The penultimate race on day one of the Cheltenham Festival is the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle and takes place at 4:40pm on Tuesday 11th March, 2025. The Fred Winter odds are always hugely competitive and the likes of Stencil and Total Look are prominent figures in a wide open betting market.
Latest Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle Betting Odds
As a race limited to juvenile hurdlers aged four come the 2025 Cheltenham Festival, we have very little idea of those who may participate in the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle until a few horses have laid down markers.
Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle Odds and Entries 2025
The Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle was introduced to provide an opportunity at the Cheltenham Festival for juveniles that fell short of Triumph Hurdle standard. The handicapper has the unenviable task of assessing four-year-olds with very little form to go on and the punter has found it equally taxing.
Betting on the Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle
The Fred Winter is one of the most difficult races to predict at the Cheltenham Festival. It was introduced in 2005 as a valuable handicap alternative for juveniles who fell short of Triumph Hurdle standard and was upgraded to Grade 3 status in 2009.
With little form to go on and a maximum field virtually guaranteed, this race has proved to be a minefield for punters. That did not deter supporters of Gaelic Warrior from backing the Willie Mullins-trained gelding down to 13-8 in 2022, though he was caught on the line by 10-1 chance Brazil, leaving Band Of Outlaws (2019) as the only winning favourite in the last 12 renewals.
Une Artiste was a shock 40-1 winner in 2012 while Hawk High (2014), Flying Tiger (2017) and Veneer Of Charm (2018) all returned at 33-1. Jeff Kidder produced the biggest shock in the history of the race by winning at 80-1 in 2021.
The Rated Novice Hurdle at Naas in February has an extraordinary recent record in this race. Band Of Outlaws (2019), Aramax (2020) and Brazil (2022) all won that race before winning the Fred Winter, while 2023 winner Jazzy Matty had finished fourth in that race.
Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle News
Being a handicap, trainers have become increasingly shrewd over the years at ensuring their horses are allocated a low mark for the race, meaning the Fred Winter can be a minefield for punters. And this year’s race looks like another conundrum for punters with a mix of improving horses and horses that have already tasted success this season.
If you are inclined to place an ante-post bet on the race, make sure to shop around before placing it, as most bookmakers will be offering additional places on what’s a red-hot handicap.