Cheltenham Festival Day 1: Best Tips for Tuesday at the Festival

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It's almost here! The Cheltenham Festival 2024 is almost upon us and we're just about ready to enjoy four days of the best sporting action of the year.

Everyone has their own opinion when it comes to the Festival and I'll be sharing mine throughout the week as we try to beat the bookies. I'll be bringing you a race-by-race guide to all 28 races this week as well as a daily summary of tips where you can all share your thoughts and tips for each day.

All my detailed tips for Champions Day at the Cheltenham Festival can be found below:

• 13:30 – Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle
• 14:10 – Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices' Chase
• 14:50 – Ultima Handicap Chase
• 15:30 – Unibet Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy
• 16:10 – Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle 
• 16:50 – Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle
• 17:30 – Maureen Mullins National Hunt Challenge Cup Amateur Jockey's Novices' Chase

Here we go…

13:30 – Supreme Novices' Hurdle

My dart for the Supreme has landed on Mystical Power's ownermate, Jerico Du Reponet. He showed a lot of attributes you'd want for a Supreme horse. He showed his determination to win, by battling hard to win a close finish. But what I liked the most was his final furlong, that was by far his most impressive furlong by the way he was hitting the line hard, and I think you're going to need a strong stayer for this race.

Full race preview:

• 13:30 – Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle

14:10 – Arkle Chase

For some time now, I've been fancying Matata to run a huge race in this year's Arkle. Similar to the Supreme Novices' Hurdle race, the Arkle isn't a vintage renewal, and I think there could be a surprise in this race, with no candidate looking like they'll be a runaway winner. It could be suicide to side with a horse who will run from the front in a race which has many front runners, but I think Matata is the alpha front runner for this race and if Sam Twiston-Davies doesn't give this horse a ride like he did on The Real Whacker at last year's 3m novice chase, I'd be very surprised.

Full race preview:

• 14:10 – Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices' Chase

14:50 – Ultima Handicap Chase

Despite the UK trainers having such a cracking record in this race, it can't remain like that forever so if you do like an Irish-trained horse you've got to go with your gut and that is what I am doing with The Goffer. He is an interesting candidate for the Ultima this year as Gordon Elliott has given this horse a totally different approach for this race, with the horse arriving fresh from a 142-day layoff.

I am surprised to see the odds of Weveallbeencaught being as short as they are, as when I went through the race and started to really fancy him I thought we would be getting 20/1, but here we are at much shorter odds, but I like his chances and have always liked this horse. The Nigel Twiston-Davies horse gets in this race right at the bottom of the weights at 10st 9lbs, with just one horse carrying less, and I think that could be huge for his chances of winning.

Full race preview:

• 14:50 – Ultima Handicap Chase

15:30 – Champion Hurdle

Although it is sad to see Nicky Henderson's stable star not turning up, it has presented an open goal for State Man to land his first Champion Hurdle. You cannot take away the talent that Willie Mullins' 7yo has, if the great Constitution Hill wasn't around then State Man would've been spoken about in the list of great 2m hurdlers, but he has had to play second fiddle to CH, so in that respect it is nice to see him hopefully get his big day in the sun.

Full race preview:

• 15:30 – Unibet Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy

16:10 – Mares' Hurdle

Even though I do have doubts about the stamina of Lossiemouth over 2m 4f on testing ground around a stiff track like Cheltenham, it's not enough for me to part with my money as she is the class horse on the day and if he does stay, she'll win this race on the bridle.

Full race preview:

• 16:10 – Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle 

16:50 – Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle

I will be siding with Nara for this race. Nara has clearly always had plenty of ability about her. She won a Listed hurdles race on her only start in France and has been tenderly handled in her two races for Henry De Bromhead since making move the over to Ireland. She was chucked straight into a Grade 3 on stable debut, she was novicey and clearly needed the run, but she didn't go unbacked that day, going off 11/2 against some decent horses who have since boosted the form.

Full race preview:

• 16:50 – Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle

17:30 – National Hunt Chase

Mr Vango definitely deserves a shot in this race. This horse was a winning selection for me just 18 days ago in the Devon National and considering it was his first attempt beyond 3m, he proved that he stayed the trip and then some. He won the Devon National by 60L, and did so by putting them to the sword from the get-go under a great front-running ride by Ben Jones. Obviously, the form difference between the Devon National to today's race is chalk and cheese, but you know for certain that he'll stay the trip out and is the only horse in the race you won't have to worry about stamina problems with

Full race preview:

• 17:30 – Maureen Mullins National Hunt Challenge Cup Amateur Jockey's Novices' Chase

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