Cheltenham tips are on the agenda, and this time around, it’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle tips as our expert panel gave us their predictions for the 2025 Cheltenham Festival opener.
Ahead of this year’s Festival, we assembled an expert panel of; 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, the 5-strong panel of horse racing experts discussed in-depth all of the key betting angles for each race of the Cheltenham Festival.
Watch the preview of the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle with the video below, and you can continue scrolling down to read each panellist’s tips and add them to your bet slip.
Supreme Novices’ Hurdle Odds – 2025 Cheltenham Festival
Horse | Odds | Chance |
|---|---|---|
Kopek Des Bordes | 8/11 | 57.9% |
The New Lion | 5/1 | 16.7% |
Romeo Coolio | 6/1 | 14.3% |
Salvator Mundi | 6/1 | 14.3% |
Workahead | 9/1 | 10% |
William Munny | 10/1 | 9.1% |
Irancy | 12/1 | 7.7% |
Kiss Will | 14/1 | 6.7% |
Tripoli Flyer | 16/1 | 5.9% |
Karbau | 18/1 | 5.3% |
Bar | 20/1 | 4.8% |
Supreme Novices’ Hurdle Tips & Preview
David Casey
Kopek Des Bordes did surprise me at the Dublin Racing Festival. I thought he’d win, but I didn’t expect him to do it the way he did. I think a couple of things went wrong for him. He was keen, and obviously then the loose horse seemed to take him on. And I thought that would end him then as they looked to go a strong pace all the way, but when he turned in, he just seemed to pick up again and kept the gallop and jumped a whole lot better than he did at Christmas. I was hugely impressed by it. And as I say, hopefully, he goes in it, and now he’s looking like the one to beat.
He was a bit buzzy at Christmas, he did a lot wrong at Christmas. At home, he’s pretty relaxed. The odd day he can be a bit buzzy but I’ve been riding him out the last few days and he’s been very quiet to me. I’m hoping with a couple of days away at Christmas and at the Dublin Racing Festival, which are pretty busy race meetings anyway, that he’ll be ok. And I think once he gets on the track, he’ll be fine.
I suppose on the performance that he put up at the Dublin Racing Festival he would be the one to beat in this race.
I think Salvator Mundi will improve a huge amount for his run in Punchestown. And I know Kieran Callan, who rides him out every day at home, he just mentioned to me yesterday that he’s absolutely flying. And he would improve immensely from better ground as well. He’s had the experience; he went there [to Cheltenham] last year and ran in the Triumph Hurdle. He won his maiden, which was no race, but he done well to win at Punchestown. Again, he did a whole pile wrong. It was his first run of the year; he was very fresh and didn’t jump as well. Paul was trying to get him relaxed, and it didn’t work, but I think off a stronger pace, nicer ground, I think it’ll be a much easier ride. He’s a strong contender.
The Willie Mullins Batallion
They are all good horses in their own right. Karniquet was 2nd the last day behind Kopek Des Bordes, he dropped in because he was too keen at Christmas, he stayed on to run well.
Kiss Will and Funiculi Finicula have only won maidens, but I think they are decent horses. We’ve got 5 or 6 of them in the same boat. Karbau as well won a maiden, Kappa Jy Pyke was the same. They’ll be split up; some between the Turners and some will run here, but they are all decent horses in their own right.
Kel Histoire was second to Salvator Mundi in the Moscow Flyer. I think he’ll improve again, he might be one that’ll want a bit further distance as well. I think we’re strong in the race, they’re all decent horses. If you didn’t have the top two, you’d be going in thinking you had a little squeak with the others.
The gap between Kopek Des Bordes at 8/11 and Salvator Mundi at 6/1 is probably not as big as the betting would suggest. However, from what I’ve seen at the moment, if I were offered a ride in the race, I would ride Kopek Des Bordes.
David Casey Supreme Novices’ Hurdle Tips:
Salvator Mundi – 6/1 (good value)
Kopek Des Bordes – 8/11 (most likely winner)
Salvator Mundi – 6/1
Johnny Dineen
I’d agree with David that Kopek Des Bordes shouldn’t be as short as 4/5 for this race. He’s a horse that looked fizzy, particularly the last day at the Dublin Racing Festival, and a horse that runs away in the middle of races the way he did. He had no right to win as easily as he did, being so free.
Rarely would you see a horse run as free as he did and actually win as easily as he did afterwards. I mean, it was a grade one, now it wasn’t the best grade one ever, but he was impressive at the same time. I do fancy him if he can reproduce that effort but the fact that he could maybe spoil his chance before the race, could run free in a race, it’s going to be a way better race, I’d leave him go at even money or 4/5. I think not every box is ticked with him, I’ll put it that way.
There are 10 even-money chances running a day so you don’t have to go for the favourite in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at even money to back one. He’s like a horse where you just wouldn’t know what he’ll do over there. He has to eat and settle in and all that kind of stuff. He looks a small bit volatile to me. He doesn’t look like that calm of a horse and for a horse to run away with a jockey. He’s done that a couple of times and he’s only run twice over hurdles. Ok, his jumping was much better the second time but I just wouldn’t back him at the price that he is. In a race that there is quite a few goodish horses in it obviously.
Look, I expect him to probably win, but if I were backing him there’s no way I’d back him now anyway. I would watch him in the parade ring and go to the start because he’ll never be much shorter than the price he is now anyway. What price can he be? He can’t be like 2/5. He’s going to be 4/5 or 8/11 no matter what. So as regards to backing him now, there’s no way in the world I’d touch him now at even 6/4. But if he did do everything right and the ground is on the slow side, I’d expect him to win, alright. However, as regards to backing him now, he’s probably a bad price because he’s never going to be much shorter than he is now.
Johnny Dineen’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle Tips:
Kopek Des Bordes – 8/11 (most likely winner but if backing him would wait until closer to the race to do so)
John ‘Shark’ Hanlon
Kopek Des Bordes is a good thing for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. Salvator Mundi is more of a 2-and-a-half-mile horse. Kopek Des Bordes is a much faster horse. He didn’t jump great in Leopardstown with Patrick [Mullins] on him but Paul [Townend] will be on him, and that’ll be the difference. Listen, he’s a good thing.
I think Barry Connell’s horse (William Munny) that won at Punchestown will be 2nd, he’d probably be each-way value, but I think Kopek Des Bordes is a good thing.
John ‘Shark’ Hanlon’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle Tips:
Kopek Des Bordes – 8/11 (a good thing)
William Munny – 10/1 (each-way value)
William Munny – 10/1
Robbie Power
William Munny was very impressive in his last run at Punchestown. I think very soft ground suited him, he looked to really gallop through that ground today. If the ground turns up soft at Cheltenham, he’ll have an each-way chance definitely. He was quite keen today as well at Punchestown.
I think Kopek Des Bordes is definitely the best horse in the race, but he does have to do a few things right. He’s been doing things wrong, he won’t win a Supreme Novices’ Hurdle doing things the wrong way. Gordon [Elliott] thought Romeo Coolio won an ordinary grade one in Leopardstown at Christmas, but he’s a very straightforward horse and does things right. A strong pace will definitely suit him. I think he’s good value at 11/2 (now 6/1).
Workahead is definitely good value at 12/1 each-way (now into 9/1). He jumped really well; he has a good strong cruising speed and stays well. Before Kopek Des Bordes came out, I wasn’t excited about any of the novice hurdlers, and he really impressed me at Leopardstown, but he has to do things right at Cheltenham to win.
Robbie Power’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle Tips:
Workahead – 9/1 (best value each way)
Kopek Des Bordes – 8/11 (most likely winner)
Workahead – 9/1
Bryan Cooper
If I were still riding, the horse I’d like to ride here would be Kopek Des Bordes . I just thought there was that bit of a wow factor about him. He still looked very immature in what he was doing throughout the race, but his natural ability seems to be incredible.
I can’t see there being a massive field in this despite the big entries. Willie [Mullins] will probably have 3 to 4, Henry [de Bromhead] will have 2, other than that there might be 12 runners which might suit Kopek Des Bordes. You could see Paul Townend maybe buck out and let him go and get his own way in front.
I can see Salvator Mundi running a lot better. I don’t think Paul Townend allowed him to jump at Punchestown; he was trying to teach him how to settle, and he got into the bottom of his hurdles. He’ll step up.
But I think if the preliminaries don’t get ahead of Kopek Des Bordes , it’s going to be another of a tour kind of job. I think there’s just some wow factor there.
Bryan Cooper’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle Tip: Kopek Des Bordes – 8/11 (has the wow factor)
Kopek Des Bordes – 8/11
*Prices are subject to fluctuation.
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