ITV Racing Tips – Friday 12th December 2025 Best Bets for Cheltenham

The ITV Racing cameras will be at Cheltenham this weekend, beginning on Friday, 12th December. Competitive handicaps are staged on the opening day of the December Meet, while the Cross Country course will be used for the first time this season.

We have gone through the races covered on Friday, and have picked out our ITV horse racing tips. You can find our selections, an ITV Racing Accumulator, and the best bookmaker offers here.

Our acca for Friday's ITV coverage includes three selections from Cheltenham. Back this 3-leg ITV accumulator for Friday:

1. Fortune De Mer - 13:15 - Cheltenham
2. Fugitif - 14:25 - Cheltenham
3. Lucky Manifest - 15:35 - Cheltenham

ITV’s coverage from Cheltenham kicks off on Friday with a handicap hurdle over two miles and one.

Fortune De Mer bounced back to his very best form when winning over an extended two miles at Cheltenham in late October, before he was narrowly denied down in trip over a mile and seven at Ascot by a length.

Goes back up in trip today, and still looks to be ahead of the handicapper for the all-firing Dan and Harry Skelton team.

The Turner Handicap Chase is the next race from Cheltenham, with the returning L’Homme Presse likely to be a hot favourite.

However, the long break means it may be wise to overlook the Venetia Williams runner, and instead take a chance on course specialist Gowel Road.

The nine-year-old thrives at the track, albeit over hurdles, achieving top-three finishes in six of his last eight starts. Goes back over fences this weekend, which is a step into the unknown.

But, he did previously show ability over the larger obstacles, beating Cobblers Dream by 18 lengths at Ascot over two miles and three in October. At his beloved Cheltenham, he holds each-way claims.

A Veterans’ Chase is due off at Cheltenham at 14:25, with Eldorado Allen favoured to repeat his success from last month.

However, Fugitif typically saves his best runs for Cheltenham, and could strip fitter with a return run under his belt.

The Richard Hobson runner didn’t appear suited to the softer ground in the race won by his reappearing rival last month, and should be capable of a better effort on more suitable ground on Friday.

Has run well over course and distance on two occasions since the start of last season, including a third-place finish in the December Gold Cup Handicap Chase 12 months ago.

For the first time this season, we will have action on the cross-country course at Cheltenham.

A wide-open handicap will see plenty have leading chances, but Nicky Henderson-trained Mister Coffey deserves to land a race of this ilk finally.

The ten-year-old was narrowly denied by Eldorado Allen at Cheltenham last month and has respectable form figures of 5-2-2 over the course and distance.

His second looks like the standout form this weekend, finishing within a length of Stumptown. This is a weaker renewal, and the yard couldn’t be in much better form.

ITV’s coverage on Friday concludes with a handicap hurdle over three miles. The in-form Tom Lacey should have a leading chance in the form of Lucky Manifest.

The selection was a close second behind A Pai De Nom at the November meeting when hanging left in the closing stages. He should have learned plenty from that run, which was just his fifth over hurdles.

Shapes as if a staying trip will suit, meaning that this step up to three miles is a significant plus.