Ballyburn & Jonbon rate as Day Two Cheltenham Festival Bankers

Looking ahead to day two of the Cheltenham Festival, we explore the pair of ‘bankers’ who will no doubt be extremely popular as a double on Wednesday.

Also see Andy Newton’s best Cheltenham bets and hot stats for DAY TWO here.

Cheltenham Bankers Day Two: Wednesday 12th March 2025

Ballyburn can get the banker double off the mark in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase

Reigning Cheltenham Festival top trainer Willie Mullins won this race last year with Fact To File and Ballyburn is expected to be one of the most well-backed horses of the week.

The seven-year-old was last seen winning the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Novice Chase at the Dublin Racing Festival in February over 2m 5½f and this step up in trip to 3m could be everything he wants and more.

Ballyburn didn’t blow anyone away on his first two starts over fences, winning an egg-and-spoon race at 2m 3f at Punchestown in November before meeting his match in Sir Gino at Kempton on Boxing Day over 2m in the Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase.

His somewhat sluggish approach to fencing led the Closutton team to scrap plans of targeting the fast-paced Arkle and instead look toward a longer trip at a more moderate gallop which has certainly played into his hands so far.

Racing in the colours of Ronnie Bartlett and David Manasseh, Ballyburn won impressively on this day last year in the Turners Novices’ Hurdle and a track like Cheltenham with its undulating nature and stiff finish is tailor-made for a strong stayer.

He is a fan favourite and will surely have plenty of ers on the day, many of which have already arrived and Ballyburn could be looking at a SP of around 4/6.

Could Ballyburn beat himself by racing too keen?

One of the only lingering suspicions around his chances is the possibility he could race too keen and fail to get home after being tried over shorter distances this season, no doubt a recipe for disaster if the ground is soft enough but that doesn’t seem to be much of a worry as per the current forecast.

WATCH: Ballyburn lands the Ladbrokes Novice Chase at the Dublin Racing Festival

It’s now or never for Jonbon in the Champion Chase, he won’t get a better chance than this

The Champion Chase is on a silver platter for Jonbon. Nicky Henderson’s nine-year-old rates as one of the strongest Cheltenham Festival bankers of the entire week.

The JP McManus-owned star two-miler recently broke the £1 million barrier in prize money and has enjoyed a perfect season, winning three from three starting off in the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham’s November meeting.

His victory that day was workmanlike to say the least but on reappearance it’s certainly not the easiest task in the world, before going on to improve leaps and bounds in the Tingle Creek at Sandown in December.

Jonbon’s Cheltenham prep was complete with a stunning win in the Clarence House at Ascot in January, posting a career-best RPR of 177 and firmly laying down his marker as the strongest contender in the two-mile chasing division.

Is Jonbon as bombproof as he sounds?

While it’s pretty clear Cheltenham isn’t Jonbon’s favourite track to race at, it shouldn’t deter him from winning a contest of this nature. It is worth nothing however that the horse is an undefeated 15 from 15 away from Prestbury Park and two from five in the Cotswolds.

Those looking to take him on will look to a worrying Champion Chase trend that has seen six of the last seven odds-on favourites in the race turned over.

He was beaten fair and square by one of the greatest hurdlers ever Constitution Hill in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle three years ago, fell short to an impressive El Fabiolo in the 2023 Arkle and a disaster trip round in the rerouted Clarence House last year saw him go down by a neck to Elixir De Nutz.

If you’re willing to forgive, there are plenty of reasons to get Jonbon on side here. He has the beating of challengers like Energumene and Solness already this season, while Marine Nationale has disappointed over fences with his fair share of wind issues.

Jonbon’s time is now and the risk will be worth the reward.

WATCH: Jonbon posts a career-best in the Clarence House Chase at Ascot

If you wanted to back both of the day two bankers in a double with the best horse racing betting sites in the UK, you can enjoy odds of around 2/1.

Cheltenham Festival Day Two 2025 Details

📅 Date: Wednesday, March 12th 2025
⌚ Race Times: 1:20pm – 5:20pm
🏇 Racecourse: Cheltenham
📺 TV: ITV / Racing TV

See how to watch the Cheltenham Festival 2025 here as well as dates, times and TV channels for all 28 races.