Cheltenham Festival: Day One Betting Tips

The waiting is almost over, as the Cheltenham Festival kicks off on Tuesday.

Four days of top-class action are promised between Tuesday and Friday, with the first day centring on the Grade 1 Supreme Novices' Hurdle and Arkle for novice chaser, the Mares' Hurdle and the feature Champion Hurdle.

Here are tips for all seven races on day one of the 2024 Cheltenham Festival.

1.30pm – Supreme Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1 - 2m½f)

Before Ben Pauling's exceptional run of recent form even began, TELLHERTHENAME was already making a name for himself in novice hurdles. His most recent win in January came by a yawning margin over Dartmoor Pirate, who finished fourth in a Premier handicap on Saturday from a mark of 121. Tellherthename was supposed to run in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury last month, but was pulled out owing to the deep ground. So long as conditions are not really testing at Cheltenham for the opening race of the festival, this five-year-old should put up more of a fight against the Irish challenge than his odds suggest.

Selection: Tellherthename

2.10pm – Arkle Novices' Chase (Grade 1 - 2m)

The Irish pecking order among two-mile novice chasers is really not clear. Indeed, Gaelic Warrior has been parachuted in from longer trips and assumed favouritism since the declarations were announced. While the British division might be weaker, it at least has a clear number one. JPR ONE was on course to hammer Homme Public, who has since won a handicap off a mark of 139, at Cheltenham in November before stumbling and unseating at the last. He was also a more comfortable winner than the margin suggests at Lingfield last time out. He is a big, strapping horse who will be more at home back at this track. Ireland needs to produce a standout to beat him.

Selection: JPR One

2.50pm – Ultima Handicap Chase (3m1f)

Last year's Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle seventh WEVEALLBEENCAUGHT faces a much easier task at this year's festival, in handicap company off a mark of 134. He has got here as quietly as possible while gaining relevant course experience. He was twice placed in novice chases at Cheltenham in the autumn, behind two horses who will contest Grade 1 races this week, then reportedly had an issue when disappointing as favourite in December. He has been saved for the festival since and would be a lot shorter if he were trained by one of the big Irish yards.

Selection: Weveallbeencaught

3.30pm – Champion Hurdle (Grade 1 - 2m½f)

When STATE MAN has stood up, the only horse to have beaten him since he came to Willie Mullins has been Constitution Hill. There is no disgrace in that, and with the champion sidelined his next in line can enjoy a well deserved day in the sun. The 2m division really lacks depth, and State Man is demonstrably consistent having won eight Grade 1s in less than two years, so it looks a bit of a fool's errand to get him beat - unless he falls, like he did on his only other defeat since moving to Mullins.

Selection: State Man

4.10pm – Mares' Hurdle (2m4f)

If ability were the only concern in this race, last year's Triumph Hurdle heroine LOSSIEMOUTH would be long odds-on. That she is a remotely backable price is down to concerns about the trip. Gala Marceau is a solid alternative for those who share those worries, but even a long-standing fan of that horse cannot seriously recommend her against Lossiemouth, who might have been a player in the Champion Hurdle had she had run in that race instead.

Selection: Lossiemouth

4.50pm – Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (2m½f)

French form is often the key to this race and few can advertise that so readily as MILAN TINO. He finished third in an Auteuil Grade 2 from which the first, second, fourth and fifth finished first, second, third and fourth in a Grade 1 on their next runs. In the meantime, Milan Tino has been third in a couple of Grade 2s at Cheltenham, behind Triumph Hurdle-standard rivals. He will not face anything like such a stiff task in this race, less so from a mark of 126 which the handicapper has taken a chance with, so his credentials are there to see.

Selection: Milan Tino

5.30pm – National Hunt Novices' Chase (3m6f)

The Irish contingent are clearly the leaders on form, but the fact that Corbetts Cross and Embassy Gardens will both wear hoods hints that their respective connections have doubts about whether they will stay the marathon trip. Main British challenger KILBEG KING has no such fears, if anything he has been held back over fences by the races he has run in not putting enough emphasis on stamina. He would have won a Grade 2 at Ascot last time but for fluffing his lines at the final fence, and he could build on that with a more extreme test of stamina.

Selection: Kilbeg King