Big upset as Constitution Hill falls

The first day of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival did not disappoint. There were some big races featuring some popular horses like Constitution Hill, Jonbon, Majborough and Lossiemouth. They were heavily backed by punters, but it was a very mixed day for those placing bets as the bookies claimed some big scalps in some of the most backed races. One of the biggest shocks of the day involved Constitution Hill, who fell in the Champion Hurdle.

Here’s the lowdown and a review on how day one of Cheltenham went, with all the details on big races like the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, the Champion Hurdle and the Handicap Chase.

1:20pm – Kopek Des Bordes gives punters the perfect start

The first race of the day was one that punters would have enjoyed as heavy favourite Kopek Des Bordes managed to win the Supreme Novices Hurdle. Kopek Des Bordes and jockey Paul Townend were 4/6 on Sky Bet before the race began, and they showed why they were favourites as they started well. They looked in control as they comfortably rode in third place and then pushed into second; however, it wasn’t as straightforward as they would have wanted, as a couple of jumps gave William Munny a chance. William Munny rode well and produced some perfect jumps at the end to get into contention. In the end, Kopek Des Bordes managed to stay cool and pick up the victory.

2pm – Majborough poor jumping proves costly

The second race of the day saw a surprise victory, as favourite Majborough lost to Jango Baie. Majborough’s odds were 1/2 on Paddy Power before the race, while Jango Baie was 5/1. Majborough was looking confident in the first half of the race, but then their jumps started to look shaky. Majborough still had the lead in until the last hurdle, where they fell. The horse managed to stay up and somewhat hold onto first place, but Jango Baie came out of nowhere to sprint into first just before the finish line, leaving punters shocked.

2:40pm – Myretown cruises to victory

The Ultima Handicap race saw the second favourite of the day win as Myretown, who was 13/2 on bet365 ahead of the race, came out on top. It was a relatively easy race for the horse trained by Lucinda Russell. The nerves were high after two false starts, but when the race finally got underway, Myretown crept into an early lead and managed to keep the lead throughout the whole race. It felt comfortable for the favourite, who showed their quality by sprinting over the finish line with a huge lead.

3:20pm – Lossiemouth shows class with easy win

The Mares’ Hurdle Race saw the punters get back on track after Majborough’s defeat earlier in the day, with heavy favourite Lossiemouth, who was 4/5 on LiveScore Bet before the race, winning. There were some fears ahead of the race for those backing Lossiemouth, as many were fearful of another fall like they suffered in last month’s Irish Champion Hurdle. Instead, we got a very professional race from Lossiemouth, who showed confidence throughout, jumped well and then easily ran into first place and had a nice lead before crossing the finish line.

4:00pm – Bookies on top as Constitution Hill falls

The Champion Hurdle was a rollercoaster of emotions, with many backing heavy favourite Constitution Hill, but it was the bookies and 25/1 outsider Golden Ace who had the last laugh in this race. Constitution Hill was in a good position but fell after a poor jump about halfway through the race. That gave 9/1 outside favourite State Man the chance to sail into first, with BrighterDaysAhead running out of stamina. State Man had a clear lead, but the drama wasn’t over as they fell at the final hurdle, giving Golden Ace the chance to sprint into first and win the race.

4:40pm – Puturhandstogether claims comfortable victory

The 4:40pm race was one which did not bring a lot of drama. It was a big win for Puturhandstogether, who was an outside favourite ahead of the race with odds of 17/2. Stencil, Beyond Your Dreams and Sony Bill were all bigger favourites, but failed to impress. Puturhandstogether came out with a confident victory after staying with the pack and then deciding to push on with ease when they needed to.

5:20pm – Haiti Couleurs wins in final race of day 1

The National Hunt Novices’ Chase was the toughest race to punt on today, with horses like Transmission (3/1) and Haiti Couleurs (4/1) the slight favourites. The race, which is the longest of the day, didn’t provide much drama until the final few hurdles, where some of the horses in contention to win started to fall. This allowed Haiti Couleurs to start to pull away with Rock My Way trying to battle for first. In the end, Haiti Couleurs had too much stamina and managed to win the final race of day 1 at Cheltenham to finish a great day of racing.