Cheltenham day 2 tips are coming your way, and this time, it’s Brown Advisory Novices' Chase tips as our expert panel gave us their predictions for the 14:00 race on day 2 at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival.
The Brown Advisory Novices' Chase is the second race on Wednesday at the Cheltenham Festival. The novice chasers in this race will duel it out over 3 miles with 19 fences to navigate over the trip.
Ahead of this year’s Festival, we assembled a panel of horse racing experts. Namely, BoyleSports Horse Racing Ambassadors Robbie Power and Bryan Cooper, trainer John ‘Shark’ Hanlon, pro punter Johnny Dineen, and Willie Mullins assistant trainer David Casey.
At BoyleSports 2025 Cheltenham Festival Preview Night, hosted by David Jennings of the Racing Post, our panel of horse racing experts discussed in-depth all of the key betting angles for each race of the Cheltenham Festival, including the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase.
Watch their preview of the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase in the video below, and you can continue scrolling down to read each panellist’s tips and add them to your bet slip.
Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase Odds – 2025 Cheltenham Festival – 14:00 Race on Wednesday, Day 2
Horse | Odds | Chance |
|---|---|---|
Ballyburn | 11/10 | 47.6% |
Dancing City | 4/1 | 20% |
Better Days Ahead | 5/1 | 16.7% |
Gorgeous Tom | 11/1 | 8.8% |
Stellar Story | 12/1 | 7.7% |
Quai De Bourbon | 14/1 | 6.7% |
Lecky Watson | 16/1 | 5.9% |
Brown Advisory Novices' Chase Tips & Preview
John ‘Shark’ Hanlon
Ballyburn will win. I think he’ll win.
The horse that I’d also give a chance to is Lecky Watson he was 4th in the 2023 Champion Bumper and he ran well last year [finished 5th, 8L behind Stellar Story in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle]. He’s a horse that has been around Cheltenham twice, and he’s a big price that will get into place money.
John ‘Shark’ Hanlon Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase Tip: Ballyburn – 11/10
Ballyburn – 11/10
Johnny Dineen
Ballyburn has a good chance that’s all. I wouldn’t be backing him now. Look, the fact that Paul Townend is going to be on him is a big help. It’s not that deep a race I don’t think. I wouldn’t back him now.
If the ground came up slow I’d probably go with Dancing City, I’d say the softer the ground the better a chance he has. Ballyburn is not the finished article as a chaser, just yet anyway. The fact that he’s going to be the stable selected is a big pointer to his chance. I personally think something will beat him but I wouldn’t be saying for certain that he won’t win there either.
Johnny Dineen’s Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase Tip: Dancing City – 4/1
Dancing City – 4/1
David Casey
I think Ballyburn is definitely the best horse in the race. My fear would be that going 3 miles, whether he would run a little bit too keen, especially if the ground got very heavy. I think he’s definitely the classiest horse in the race.
If it got very soft that brings Dancing City into it hugely. Lecky Watson has a chance. Better Days Ahead didn’t impress me the other day, and outside of that the rest will probably struggle a tad.
If it turned into a real, real slog and Ballyburn was keen on soft ground it could just tell up the hill.
David Casey’s Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase Tip: Ballyburn – 11/10
Ballyburn – 11/10
Robbie Power
I think Ballyburn is crying out for this trip. Heavy ground is unlikely, and we wouldn’t want that.
Henry de Bromhead has a horse in this race called Gorgeous Tom he was just beaten in the Drinmore [Novices’ Chase at Fairyhouse on December 1st] over 2-and-a-half miles coming flying home. I think he’s crying out for 3 miles. If he gets good ground at 20/1 (now into 11/1) he should definitely be backed each way. Good ground is important.
Robbie Power’s Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase Tip: Gorgeous Tom – 11/1
Gorgeous Tom – 11/1
Bryan Cooper
I just think that Ballyburn might do too much. It’s a tough race, it’s a grueler. He’ll need to settle for the first mile and a half or 2 miles and if he doesn’t he won’t get up the hill.
I think with Dancing City the race is suited to him better. He looks a real stamina type of horse.
I was surprised, I actually thought Croke Park (NR) had a chance and he’s not getting the recognition he deserves, he’s won 2 grade ones this year. He was only 2-and-a-half lengths behind Ballyburn over 2m 5f around Leopardstown but Gordon Elliott said he might go to Aintree.
Out of Willie Mullins’ horses, I’d back Dancing City over Ballyburn.
Bryan Cooper’s Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase Tip: Dancing City – 4/1
Dancing City – 4/1
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