Supreme Novices’ Hurdle Odds: Kopek Des Bordes favourite in the opener

The opening of the Cheltenham Festival is always something to behold. The opening roar is one of the greatest noises in sport, and this year it carries more weight than ever as the first race has now been named the Michael O’Sullivan Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (13:20) in tribute to the late Irish jockey who passed away last month.

Twelve runners have been declared and that means 12 jockeys will get to experience that first Cheltenham roar on Tuesday. Below you can find all the runners and riders, and the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle odds in full. 

Supreme Novices' Hurdle Odds

Kopek Des Bordes @ 10/11

According to Willie Mullins, the “banker bet” of the Festival. He was an incredibly impressive winner at the Dublin Racing Festival and didn’t really have to click into the top gear at any point, but still won with ease. 

You have to feel there is loads of improvement possible here and if he performs to his best, he’s going to be tough to beat. He’s rightly going to go off as the favourite but there are some concerns that his edgy demeanour could crack under the pressure of the Cheltenham crowd. He’s undoubtedly got the pace to win this, but can he perform on the biggest stage?

Romeo Coolio @ 6/1 

Romeo Coolio hasn’t run since Christmas, and it will be interesting to see the impact that big break has had. He came second in last year’s Champion Bumper to Jasmin De Vaux and is likely to be amongst the contenders for Gordon Elliott, who has Jack Kennedy on board. The trainer said:

“We've always had this race in mind for Romeo Coolio. He was a good bumper horse last season and he made a smooth transition to hurdling at Down Royal, albeit in a race he was entitled to win. That said, he couldn't have done any more than he did there and I was delighted with him. He's been in good form since and worked well at the Curragh during the week. He's got a lot of speed.”

Workahead @ 13/2

One that I feel could be well-backed as we approach the start. Some would say Henry de Bromhead has been cautious with Workahead coming into the Festival, with his last run coming at Leopardstown over Christmas. Importantly though, he hammered the rest of the field in that one, beating William Munny by seven lengths. 

The rest of the field that day was strong and has good results since, but there’s a feeling this could be a big start to Cheltenham for a horse that impressed with his jumping for last year’s winning stable. This is a step up in terms of opposition, but there's a lot to like about Workahead, especially with Rachael Blackmore on board. 

William Munny @ 7/1

There’s likely to be a lot of money coming in for William Munny, who is running for owner-trainer Barry Connell and will look to provide him with his second victory in this race. Two years ago he won the curtain-raiser with Marine Nationale, and the jockey on-board that day was the late Michael O’Sullivan. 

Cheltenham Betting Odds

Salvator Mundi @ 10/1

Another Mullins horse, but one that could offer some value given the course. The five-year-old won big at Tipperary but there were question marks about his jumping at Punchestown. However, he finished strongly in that one and Salvator Mundi, owned by Joe Donnelly, clearly has the stamina to cope with the Cheltenham hill. 

If, and it’s a big if, he can jump smoothly, his big engine could carry him into contention. 

*Selected UK & Irish races. Free Bets, Antepost, Tote, Lucky 15/31/63 bets don’t apply. Eligible from 08:00 on day of race. Excludes Super Extra Place Races. T&Cs Apply.

Irancy @ 14/1

Irancy won a French bumper on soft ground back in 2021 and as one of six Mullins horses is another that is in contention. Four months ago pulled off an impressive victory at Punchestown and looks to be improving, but it would still be a big performance for the seven-year-old to pull off a victory in the opener.

Tripoli Flyer @ 20/1

Down to the outsiders now, and Tripoli Flyer. Clearly the favourite is going to be tough to beat, but the Fergal O'Brien-trained gelding makes each-way appeal given the price on offer. Added to that, last time out at Kempton he put in a terrific showing as he ran clear of exciting prospect Miami Magic by seven-and-a-half-lengths in the Dovecote Novices' Hurdle.

The Grade Two winner comes into the race in excellent form, with only two blemishes to his record and so he could be one if you fancy a shock in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle. 

Karbau @ 28/1

Another Mullins runner looked good when running six weeks ago at Punchestown, securing a comfortable margin of victory by the time the finish line came to him. Worth noting he also won a French bumper and his half-sister is Sir Des Champs, who has won twice here in the past. There is pedigree, and he has potential. 

Funiculi Funicula @ 40/1

Mullins again, so worthy of a level of respect but ultimately he isn’t quite at the level of some of the others we’ve already mentioned. He finished second in France and won at Clonmel but that was a really weak field and he was the short-priced favourite. He’s facing a stacked field here, and I can’t see him going close, as the price suggests. 

Karniquet @ 40/1

Stablemate of Kopek Des Bordes, the five-year-old was beaten at Leopardstown by both Romeo Coolio and the favourite for this race, so it feels unlikely that result will be overturned here. Win at Tramore on the record and is running with a hood for the first time here, which could see some improvement, but looks too far off the faves. 

Sky Lord @ 50/1

Hurdles debut at Cork was smart as he dictated the pace, but he was a decent four lengths behind Salvator Mundi at Punchestown and isn’t on the same level as stablemate Workahead based on what we’ve seen to date. 

Tutti Quanti @ 66/1

One of only two Brits in the race, and showed well behind Joyeuse on debut for Paul Nicholls. In truth this looks like too big a task for the rank outsider who did okay at Newbury under a penalty. 

Offers

*New customers only. Register (excl 05/04/25), deposit with Debit Card, and place first bet £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days to get 3 x £10 in Sports Free Bets & 2 x £10 in Acca Free Bets within 10 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility exclusions & T&Cs Apply.

You can read all our latest Cheltenham Tips at our dedicated Betfred Insights content hub.