion Hurdle prospect for the following year.
Check out our Supreme Novices’ Hurdle tips.
Arkle Challenge Trophy
A fast and furious test of jumping, two miles and the bigger obstacles. Often seen as the stepping stone to Wednesday’s feature race, the Champion Chase, it’s an unmissable race with past winners including Douvan, Altior, and Shishkin.
Check out our Arkle Chase tips.
Ultima Handicap Chase
The first fiercely competitive Cheltenham handicap for punters to solve. This is often a race where a Grand National contender pops up, such as Corach Rambler, who won this race in 2023 before landing the big one at Aintree. Is there another National winner lurking in this year’s lineup?
Check out our Ultima Handicap Chase tips.
Champion Hurdle
The feature race on day one - two miles, a speed test for hurdlers, but the Cheltenham hill also brings stamina into the equation.
Check out our Champion Hurdle tips.
Mares’ Hurdle Betting
Introduced for the girls in 2008, the race has been dominated by Irish-trained horses, including Quevega, who won it for six consecutive years for trainer Willie Mullins.
Check out our Mares’ Hurdle tips.
Boodles Juvenile Handicap Betting
The only four-year-old handicap of the meeting, a race for those not quite good enough to get into the Triumph Hurdle on Friday. Having said that, the quality level of this race has taken a huge turn recently, with numerous Grade One contenders coming from it.
Check out our Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle tips.
National Hunt Chase Betting
The closing race on day one of the meeting, a real stamina test that has in the past provided both Gold Cup and Grand National contenders.
Check out our National Hunt Chase Tips.
Cheltenham Festival Day 1 Overview
The day’s racing starts with the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. The tapes will rise to the customary ‘Cheltenham roar’ at 1:30pm and while everyone will be hoping to back the winner, all will be aware of this race’s reputation as a champion maker.
Altior, Douvan, Vautour and Honeysuckle are all recent winners of the ‘Supreme’, and they came back to the Festival to win races like the Arkle, Queen Mother Champion Chase, and the Ryanair Chase.
The feature race on the opening day is the Champion Hurdle, won by legendary horse racing names, including See You Then, Istabraq, and Hurricane Fly - will State Man land the race this year for Ireland?
Other races on Day 1 of the Festival include the Arkle Challenge Trophy, the Mares’ Hurdle, and the National Hunt Challenge Cup for amateur jockeys, which closes proceedings at 5:30pm.
Get set for the Day 1 action with the latest Cheltenham Free Bets from the top UK bookmakers.
What Happened Last Year?
Relive all the excitement and drama from the opening day of the 2024 Cheltenham Festival.
Cheltenham Day 1 FAQs
Who won the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham?
The 2024 Champion Hurdle was won by State Man, trained by Willie Mullins.
What day is the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham?
The Champion Hurdle is the feature race on the opening day of the four-day Cheltenham Festival. In 2025, it will be on Tuesday, March 11th.
When is the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham?
The Champion Hurdle is the fourth race on the Cheltenham Festival Day 1 card with a scheduled off-time of 3:30pm.
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