96 horses have been provisionally entered for the 2025 Coral Cup, which is often the most subscribed race of the Cheltenham Festival. The race is restricted to a maximum of 26 runners on the day and Irish trainers have sent out well over 50% of the runners.
Among them is the recent gamble for the contest in Kopeck De Mee. The five-year-old had already had the requisite five runs to qualify for a handicap when trained in France, but has been bought by JP McManus and sent to Willie Mullins. He also has entries in the County Hurdle and Martin Pipe, in each of which he could prove extremely dangerous.
Mulins has 11 entries in all, with Bunting, Jimmy Du Seuil, Karafon and Supersundae all of interest, though his big Irish rival Gordon Elliott boasts the greatest number of entries in the race with 17 in all. The unbeaten mare Wodhooh won a fiercely competitive mares’ handicap at Cheltenham recently, the form of which has been substantially boosted, so she would likely be the pick of the Cullentra runners.
The in-form Altobelli is among the more noteworthy British-based runners for Harry Fry, as is Be Aware for handicap expert Dan Skelton, but as ever, Nicky Henderson dominates those representing the home team. In JP McManus’s silks, Impose Toi, Jeriko Du Reponet and No Ordinary Joe will probably be split up, but all look to have live chances in this sort of race.
At the head of the weights, two-time defending champion Langer Dan has been given a surprise entry by Dan Skelton. He bounced back to form to win this last season, but is more likely to run in the Grade 1 Stayers’ Hurdle on the Thursday given his inflated rating 17lb above the mark he won off in 2024. From the class of that race, Langer Dan is joined by the runner-up in Ballyadam, who may be hoping for one last Cheltenham hurrah at the age of ten having twice been second at the Festival.
Lossiemouth has also been entered – however, it is Polly Gundry’s ten-year-old rather than Willie Mullins’ Grade 1-winning supermare.
County Hurdle Entries 2025
| Number | Horse | Trainer |
| 1 | Al Gasparo | Gavin Cromwell |
| 2 | Altobelli | Harry Fry |
| 3 | Anna Bunina | John McConnell |
| 4 | Aston Martini | Nicky Henderson |
| 5 | Ballyadam | Henry De Bromhead |
| 6 | Beacon Edge | Gordon Elliott |
| 7 | Beat The Bat | Harry Fry |
| 8 | Be Aware | Dan Skelton |
| 9 | Beckett Rock | Henry De Bromhead |
| 10 | Blaze The Way | Margaret Mullins |
| 11 | Blenkinsop | Henry Daly |
| 12 | Blueking d’Oroux | Paul Nicholls |
| 13 | Bo Zenith | Nicky Henderson |
| 14 | Bugise Seagull | Charlie Longsdon |
| 15 | Bunting | Willie Mullins |
| 16 | Captain Morgs | Nicky Henderson |
| 17 | Classic King | Emma Lavelle |
| 18 | Colonel Mustard | Lorna Fowler |
| 19 | Comfort Zone | Joseph O’Brien |
| 20 | Cormier | Brian Ellison |
| 21 | Country Park | Jonjo & A J O’Neill |
| 22 | D Art D Art | Thomas Cooper |
| 23 | Deep Cave | Christian Williams |
| 24 | Donnie Devito | Ross O’Sullivan |
| 25 | Double Powerful | Neil Mulholland |
| 26 | Doyen Quest | Dan Skelton |
| 27 | Dr Eggman | Willie Mullins |
| 28 | Eagle Fang | William Durkan |
| 29 | Eagles Reign | Ross O’Sullivan |
| 30 | Farren Glory | Gordon Elliott |
| 31 | Feet Of A Dancer | Paul Nolan |
| 32 | Fenway Park | Gavin Cromwell |
| 33 | Finest Evermore | Paul Hennessy |
| 34 | Gala Marceau | Willie Mullins |
| 35 | Gentleman Bill | Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero |
| 36 | Gold Tweet | Gabriel Leenders |
| 37 | Guard The Moon | Nigel Twiston-Davies |
| 38 | Hamsiyann | Tony Martin |
| 39 | Hang In There | Emma Lavelle |
| 40 | Harsh | Gordon Elliott |
| 41 | Highwind | Willie Mullins |
| 42 | Idem | Lucinda Russell |
| 43 | Ike Sport | Neil Mulholland |
| 44 | Impose Toi | Nicky Henderson |
| 45 | Jacovec Cavern | Paul Hennessy |
| 46 | Jeriko Du Reponet | Nicky Henderson |
| 47 | Jimmy Du Seuil | Willie Mullins |
| 48 | Jipcot | Jonjo & A J O’Neill |
| 49 | Josh The Boss | Nigel Twiston-Davies |
| 50 | Joyeux Machin | Dan Skelton |
| 51 | Kala Conti | Gordon Elliott |
| 52 | Kap Vert | Philip Hobbs & Johnson White |
| 53 | Karafon | Willie Mullins |
| 54 | Kimy | Thomas Mullins |
| 55 | King Alexander | Willie Mullins |
| 56 | Kings Hill | Paul John Gilligan |
| 57 | Kopeck De Mee | Willie Mullins |
| 58 | Langer Dan | Dan Skelton |
| 59 | Lossiemouth | Polly Gundry |
| 60 | Maxxum | Gordon Elliott |
| 61 | Might I | Harry Fry |
| 62 | Minella Missile | Evan Williams |
| 63 | Mordor | Gordon Elliott |
| 64 | Ndaawi | Gordon Elliott |
| 65 | Newton Tornado | Rebecca Curtis |
| 66 | No Ordinary Joe | Nicky Henderson |
| 67 | No Questions Asked | Ben Pauling |
| 68 | Park Of Kings | Paul Nolan |
| 69 | Patter Merchant | Gordon Elliott |
| 70 | Petrol Head | Neil Mulholland |
| 71 | Pied Piper | Gordon Elliott |
| 72 | Prends Garde A Toi | Gordon Elliott |
| 73 | Punctuation | Nicky Henderson |
| 74 | Queens Gamble | Harry Derham |
| 75 | Royale Margaux | Tom Symonds |
| 76 | Sa Fureur | Gordon Elliott |
| 77 | Saint Anapolino | Philip Hobbs & Johnson White |
| 78 | Salver | Gary & Josh Moore |
| 79 | Samui | Gordon Elliott |
| 80 | Sandor Clegane | Paul Nolan |
| 81 | Santos Blue | Dan Skelton |
| 82 | Spirit d’Aunou | Gary & Josh Moore |
| 83 | Spirits Bay | Nigel Twiston-Davies |
| 84 | Sporting Glory | Gordon Elliott |
| 85 | Staffordshire Knot | Gordon Elliott |
| 86 | Steel Ally | Sam Thomas |
| 87 | Stormbreaker | Willie Mullins |
| 88 | Supersundae | Willie Mullins |
| 89 | Thecompanysergeant | Gavin Cromwell |
| 90 | The Enabler | Gordon Elliott |
| 91 | Timmy Tuesday | Gordon Elliott |
| 92 | Tounsivator | Willie Mullins |
| 93 | Uncle Bert | Nigel Twiston-Davies |
| 94 | Vischio | Emmet Mullins |
| 95 | West Balboa | Dan Skelton |
| 96 | Wodhooh | Gordon Elliott |