Sean Bowen Cheltenham Festival 2025 day one blog

With Cheltenham 2025 kicking off on March 11, Sean Bowen shares his latest blog with Coral, previewing rides and giving his thoughts on some of day one's big races.

Olly Murphy’s horses have just been in tremendous form all season, and it was a brilliant training performance to get Go Dante back to his best to defend his crown in the Imperial Cup. We have had a big race winner on the last two Saturdays, so it is nice to go into Cheltenham with a bit of confidence.

It is a competitive four days, and everybody goes there with high expectations. To ride a winner this week would just be simply amazing.

He was victorious at Cheltenham earlier this season, and it is nice to be on a horse with course form, as you just know they are going to get up the hill.

He is a hardy horse that has been there and done it. I do think he will need to step up on what he has shown recently, but he stays well and hopefully, he can run into the placings at the end of the contest.

I am really looking forward to riding Resplendent Grey. He has some graded novice form, which not many of these have. We probably could have had him better at Sandown where he was second behind Grandstand. He was then flat to the boards over 2m4½f at Cheltenham last time.

This is a big step up in trip, but I do think he stays well. He has plenty of experience for a novice. I’d say this is one of the rides I am excited about the most about this week.

It is a fascinating race now, with Brighterdaysahead taking on Constitution Hill. I don’t think the latter is a certainty by any stretch of the imagination. Brighterdaysahead is a very good mare, and she will be getting 7lb here. If Gordon’s other horse can take her far enough in the race, she has a massive chance. The race relies on the pacemaker for the mare.

It has been great to see Constitution Hill back this season, but this is his toughest test yet of the campaign, and if he wins well, we will all be applauding how good he is.

Day one of the Cheltenham Festival is often the Willie Mullins show. He looks to have a great chance of getting off to a fast start with Kopek Des Bordes (Supreme Novices’ Hurdle) and Majborough (Arkle). I’d love to be on either of those two horses.

I also think The Changing Man has a great chance in the Ultima Handicap Chase. I loved his victory at Ascot last time. It would be amazing for Brendan Powell and Joe Tizzard if he could win the first big handicap of the week.

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