The Irish racing broadcaster has six bets for the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival, including one in the feature race of the day, the Champion Hurdle.
The best week in the racing year is finally upon us, and first and foremost let’s hope it’s a safe festival for all the participants. Here are my Cheltenham Festival betting selections for Tuesday.
13:20 – Supreme Novices’ Hurdle
As usual, it’s a very strong Irish raiding party on the opening day and KOPEK DES BORDES 10/11 can get the visitors off to the best possible start in the Supreme Novices Hurdle, run this year in honour of the late Michael O’Sullivan. Willie Mullins’s exciting youngster could hardly have been more impressive at the Dublin Racing Festival and if channeling his energies in the right direction he should be too strong for the likes of William Munny, Irancy and Romeo Coolio.
14:00 – Arkle Chase
MAJBOROUGH 4/7 ought to win the Arkle with a clear round, though the experienced L’Eau Du Sud is unlikely to be a pushover.
14:40 Ultima Handicap Chase
KATATE DORI 13/2 would be a token pick in the Ultima after his Kempton romp. A 12lb rise will make life more difficult here but he won so easily that it may not be enough to anchor him.
15:20 – Mares’ Hurdle
Lossiemouth’s presence in the Mares Hurdle has made several of her rivals juicy each-way prices and I’m siding with JOYEUSE 11/1 to take the step up to Graded level in her stride. It’s surely significant that connections have opted to supplement her for this after her facile success in the valuable William Hill Handicap Hurdle at Newbury. She ran well over this trip when second to an enterprisingly-ridden winner on her last visit to Cheltenham.
16:00 – Champion Hurdle
And so to the feature event, and quite possibly the race of the week. Can Constitution Hill regain his Champion Hurdle crown or will BRIGHTERDAYSAHEAD 2/1 complete her rise to the top of the hurdling tree? Judged purely on what they have done this season I just prefer the mare, whose Leopardstown demolition job possibly carries more weight than what the Seven Barrows star did at Kempton – even if State Man ran miles below his best that day. Whichever way you’re leaning, it should be some race.
17:20 – National Hunt Chase
With plot horses everywhere you look I’m happy to pass over the Fred Winter Handicap Hurdle but in the concluding National Hunt Chase RESPLENDENT GREY 8/1 appeals for the Olly Murphy yard, which is having such a tremendous season.
This is a horse I have been a little slow to warm to as a chaser, with his jumping often having proved an Achilles heel over fences. However today’s step up to a marathon journey for the first time may well help on that score, and if Sean Bowen can nurse him around I reckon he might outclass his rivals.
