Day one of the Cheltenham Festival rarely disappoints. The famous Cheltenham Roar will echo around Prestbury Park as the tapes rise for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, and from that moment, the Festival is a relentless rollercoaster of drama, pace, and emotion.
Let’s get straight into it and break down the seven races that make up a fascinating opening day.
Cheltenham Festival Day One Tips
- 1:20 El Cairos – 7/1 (each-way)
- 2:00 Lulamba – 15/8
- 2:40 Dignam – 16/1 (each-way)
- 3:20 Handstands – 8/1 (each-way)
- 4:00 Lossiemouth – 5/2
- 4:40 Zurich – 12/1 (each-way)
- 5:20 Newton Tornado – 6/1 (each-way)
Odds subject to change.
Cheltenham Festival 1:20 – Grade 1 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (2m½f)
There is no better way to start the Festival than the Supreme. A race that often produces the next hurdling superstar. This year’s renewal is deep, competitive, and exactly the kind of puzzle punters expect.
Old Park Star has been sitting at the top of the market for months, and rightly so. His form is strong, and he looks every inch a Grade 1 horse. But the Supreme has a habit of exposing short-priced favourites, and this year looks to have a lot of alternatives away from the favourite.
Mighty Park has been the buzz horse ever since that demolition job over Roc Dino at Fairyhouse. It was visually spectacular, but this is Cheltenham, and stepping straight into the Supreme is a completely different challenge.
The race should be run at a ferocious gallop, which makes EL CAIROS extremely interesting at the prices.
Gordon Elliott’s six-year-old has always been held in high regard. His Leopardstown fall came when he looked certain to win, and his Thurles victory would have been much more comfortable but for a mistake at the last. The raw ability is there.
The key here is pace. With several forward-going types in the lineup, the race should collapse late, and that is exactly the scenario El Cairos wants. If Jack Kennedy can sit quietly and deliver him late, his turn of foot could prove decisive.
At the odds, he’s the value play.
- Selection: El Cairos 7/1 (each-way)
- Danger: Talk The Talk 5/1
Cheltenham Festival 2:00 – Grade 1 Arkle Novices’ Chase (2m)
The Arkle has been the subject of plenty of debate in the build-up, and most of that discussion has centred around Kopek Des Bordes.
Last year’s Supreme winner is undeniably talented, but asking any horse to win the Arkle with only one chase run behind them is a serious task. The stats are not on his side, and Cheltenham fences have a habit of exposing inexperience.
Willie Mullins also saddles Kargese, who is a class mare and a former Festival winner. She will travel strongly and should give a good account of herself.
But the one that stands out in pure chasing form is LULAMBA.
Nicky Henderson’s five-year-old looks a natural over fences. Three runs, three wins, and he has already landed a Grade 1 in convincing style. More importantly, he looks tailor-made for the Arkle; slick jumper, strong stayer, and classy.
That stamina could be crucial when they swing for home. If Lulamba is within striking distance at the last, he could power clear up the hill, leaving his rivals in his wake.
- Selection: Lulamba 15/8
- Danger: Kargese 5/1
Cheltenham Festival 2:40 – McCoy Contractors Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (2m½f)
The Fred Winter is always chaos. Twenty-plus juveniles, most of them improving, and plenty arriving with hidden form lines.
Trying to be clever in this race can often backfire, but the key is finding a horse that still has improvement in hand.
Saratoga has been quietly campaigned and clearly has the ability, but the market has latched onto him, and the value has disappeared.
Several others appeal at bigger prices. Madness d’Elle, Glen To Glen, and Ammes all have something to recommend them.
However, DIGNAM looks particularly interesting.
Joseph O’Brien’s four-year-old has already shown strong form and arrives here with three wins from four starts. The key detail is that he has been gelded since his last run, a change that could unlock further improvement.
He travels strongly, handles pace, and has the kind of profile that often goes well in this race.
In a handicap like this, 16/1 looks more than fair.
- Selection: Dignam 16/1 (each-way)
- Danger: Madness d’Elle 14/1
Cheltenham Festival 3:20 – Trustmarque Ultima Handicap Chase (3m1f)
The Ultima is a proper staying handicap. A relentless gallop, tough jumping test, and usually a race for battle-hardened chasers.
Jagwar will have plenty of supporters after last year’s Festival success, but stepping up in trip means he needs to improve again.
Myretown faces the usual problem of last year’s winners: the handicapper has caught up with him.
Blaze The Way has solid Cheltenham form and shouldn’t be dismissed, particularly back on better ground.
But the one who catches the eye at the prices is HANDSTANDS.
Last season, he looked like a top-class novice chaser, winning four on the bounce, including a Grade 1 where he beat Jango Baie. Things haven’t gone quite as smoothly this year, but there have been clear signs that he’s returning to form.
His latest run at Windsor suggested he’s coming back to peak fitness. If that’s the case, a mark of 155 is well within reach.
In a race like this, class often tells, and Handstands has plenty of it.
- Selection: Handstands 8/1 (each-way)
- Danger: Quebecois 10/1
Cheltenham Festival 4:00 – Grade 1 Champion Hurdle (2m½f)
This year’s Champion Hurdle suddenly became a much more interesting race when LOSSIEMOUTH was confirmed as a runner.
Without her, the race looked thin. With her, it suddenly has star quality.
Golden Ace returns as defending champion, but last year’s win came in extraordinary circumstances, and she may struggle to repeat the feat.
Brighterdaysahead is a hugely talented mare, but she has been vulnerable at Cheltenham in the past.
Lossiemouth, by contrast, absolutely thrives here.
Four runs at Cheltenham. Four wins. That record alone demands respect.
Her defeat at Leopardstown can be forgiven. She never travelled and looked uncomfortable from the start. Back at Cheltenham, on better ground, and with first-time cheekpieces applied, everything looks set up for a big run.
If she runs to her best, they will struggle to beat her.
- Selection: Lossiemouth 5/2
- Danger: Brighterdaysahead 5/1
Cheltenham Festival 4:40 – Plate Handicap Chase (2m4f)
The Plate is another ferociously competitive handicap where course form often proves decisive.
Madara has been popular in the betting, and the Skeltons are masters at landing Festival handicaps. But in a race this deep, backing a short price rarely pays.
One horse who ticks several key boxes is ZURICH.
Henry de Bromhead’s runner produced a superb performance when winning over this course and distance in October. He travelled powerfully that day and quickened away like a horse well ahead of his mark.
His Doncaster run came on tacky ground that didn’t suit him, and the return to Cheltenham should bring improvement.
With proven course form and a strong travelling style, he looks exactly the type that can run a massive race in this.
- Selection: Zurich 12/1 (each-way)
- Danger: Downmexicoway 12/1
Cheltenham Festival 5:20 – National Hunt Challenge Cup Novices’ Handicap Chase (3m6f)
The curtain comes down on day one with the longest race of the day, a brutal stamina test over nearly four miles.
In recent years, the race has become much stronger since professional jockeys were allowed to ride, and this year’s renewal looks particularly competitive.
Backmeorsackme will attract support after his Dublin Racing Festival win, but the ground and race conditions here are very different.
Wade Out stays extremely well but has a habit of getting outpaced before staying on late, and will have a massive chance if he can stay in touch.
The one that looks primed for a big run is NEWTON TORNADO.
Rebecca Curtis’ chaser has already shown he stays strongly and looks like a horse crying out for this step up in trip. His Doncaster win last time out was full of promise and suggested he is still improving.
The booking of Sean Flanagan only adds confidence.
If the race turns into a true stamina test, Newton Tornado will be finishing stronger than most in the field.
- Selection: Newton Tornado 6/1 (each-way)
- Danger: Wade Out 8/1
