We look at the main Cheltenham bankers on day one of the Festival – with four horses to add to your doubles, trebles and accas – can they all win?

You can also see Andy Newton’s best Cheltenham bets and hot stats for ALL the DAY ONE Festival races.

Cheltenham Bankers Day One: Tuesday 11th March 2025 kd4e

Kopek Des Bordes can get punters off to a flyer in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle 4l6l5m

The first banker arrives in the opening race on day one in the form of reigning Cheltenham Festival top trainer Willie Mullins hotpot Kopek Des Bordes.

The five-year-old opened his with an impressive 13-length victory in a Fairyhouse bumper at the end of March 2024 before being stored away ahead of his novice hurdling season.

His first run over obstacles came in a maiden hurdle at Leopardstown on Boxing Day where he pulled hard and jumped poorly throughout, but still managed to get over the line in front and it was evident there was a huge engine under the bonnet.

Saddled by current Cheltenham Festival top jockey Paul Townend, Kopek Des Bordes moved on to the Grade 1 Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival and while he still ran free for a long way, the stronger gallop brought out a huge improvement in the jumping department and he pulled clear around the turn to win by 15 lengths.

Those who were in Dublin that day saw something special unfold before their eyes and if he does things right at Cheltenham, there is simply no beating him.

Does Kopek Des Bordes have some questions to answer? 4z164g

Punters would want a banker to tick all the boxes, however – and Kopek Des Bordes still has a few questions to answer. The nature of a Supreme with its fast pace should see him put his best foot forward, but some are worried regarding the preliminaries.

He is a horse who can work up a sweat before a race but if he can handle the big crowds and cameras looking to get a close look at who could be the next big thing, there shouldn’t be anything in his path.

The only horse who can topple Kopek Des Bordes is himself. If you’re keen to take him on though, there is a key 90% Supreme Novices’ Hurdle trend for him to overcome.

WATCH: Kopek Des Bordes makes easy work of his opposition in the Grade 1 Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle 64p4r

Majborough looks another Cheltenham banker on day one in the Arkle, bar taking a tumble 4f2i3d

The 2025 Arkle Novices’ Chase could see one of the smallest fields in years and Majborough rates as the second Cheltenham Festival banker on Tuesday.

Another Willie Mullins hotpot, last season’s Triumph Hurdle hero has taken very well to chasing following a debut victory over fences at Fairyhouse before Christmas.

At just five years of age, Majborough has the world at his feet and it would take an act of God to get this horse beaten in an Arkle with L’eau Du Sud, Jango Baie, Only By Night and Touch Me Not as his only rivals.

However, his age could also come against him and there is an 18-year-old Arkle Novices’ Chase trend for him to fight off.

Undoubtedly the leading JP McManus Cheltenham Festival runner, the star novice stamped his credentials for this race with an imposing performance in the Grade 1 Irish Arkle at the Dublin Racing Festival last month, taking up the running after the second fence and never looking back.

If you had to pick one horse to put your life on this Cheltenham, Majborough is probably the majority answer.

He has already won at the Cheltenham Festival and the undulating nature of the track undoubtedly suits his running style alongside a stiff finish that will only bring out the best in him.

Majborough would also be giving owner JP McManus his first win in the Arkle and become the first horse EVER to win both the Triumph Hurdle and Arkle at the Festival.

WATCH: Majborough is a sight for sore eyes in the Irish Arkle at Leopardstown 2d356v

Lossiemouth can win back-to-back Mares’ Hurdles after rerouting from the Champion 5f4462

The ‘two-year plan’ for Lossiemouth to contest the Champion Hurdle will have to wait a little while longer as the six-year-old instead heads back to the Mares’ Hurdle seeking back-to-back victories in the race.

After easily brushing Teahupoo aside in the Hatton’s Grace at Fairyhouse in December, Lossiemouth went as short as 6/4 for the Champion Hurdle but following defeat to Constitution Hill in the Christmas Hurdle and a bad fall in the Irish Champion Hurdle, connections are taking an alternative route.

Owner Rich Ricci itted ‘we campaigned her as a Champion Hurdle horse and it hasn’t worked out’ so Lossiemouth will take her chance in the 2½m race 40 minutes before the feature.

She brings undoubtedly the best form into the race ahead of stablemate Jade De Grugy, who finished 4th in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham last year and has shown to be a much better force over a longer trip.

Joyeuse faces a tough task stepping out of handicap company and doubts remain over July Flower’s form who may have benefitted from a pace collapse over Christmas at Leopardstown.

If the fall at the Dublin Racing Festival hasn’t dented her confidence too much, Lossiemouth looks a no-brainer in this race and can add to her growing tally of Cheltenham wins which includes a Triumph Hurdle and last year’s International Hurdle.

WATCH: Lossiemouth wins the 2024 Mares’ Hurdle v1v1s

If Constitution Hill is anywhere near his best, there is no question of who wins the Champion Hurdle – the final of the Cheltenham bankers on day one 2tp2s

Perhaps the leading British hope at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival is Nicky Henderson‘s stable star Constitution Hill, who rates as the third and final banker on day one.

Widely considered one of the greatest hurdlers of all-time, it would be no surprise to see this horse backed off the boards in Tuesday’s feature race.

He has already landed the Champion Hurdle once before in 2023 and put together one of the greatest Supreme performances in history a year prior.

The only niggling doubt for punters which doesn’t make this horse an exact banker is the question over his hardiness and peak ability following a series of health scares over the last year.

Just over a year ago following a disastrous public gallop at Kempton Park, a respiratory infection was identified and he soon suffered a suspected bout of colic before undergoing wind surgery.

Another public gallop went wrong last November, this time revealing lameness ahead of a high-profile return in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle which he was forced to skip.

Constitution Hill returned to win the 2024 Christmas Hurdle 181r1f

The nine-year-old made a winning return in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton, beating fellow Champion Hurdle hopeful Lossiemouth who reportedly didn’t give her true running that day due to a cloud over the Mullins stable.

A month later, Constitution Hill survived a shuddering mistake at the final flight in the International Hurdle at Cheltenham to preserve his unbeaten record and tee up another shot at festival glory in the spring.

Those two runs didn’t exactly answer a whole lot of questions regarding whether the horse can still reach the heights he once has, so to many he still has it all to prove on Champions Day.

Gordon Elliott’s star mare Brighterdaysahead is sure to make it a brutal stamina test out in front off a lead from stablemate King Of Kingsfield.

However, if all is well with Constitution Hill and he is at full health on the day, there is frankly no contest.

WATCH: Constitution Hill wins the 2023 Champion Hurdle 1e3m45

If you wanted to back all four of the day one bankers in a four-fold with the best horse racing betting sites in the UK, you can enjoy odds of around 7/1.

Cheltenham Festival Day One 2025 Details l66e

📅 Date: Tuesday, March 11th 2025
⌚ Race Times: 1:20pm – 5:20pm
🏇 Racecourse: Cheltenham
📺 TV: ITV / Racing TV

See how to watch the Cheltenham Festival 2025 here as well as dates, times and TV channels for all 28 races.