Paul Nicholls has enjoyed sustained Cheltenham Festival success in his career and the Ditcheat supremo will be eager for more in 2025.

Only Willie Mullins and Nicky Henderson have trained more Festival winners at the Cotswolds extravaganza than Nicholls, the 14-time champion trainer in Britain.

Nicholls' next Cheltenham Festival winner will bring up a half-century at the showpiece meeting at Prestbury Park and here we are looking at some of his hopes for the 2025 Cheltenham Festival. Use the William Hill promo code to get a host of free bets to spend on the action.

Caldwell Potter

"I wouldn't be afraid to stick him in the Grand Annual. We've just got to box clever with him and win plenty of races."

That was Nicholls' assessment after watching Caldwell Potter finish second behind Gidleigh Park in the Grade 2 Lightning Novices' Chase at Windsor in January.

Purchased for €740,000 at Tattersalls Ireland last February, Caldwell Potter has always been surrounded by his share of hype.

He won the Grade 1 Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown in December 2023 but the hype now outweighs the on-track achievements.

It's early days however and no trainer has won the Grand Annual more than Nicholls' tally of four. An official chase rating of 147 suggests a handicap might be his best chance, for now, and quotes of 20/1 could be appealing.

No Drama This End

He's never managed to win the Champion Bumper but Nicholls has sent out some good performers in the Festival's sole race without a jump.

No Drama This End won a bumper at Warwick on New Year's Eve and went in many a notebook in doing so. He won his only point-to-point in wide-margin style and is out of a French Grade 1 winning hurdler.

At Warwick, he toyed with another winning pointer, Dan Skelton's Keops Des Bordes, and really powered home once Harry Cobden gave him the signal.

The inevitable Irish posse will make life much tougher in the Cotswolds but he's quoted at 20/1 and should not look out of place in the Champion Bumper.

Jubilee Alpha

One of the more exciting young contenders in Ditcheat could be Jubilee Alpha, who has seen her price for the Mares' Novices' Hurdle tumble as she builds her body of work over timber.

Most recently, she won a novice race at Windsor during the Berkshire Million meeting, doing so whilst carrying a penalty having won at Listed level at Taunton over Christmas.

She is amongst the shortest priced Nicholls' contenders for the Festival, having received quotes of 7/1 for March.

She's 2-3 over hurdles and has avenged her Newbury defeat in November by taking care of Listentoyourheart at Taunton. The six-year-old is promising and her trainer suggested after Windsor that 'she'll go straight to Cheltenham'.

Kalif Du Berlais

Nicholls won the Arkle with Flagship Uberalles in 1999 and then with Azertyuiop four years later but hasn't tasted success since.

Kalif Du Berlais could be an outsider of some note this time around. He's under the same ownership umbrella as Caldwell Potter but his season has been much more promising.

He came to grief on his fencing bow at Carlisle in November, long before any cards were played, and is a perfect 2-2 since.

Kalif Du Berlais opened his account at Newbury in late November and was a convincing winner in a small field at Cheltenham on New Year's Day.

He was third behind Sir Gino at Aintree last spring over hurdles and while the imposing shadow of that leading Arkle contender is upon him again, Kalif Du Berlais could be a dark horse for the first Grade 1 over fences at the meeting.

Stage Star

Though L'homme Presse took his measure eventually in the Cotswold Chase on Trials Day at Cheltenham over 3m1f, Stage Star ran a blinder in attempting to concede weight to a horse rated 4lb superior over a trip that was a step into the unknown.

He lost nothing in defeat and could be one to pick up a nice prize before the spring is out.

Stage Star is a three-time winner over intermediate trips over fences at Cheltenham. His prep for March has been different this time.

He won at the course in November and January last season and had a tough race on New Year's Day. He faded to be fifth in the Ryanair Chase come March.

This time, the market suggested he'd need the run in the December Gold Cup on his comeback and he was well beaten. Stage Star’s run behind L'homme Presse was excellent and, wherever he goes come March, this Cheltenham-lover can be a threat on that evidence.

Get €40 in Free Bets with William Hill

How to claim your William Hill Free Bets

• Click on the ‘Claim Here’ button above.

• Enter the required details and create your username and password

• Make a deposit of €10 or more using a card and place a bet on a sportsbook market with odds of 1/2 or greater

• You will be rewarded with €40 in free bets with William Hill

William Hill Terms and Conditions

• New customers using Promo code BB40 only

• Minimum €10 stake.

• Minimum odds 1/2, free bets paid as 4 x €10.

• Free bets credited after settlement of first qualifying bet.

• Free bets will expire 7 days after the qualifying bet is placed.

• payment method/player/country restrictions apply.

• 18+. Full T&Cs apply

Please gamble responsibly. 18+. GambleAware.org