The Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle 2025 at Cheltenham Festival is one of the most competitive handicaps of the week. The race is renowned for producing thrilling finishes, with Irish trainers, Nicky Henderson, and Dan Skelton dominating recent renewals. Below, we analyse the key trends, past winners, and best bets for this year’s race.
📊 Key Trends & Winning Profile
✅ Proven Class: 🏆 The last 7 individual winners had won at least a Listed race.
✅ Distance Specialists: 🏎️ All of the last 10 winners had won over a trip between 2m 2f – 2m 6f.
✅ Cheltenham Experience: ⛰️ 12 of the last 15 winners had run at Cheltenham before.
✅ Big-Race Trainers: 💪 10 of the last 11 were trained by Irish stables, Nicky Henderson, or Dan Skelton.
✅ Lightly Raced Hurdlers: 🔄 Only 6 winners this century had more than 9 hurdle starts before winning.
✅ Handicap Form: 🍀 Only one winner since 2014 had won more than one handicap hurdle.
✅ Ratings Sweet Spot: 📈 15 of the last 16 winners were rated at least 138.
✅ Market Clues: 💰 Only 4 of the last 16 winners returned shorter than 12/1.
✅ Dublin Racing Festival Clues: 🏅 Since 2018, 3 horses placed in the DRF Mares’ Handicap have placed in this race.
✅ Headgear: 💪 4 of the last 6 winners wore some form of headgear.
✅ Course Winners: 🏆 Only 6 winners in history had won at Cheltenham before—4 were trained by Nicky Henderson.
🏅 Recent Winners & Trends Analysis
📅 2025: TBD
📅 2024: Langer Dan (8yo, OR 141, 13/2, 14th in Cl2 Handicap last time).
📅 2023: Langer Dan (7yo, OR 141, 9/1, 8th in G2 Cheltenham race last time).
📅 2022: Commander Of Fleet (8yo, OR 152, 50/1, 3rd in Boyne Hurdle).
📅 2021: Heaven Help Us (7yo, OR 138, 33/1, won DRF Mares’ Handicap).
📅 2020: Dame De Compagnie (5yo, OR 140, 5/1F, won Cheltenham Mares’ Handicap).
🔍 Key Trends: The best guide to finding the Coral Cup winner is to focus on lightly-raced hurdlers, proven performers at Listed+ level, and those with strong Cheltenham Festival or Dublin Racing Festival form.
🎯 Expert Verdict: Who to Bet On?
✅ Prioritize runners aged 6 or 7 unless trained by Gordon Elliott or a previous Cheltenham winner.
✅ Must have won over 2m 2f – 2m 6f, preferably in a Listed+ race.
✅ Handicap form matters, but avoid those with multiple handicap hurdle wins.
✅ Irish trainers, Nicky Henderson & Dan Skelton runners are key contenders.
✅ Respect runners placed at the Dublin Racing Festival.
✅ Avoid runners priced shorter than 12/1 unless they fit multiple trends.
📊 Best Bets for Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle 2025 – Top Selections
| 🏇 Horse | 📉 Odds | 🎯 Trainer | 🔥 Age | 📊 OR | ⭐ RPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kopeck De Mee | 7/1 | W P Mullins | 5 | – | 119 |
| Be Aware | 9/1 | Dan Skelton | 6 | 137 | 139 |
| Wodhooh | 12/1 | Gordon Elliott | 5 | – | 134 |
| Altobelli | 14/1 | Harry Fry | 7 | 147 | 146 |
| Impose Toi | 16/1 | Nicky Henderson | 7 | 141 | 143 |
| Jimmy Du Seuil | 20/1 | W P Mullins | 6 | – | 151 |
| Ballyadam | 16/1 | Henry De Bromhead | 10 | – | 150 |
🏆 Kopeck De Mee and Be Aware fit the strongest trends, with Wodhooh and Impose Toi also appealing. Altobelli represents a solid each-way option.
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