Festival Plate Predictions, Betting Tips & Odds (Cheltenham 2025 - DAY 3)
- Written by David Bet
The Festival Plate (formerly Paddy Power Plate) is a Grade 3 chase which is run over two miles five furlongs where the runners have seventeen fences to jump. Ben Pauling's Shakem Up'arry was a fine 8/1 winner of the 2024 Plate Handicap Chase as he beat Crebilly with Straw Fan Jack back in third. A race for big priced winners with a 66/1, 50/1 and 33/1 winners in the last 17 years. Don't miss our TrustATrader Festival Plate race preview with free predictions, tips, betting trends, best odds, free bets and no deposit bonuses on the 2025 Cheltenham Festival.
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Festival Plate Betting Preview
The Festival Plate is a hugely competitive handicap race at the Cheltenham Festival. It's a Grade 3 National Hunt chase run over two miles and five furlongs, for horses aged five years and upwards. Grade Three status means the top horses are all allowed to enter, which usually gives us a great field for the race.
This year's edition seems sure to be another tightly knit competitive handicap, with many horses arriving looking well handicapped and a maximum field size certain for the excellent prize money on offer.
And now take a closer look at this year's TrustaTrader Festival Plate and try to determine which horse is likely to prevail.
Who will win the Festival Plate 2025?
JAGWAR looks a good jumper and scored in a big field at Bangor back in November. He also kept on well to score at Cheltenham on trials day for which he is up 7lb. He went through the race like a very classy horse and has now won 3 from 4 over fences.
THECOMPANYSEARGEANT, bought for €110,000 earlier this winter, shaped with a lot of promise back over hurdles on his debut for Gavin Cromwell finishing third tackling a handicap hurdle at Navan in January.
Having been touched off by race-fit stablemate San Salvador on his Irish debut at Listowel, JORDANS came through late to beat Monbeg Park in the Grade Three Novices' Chase at Punchestown in October. Joseph O'Brien's charge then unseated Danny Mullins early in Grade Two company, but hugely impressed in the Grade One Faugheen Novices' Chase at Limerick, as he finished runner-up to former Cheltenham Festival winner Impaire Et Passe.
MASACCIO made a winning reappearance/chase debut at Newbury in early November (2m4f, good) before chasing home The Jukebox Man in Grade 2 company over the same course and distance. He finished much further behind that rival when third in the Grade 1 Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day. Masaccio then flew up the hill at Cheltenham to finish third behind Jagwar on Trials Day, where he was giving 11 pounds to the winner.
Paul Nolan's AN PEANN DEARG won at Leopardstown this season and should still get in with a lightweight. He is improving and could be an interesting option on the back of his eye-catching performance last time out when he beat beat My Mate Mozzie - fourth in Wednesday's Grand Annual Chase - by 7 lengths.
Dark Horses?
GINNY'S DESTINY finished behind Grey Dawning in the Grade 1 Turners Novices Chase last season. He also finished runner-up in another Grade 1 at Aintree’s Grand National meeting and is just 2lb higher that his last win in a handicap. Connections report he is very fit and well, so he could be dangerous.
SHAKEM UP’ARRY returns in a bid to win the Plate Handicap Chase for the second year running. He looked completely out of form last time out when he finished 17l behind Le Milos when fifth of 6 in a chase at Warwick
Top weight CONFLATED finished third in the Gold Cup and Ryanair Chase at the last two Festivals. He wasn't given too hard of a time at Leopardstown when held up at the rear of the field in the Dublin Racing Festival Grade 1 Irish Gold Cup. This veteran was top class at one stage, has a good record at Cheltenham and can bounce back to any sort of form.
GEMIRANDE brings a wealth of Cheltenham experience to the race. The 2024 December Gold Cup winner will relish the quicker surface and he is a fantastic jumper.
IL RIDOTO loves the track as he showed when winning the Paddy Power Gold Cup in November. Anyway, she finished third of 5 behind Don't Rightly Know beaten 4l on her latest outing in a chase at Exeter over 3m last month.
FUGITIF contested the Ryanair Grade 1 Chase last year has been dropped 6 pounds for a 3rd and 5th place in 2 course and distance handicap chases. He has a consistent record over fences, winning four from 18 starts, and he should now be back on a competitive mark. The ten-year-old has winning experience around Cheltenham after landing the December Gold Cup in 2024, and he was also last seen over two miles four at Cheltenham when taking a decent third behind Gemirande.
PANIC ATTACK is rated a little below 140, but she won so well on her sole chasing start this season and has solid course form to her name. Other horses to follow are SEDDON, who won this race two years ago, PATH D'OROUX, PERSONAL AMBITION and RIIAN.
Latest Odds
At the moment, the most backed horses are the following:
All the bookmakers we recommend are offering No Runner No Bet on every Cheltenham Festival race.
Festival Plate Trends
- 3 of the last 7 winners were favourites
- 18 of the last 24 winners returned at double-figure odds
- 6 of the last 9 winners won last time out
- 7 of the last 9 winners were novices or second season chasers
- 12 of the last 16 winners carried under 11-0
- The last 6 winners had won at Cheltenham that season
- The last 11 winners were rated in the 140s
- 8 of the last 14 winners were aged between 7 and 9
Festival Plate Predictions
The following section contains our recommended bets on the Festival Handicap Plate. Feel free to copy our Cheltenham Festival tips and get the highest odds available on the market by clicking the 'Bet' button! We also invite you to take a look at all our Horse Racing Free Predictions resources here!
Ruby Walsh's Festival Plate Tips
Cheltenham Festival’s winning-most jockey turned TV pundit Ruby Walsh has shared his TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase tips.
"I like GINNY’S DESTINY. I like his running style for this race as he races close to the pace. He’s come down enough in the weights and he was bordering on a graded horse last year."
2025 Festival Plate Free Bets
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2025 CHELTENHAM DAY 3 TIPS AND PREDICTIONS
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2025 Festival Plate FAQs
What time is the Festival Plate?
The Festival Plate is the 6th race run on Day 3 of the Cheltenham Festival. That falls on Thursday March 13, 2025 and the official starting time is 4:40pm.
How many obstacles are jumped in the Festival Plate?
There are 17 obstacles to jump for the Festival Plate runners
What is the distance of the Festival Plate?
The Festival Plate is run on a distance of 2 miles and 5 furlongs
What is the prize money for the Festival Plate?
The total prize money on offer for the Festival Plate at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival will be £150,000.
Who won the Festival Plate last year?
Last year's renewal was won by Shakem Up'Arry at SP of 8/1, trained by Ben Pauling and ridden by Ben Jones.
What weights are carried for the Festival Plate?
As it is a traditional National Hunt handicap chase, weights range from 11 st 12 lb for the top weight, to 10 st for the bottom weight.
Who is the leading jockey in the Festival Plate?
Bryan Cooper and Tom Scudamore have both won the race twice in the last 13 years. Richard Johnson’s two wins in the race came in 2000 and 2003.
Who is the leading trainer in the Festival Plate?
Trainer David Pipe is the trainer to follow in this handicap chase with three winners and four placed horses. Both Venetia Williams and David Pipe have also won the race three times.
