Cheltenham Festival Day 1 Tips
1:20 Cheltenham: Supreme Novices Hurdle
The curtain raiser for the Cheltenham Festival is the traditional Supreme Novices Hurdle, run over 2m. The Supreme Novices Hurdle is normally a relentless gallop from flag fall and strong stayers over the 2m trip often come to the fore. Appreciate It heads the market and rightfully so. He has done nothing wrong and holds the Irish on all known form. However, 7-year-olds don’t hold a strong record in the contest and many people will feel 2m4f would be more his trip on the spring ground. It is a very weak renewal of the race but Appreciate It has to be taken on at the price for me. Metier is a bit of an unknown quantity but there isn’t much substance to his form and quicker ground is a concern. I think BALLYADAM (5/1 with bet365) is the best play in the race at the prices. He won the Grade 1 Royal Bond Novices Hurdle earlier in the season before running a poor race over Christmas. He scoped dirty after that run so it’s easily forgiven. He more than returned to form when running Appreciate It close at the Dublin Racing Festival. He’s likely to improve for the quicker ground and I don’t think there will be much between him and Appreciate It at the end of the race. Therefore, from a price perspective, Ballyadam will be my play. Selection: BALLYADAM (5/1 with bet365)1:55 Cheltenham: Arkle Trophy
The next race is the Arkle, a novice Chase run over 2m. It is disappointing that we lost Irish star Energumene from this race last week but it still appears to be a decent contest. Shishkin heads the market, with Allmankind in as second favourite. Captain Guinness could reward each-way punters as he will appreciate the better ground here and he’s a horse that’s always been held in high regard. He was travelling well in the Supreme last season when brought down 2 out and his run last time out behind Energumene on deep ground wasn’t a bad effort at all. However, I expect SHISHKIN to get the job done here. Allmankind will go off like a wild cat in front and I think the class of Shishkin will reel him in in the home straight. He’s a class act and has done nothing wrong over fences this season. He hasn’t beat much but he won the Supreme Novices Hurdle last season despite a lot going wrong in the race which shows the class this horse has. He can follow up by winning the Arkle just like Henderson’s 2m star Altior did. Selection: Forecast – Shishkin 1st, Captain Guinness 2nd.2:30 Cheltenham: Ultima Handicap Chase
The first handicap of the week comes up next and it is a 3m Chase known as the Ultima Challenge Trophy. They’ll go fast again here front the offset and a horse with stamina assured is essential. Unexposed sorts have a decent record in the race so it’s always best to look for one that has scope to improve beyond their current handicap mark. I do like HAPPYGOLUCKY NB (7/2 with bet365) here. He ticks a lot of boxes and he’s a horse on the upgrade. He ran in the Martin Pipe last year finishing a good fourth and that brings strong Cheltenham festival form to the table which is always key. He also proved that the big field shouldn’t be an issue. He is unexposed and his best performance to date came last time out when he powered up the same Cheltenham hill to win well. Trainer Kim Bailey has put him away since then and I presume he’s been waiting for this as he knew he has a big chance off his current mark. Selection: HAPPYGOLUCKY (7/2 with bet365)3:05 Cheltenham: Unibet Champion Hurdle
The feature on Day 1 is arguably the feature of the week, the Champion Hurdle ran over 2m. It is the best renewal we’ve had for several years with superstar mares Honeysuckle and 2020 winner Epatante heading the front of the market. Goshen is next up in the market after he got his campaign back on track last time out when bolting up at Wincanton. Honeysuckle was mightily impressive when winning the Irish Champion Hurdle last time out and she is a worthy market leader based on that evidence. The only real concern for her chances here would be the 2m trip on better ground. Holding her position early on in the race will be key. Epatante needs to bounce back to form after a poor display at Kempton over Christmas and I’m sure the market will tell us a lot about how her preparation has been since then. Goshen is too short now and it’ll be some feat for him to give the mares 7lb on ground that will definitely be on the quick side for him. I’m happy to chance one each way here and it would be ABACADABRAS EW (11/1 with bet365). He’s got better with every run this season which suggests he’s trending in the right direction. He’s been waiting for his ideal quicker ground and I’m hoping he’ll get it on Tuesday given the forecast. The fast pace will suit this hold up horse well and I can see him coming through the pack and at least running into the frame. He arguably should have won the Supreme last season as he travelled like a dream but Davy Russell by his own admission just got to the front too soon. That shows he acts around the track which is a positive and he’s a decent each-way price in what is a competitive and exciting renewal. Selection: ABACADABRAS EW (11/1 with bet365)[single_affiliate_freespins id=”1086″ ]
3:40 Cheltenham: Mares Hurdle
The Mares Hurdle ran over 2m4f is next up on Day 1 and last years Mares Novice Hurdle winner Concertista heads the market at around the Even money mark. She has done nothing wrong this year and goes into this contest in fine fettle. She is definitely the best of the Irish and has to be considered a worthy market leader given his performance last year and the efforts she displayed this term. Trainer Willie Mullins hasn’t got a bad record in the contest either. However, I am happy to chance ROKSANA (3/1 with bet365) here who’s in the form of her life. She won this contest in 2019 when a fortunate winner but she has come on leaps and bounds since then. On her reappearance this season she stormed clear to win a Grade 2 by over 8L at Wetherby before mixing it with the very best over 3m in Grade 1 company next time out. She finished third that day and she’s since been back in the winner’s enclosure when winning a Mares Grade 2 hurdle at Ascot last time out. I think herself and Concertista should be a lot closer together in the market and purely from a value perspective, I’d have to favour Roksana given the form she’s shown us this season. Selection: ROKSANA (3/1 with bet365)4:15 Cheltenham: Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle
The 4:15 race is the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle known to many as the Fred Winter. It’s a competitive affair as usual and plenty of horses will have been laid out for this contest. We have had plenty of shock winners over the recent years so don’t be afraid to chance one at a big price if one catches your eye. The one for me here is COLTOR EW (8/1 with bet365) for the shrewd Dermot Weld. He had three flat runs for Weld last season, the first two he didn’t show much but Weld reached for the first time visor on his third and final flat start at Killarney where he bolted up. He has obviously gone hurdling this season and he’s he’s run three races improving with each start. He won last time out at Naas keeping on well but of course he still needs to step up significantly to win this. However, Weld has waited for this to put the visor back for the first time over hurdles and if he shows similar progress to when the visor went on on the flat, he’s very well in here. He will also be suited by the likely better ground and Jonjo O’Neill Jnr is an interesting jockey booking. Selection: COLTOR EW (8/1 with bet365)4:50 Cheltenham: National Hunt Chase
The 4:50 race from Cheltenham is the National Hunt Chase. The longest Chase race of the week if you exclude the Cross Country affair, it’s run over 3m6f. It’s a shame that we don’t have any amateur riders for the 2021 renewal but it still looks set to be a fascinating contest. Next Destination has made a late switch here for the Paul Nicholls team and he must hold serious chances on all known form. The step-up in trip should hold no fears and he goes into the race with a lively chance to give Nicholls another Festival winner. I can’t get away from GALVIN NAP (7/4 with bet365) here though who has been laid out for this race. He has Cheltenham Festival form in the book as he chased home Ryanair contender Imperial Aura in the Novice Handicap Chase last year. He has then won his last four races including when stepping up to 3m for the first time here at Cheltenham back in November. He powered clear staying on strongly to win that day which gives the impression the further step up in trip to 3m6f will be no problem. It also doesn’t appear to be an issue on breeding. Galvin has had a nice break since and this has always been the number one target for his season. He has moved to Ian Ferguson temporarily due to the Gordon Elliot situation but I’m not concerned by this as he spends most of the summer months at Ian’s yard so he’ll be very familiar with it. A classy horse who will be tough to beat. Selection: GALVIN NAP (7/4 with bet365)Cheltenham Day 1 Best Sign-up Offer
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