'16-1 could look excellent value by the time October comes around' - our experts with the pick of the 2025 special bets

Willie Mullins to be top trainer at the Cheltenham Festival and Aidan O'Brien to be the leading trainer at Royal Ascot
Evs Ladbrokes

For all his Christmas period did not go well by his standards, Willie Mullins is still all but weighed in to be top trainer at the Cheltenham Festival. In recent years he has not been threatened and even if he is not as dominant as usual, the competition is still spread a little too thinly to see him being toppled. Nicky Henderson and Gordon Elliott would probably need to pair up to beat him.

That leaves this bet running on to Aidan O'Brien at Royal Ascot. There are a handful of races at the meeting – Gold Cup, Queen's Vase, Ribblesdale – in which few other trainers can compete with the well of talent that springs from Ballydoyle every year. This bet looks a lot safer than a coin toss would be, and you can back both at evens.
Keith Melrose