Cheltenham Tips & Predictions: Friday's Best Bets & Latest Odds
It's time for day one of the Cheltenham Showcase meeting, and to kick us off we've got a seven race card on Friday.
Great news for those not descending on Prestbury Park, there's five of the seven races live on ITV Racing, and there's plenty of competitive action to enjoy.
With our racecard widget, you'll also get the latest runners and current odds from the best betting sites for each race we look at.
Cheltenham Tips & Best Bets - Friday October 24
I'm going through the card for you today, highlighting my Cheltenham tips and best bets for every race on day one of the meeting.
If you enjoy, I'll be back on Free Bets for day two, offering the same again tomorrow.
Tip 1: 1:15pm Cheltenham - East India Express (EW)
In the opening contest, which looks wide open, East India Express is taken at an each way price to continue the progression we saw from him last season. He rounded off last season with an emphatic success at the April Meeting here, he's 8lb higher, but looked a horse to be on the right side of, even with a rise in the weights.
- Recommendation: East India Express EW at 15/2 (5 Places) with Betfred
Tip 2: 1:50pm Cheltenham - King Of Kingsfield
The novice chase looks a good one, and my pick, King Of Kingsfield comes here with four chase starts under his belt, so plenty of experience. He's won three of those, including a Grade Three race last time out. Fifth in the Champion Hurdle in the spring, his mix of class and jumping experience gives him a great chance of taking this prize back home to Ireland.
- Recommendation: King Of Kingsfield at 5/2 with William Hill
Tip 3: 2:25pm Cheltenham - Torquay Road (EW)
A tightly contested conditional jockeys handicap, wide open but the vote here goes to Torquay Road, an Irish challengers who comes here on the back of two wins from his last two starts. The most recent of those was under Eoin Staples, who rides here, and is one of the more experienced riders in this race. 6lb higher, this is tougher, but I think he's still got some up his sleeve, and the uphill finish here should really play into his strengths.
- Recommendation: Torquay Road (EW) at 9/1 (4 places) with bet365
Tip 4: 3:00pm Cheltenham - Fortune De Mer
There's always been plenty of talk around Fortune De Mer, she's incredibly well thought of, and even when winning at Listed level last year, we were told the best was to come when she went over obstacles. A rather subdued start came three weeks ago at Uttoxeter, third beaten almost five lengths. She looks like she'll come on a ton for that, and I think the fact she's coming here rather than somewhere smaller, still shows she's held in the highest regard. I'll give her a chance to get back on track with a win here.
- Recommendation: Fortune De Mer at 10/3 with Paddy Power
Tip 5: 3:35pm Cheltenham - Traprain Law (EW)
Hopefully we keep three places for each way bets here, and if we do, then Traprain Law is my best bet of the first day at Cheltenham. Second on reappearance at Kelso, he'll come on plenty for that, and I think that was a prep run for this all along. He was a very respectable seventh in the Grand Annual at the 2025 Festival, and he's coming here off a 5lb lower mark now, which makes him dangerous. Yes, he's out of the weights to negate that a little, but I think in a decent, but not top class handicap, he's got an excellent chance to go close.
- Recommendation: Traprain Law (EW) at 7/1 with bet365
Tip 6: 4:10pm Cheltenham - Don Virginia
A really tough to solve novice hurdle, where plenty have a chance, but my selection is Don Virginia for the O'Neil team, with Richie McLernon on board. One of the more experienced runners, and one that has ran this season already, he's a couple of positives over other rivals, which could help him here, even if they go on to be better. A penalty makes life tougher, but his win at Worcester last time was very impressive, and he's deserving of a shot in this better grade.
- Recommendation: Don Virginia at 5/1 with Paddy Power
Tip 7: 4:45pm Cheltenham - Ideal Des Bordes (EW)
A very tough puzzle rounds us off, 18 runners, over three miles and amateur riders on board. There's plenty of proven horses in here, but Ideal Des Bordes is one that brings plenty of potential to the table, and a horse that I think can prove to be better than his current mark. Still with just nine starts under rules, only four over fences, he's got time on his side, and positive reports from the yard suggest they also think there's plenty more to come.
- Recommendation: Ideal Des Bordes (EW) at 11/1 (5 places) with William Hill
More Cheltenham Tips
If you're looking for more horse racing tips then our two on site experts, Charlie McCann and Alan Kelly, both have selections for Friday, including some from Cheltenham.
Both write throughout the week on Freebets, delivering their best bets and race previews for followers.
