Paddy Brennan's Countdown to Cheltenham - Fact To File the McManus Good Thing

Updated: March 7, 2025 at 10:19 pm GMT+0
Countdown to Cheltenham - Paddy Brennan
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Here at Freebets.com, in the run-up to the 2025 Cheltenham Festival, we'll sit down each week with six-time Festival-winning jockey Paddy Brennan to get his thoughts on the latest Cheltenham news, exclusive insights, and expert analysis.

We have also got some of the best and latest Cheltenham betting offers on the market ahead of the Festival.

The Champion Hurdle - Constitution Hill v Brighterdayshead - we have the race we want. How important could King Of Kingsfield be in the race, though?

Very important - I think King Of Kingsfield needs to go as fast as he can go for as long as he can - and the minute that there's a let up from there, Brighterdaysahead, even though I know it won't be ideal, she's got to press on from there.

She'll have a good look around, but she's got to keep it relentless - and that is your way to beat Constitution Hill.

Kopek Des Bordes - he's odds on for the Supreme, but there are whispers he could go for the Turners (Baring Bingham) - if he was yours, which race would you go for?

A lot of that is speculation on the ground, and obviously, it's very dry here at Cheltenham.

We live locally, but I'd be shocked if he didn't run in the Supreme on Day 1 of the Cheltenham Festival.

I think this could be Willie Mullins's way of saying to get as much water on the track as possible.

But as I say, I'd be shocked if he didn't run in the Supreme.

Is there any more news on Tripoli Flyer?

He's got a chance of running - the way the ground is going, he could run.

And at 20/1, he's got a massive each-way chance.

You look through it now - Willie Mullins has nine of the 17 entries, and he's got over half the field, so they aren't going to all run.

You're looking at nine runners, possibly - I think if you're having a bet, you'd be on Tripoli Flyer for a non-runner, no bet - at 20/1, it's a no-brainer.

JP McManus has got an unbelievable team for next week. Who do you think is his best chance of a winner?

His best chance of a winner is Fact To File in the Ryanair on Day 3 of the Cheltenham Festival.

I think he'll love the ground. He'll love that Il Est Francais is in the race, which means a really strong pace.

He looks to me like a horse that wants that - he has a very high cruising speed.

JP McManus has many chances, but for me, he's the one I think is his best chance of landing a winner.

Funny enough, the next question literally is that - The Ryanair could be an absolute cracker with Il Est Francais now a potential runner alongside Fact To File.

It'll be a great race - you want a horse like Il Est Francais in the race, and you want a horse like that in a Cheltenham race, just to put the pace in a race.

This is really what it's all about, to watch horses going around 30-plus miles an hour over fences. This is some sight, and it'll be a hell of a race to watch.

The Changing Man in the Ultima looks absolutely chucked in. Do you fancy him?

To say he's chucked in, I'm not so sure, but I think he's got a good chance in a very open race.

I like the Twiston-Davies horse Broadway Boy - he put in a disappointing run last time, but they're really sweet on him, and I could see him going off favourite.


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Paddy Brennan

Paddy Brennan

Paddy Brennan is a retired National Hunt jockey and six-time Cheltenham Festival winner, best known for his 2010 Gold Cup victory aboard Imperial Commander. Since retiring in 2024, he has remained influential through punditry and racing analysis.

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