Brown Advisory Novices Chase Betting Preview – Cheltenham Day 2 Tips (2025)

The Brown Advisory Novices Chase is the second race on Day 2 of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival and 7 runners have been declared for one of the biggest horse racing betting heats of the season.

We’ve known the early entries for the Brown Advisory Novices Chase for some time now but decisions have been made and all eyes will be on Prestbury Park on Wednesday afternoon.

Here, we look at some of the leading players in the Cheltenham odds for this year’s race, with a Brown Advisory Novices Chase selection ahead of the 2025 renewal.

A small but select field go to post in the 3m½f  Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, which looks like a Grade One shoo-in for the Willie Mullins-trained BALLYBURN.

At seven years old and trained by Willie Mullins, the 2024 Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle winner fits all the trends that usually win  this race. He won a Grade One last time out, recording a comfortable five-length victory in the Ladbrokes Novice Chase at Leopardstown and has four wins from five over hurdles.

Paul Townend takes the ride which another positive, with the only minor concern being that Ballyburn hasn’t raced over 3m since October 2022.

If you think all of those facts and trends fit your own personal punting profile, then Ballyburn is available to bet on at even money.

Dancing City made it two from two over fences in the Grade 3 Finlay Ford At Naas Novice Chase at the end of January to book his place in this Novice Chase, and gives Willie Mullins yet another strong hand in proceedings.

A multiple Grade One winner as a novice hurdler, the eight-year-old showed he could step up to that level over fences.

The way in which he pulled away from his rivals in testing ground was the reason his priced was slashed for this Cheltenham novices feature.

Gordon Elliott will also be hoping to grab a piece of the action here with his Bective Stud representative.

Better Days Ahead won the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle at the Festival in 2024 and he saw the trip out well on fairly soft ground. He looks every inch a staying chaser this term and his form has been right up there at the top level.

Elliott’s seven-year-old only just failed to get up when second by a neck in the Grade One Long Distance Novice Chase on Boxing Day and a stamina test will be his cup of tea for sure.

A victory over three miles in Navan’s William Hill Best Odds Guaranteed Novice Chase in February gave cause for further  encouragement. Although only a Grade Two event, Better Days Ahead knuckled down nicely to grind out the  win over Stellar Story and Three Card Brag.

Trainer Henry De Bromhead will be adamant he can get in on the act too with his seven-year-old gelding Gorgeous Tom.

This son of Champs Elysees was last seen running creditably behind Croke Park in the Grade One Drinmore Novice Chase, at the start of December, beaten just a length in fourth place.

Bought from the pointing scene at the age of four, he will have no stamina issues around a racecourse like Cheltenham.

SELECTION: BALLYBURN