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Day One at Cheltenham Festival didn't disappoint. There were some thrilling races, some nicely priced winners and the bookies probably ended up on top.
Thommo scored two winners in the shape of The Conditional and Imperial Aura – lets hope he can keep that form in to Day Two.
You can see his tips, alongside those of Voice of Value and Rizzel Tips on our race-by-race pages.
Wednesday 11th March
- 1.30 Novices' Hurdle
- 2.10 RSA Chase
- 2.50 Queen Mother Champion Chase
- 3.30 Coral Cup
- 4.10 Cross Country Chase
- 4.50 Juvenile Novices' Handicap Hurdle
- 5.30 Champion Bumper
Let's hear your tips for today in the comments section below.
Elsewhere at Cheltenham today…
- Play in Day 2 of my Champion Tipster Competition to win a £25 Free Bet at Paddy Power
- Play in Day 2 of my WhoKnowsWins Competition where you can win a brilliant Day at the Races
- Grab a Risk-Fee bet on my 8-1 Daily Double. If it doesn't win I'll give you your money back.
Best of luck with your bets today and for the next four days the Festival
Supreme Hurdle
Very tricky start to the festival but have gone for Asterion Forlonge purely because he was impressive at Leopardstown pulling away from a strong field to win a grade 1 by 9 1/2L.
All the stats are against Shishkin and I just cant back him. Not saying he wont win, he might be a wonder horse, but not for me.
Fiddlerontheroof I think is the main danger. He has improved with each run and conditions will be in his favour.
Arkle Chase
Notebook is the right favourite and so far hasn’t put a foot wrong.
However, he had a hard race at the Dublin Festival and it’s hard to know how he has recovered from that.
Hes also very temperamental and wont have come across an atmosphere like Cheltenham before. If backing him I would wait till hes at the post.
Fakir D’oudairies hasnt ran since December and will be fresh and ready for this.
I thought the tactics used when beaten by Notebook were wrong and he was closing towards the finish. Hes also got Cheltenham experience and wont mind the conditions.
Ultima H’cap
The fav has a poor record in this race with only 2 winning since 1977. This years fav, Vindication, has a rating of 159 which is a big ask. He also has a tendency to jump out to the right so might be better suited to right hand tracks.
It’s been a good race for horses who ran well the previous year at the festival.
Discorama was 2nd in the National Hunt Chase and is in here off the same mark . He should have no problem staying the distance and I’d love to see Paul Nolan have a festival winner.
The irish though have a poor record in the race so I have a saver on Big River who was 4th last year and made a mess of the first fence and dropped back through the field before finishing like a train to claim 4th. 20/1 with 6 places with pp.
Champion Hurdle
An awful renewal but a tricky one to pick from nonetheless.
I put up Cilaos Emery here a couple of weeks ago at 8/1 when I heard the news he was supplemented for the race.
Hes a 165 chaser and if he can run to that level back over hurdles will take a lot of beating.
I just cant see him out of the frame here and I’m sure Mullins is happy with what hes seen otherwise he wouldn’t have been supplemented.
Forgot to add Ballyandy ew at 20/1. Ran really well lto and will thrive in the conditions
Mares Hurdle
Benie just wins
Northern Trust Chase
Backed 2 here, Galvin at 8’s and Hold The Note at 10,a, both ew.
A mark of 142 looks very fair for Galvin and Hold the Note ran a cracker in a grade 2 lto and a repeat of that should enable him to go close
National Hunt Chase
Carefully Selected is the best horse in the race and if he stays on his feet should win.
But the price is just too skinny for me and at 50/1 I’ve backed Ocean Cove who is an out and out stayer and has been crying out for a trip like this.
I see the 50’s is gone now and is best priced 33’s.
BOL
Placepot.
1-3
7
1-13
3-15
1
1-7
16 lines.
Quadpot if above bombs
1-8-13
3-15
1
1-7-14
18 lines
Singles already placed.
1-30 captain Guinness 16-1 ew 7 places (hills).
2-10 notebook 3-1 win.
2-50 Vinndication ante post 14-1 ew.
Cogry 10-1 ew extra 10 places 1/4 odds.
3-30 silver streak 33-1 ew ante post.
Also 10-1 ew extra 9 places 1/5 odds.
4-10 no bet.
4-50 precious cargo 16-1 ew.
Champagne mystery 33-1.
Both 6 places yesterday.
NOTE.
bet365 ew extra is up and running now.
Usually not up before 9am on race day 😀
An interesting debutant in race 1 is Berkshire royal, former class 2 standard flat horse for Andrew balding making his hurdling debut for Willie Mullins.
He saddled a debutant to finish 2nd in this last year with a similar profile.
100-1 or 25-1 for 8 places, might have a few pennies on for interest.
SPOTTED berk royL too and will have some pennies on
i like BIG RIVER who VOV tipped up, smashed a few fences, 100m behind turning in, stormed home like no ones business, 20/1 if he can replicate anyting like last year wtihout the errors he WINS. :D
My 3 for day one are-
Fiddlerontheroof ew in the supreme
Fakir d’oudairies in the arkle.
Supasundae ew in what looks far from a vintage renewal.
Excellent contribution DC good luck this week .
Day 1 L31
1.30 Abracadabras
2.50 Vinndication
4.10 Benie Des Dieux
4.50 Imperial Aura (NAP)
5.30 Lord Du Mesnil
Also small e/w bets 1.30 Elixir D’ainay (WH 7 places) and 3.30 Silver Streak
Morning All. Start of a great week racing and will enjoy every race but just two bets for me at Cheltenham today.
CHELTENHAM
14.50. .The Conditional. .8/1. .E/W
17.30. .Springfield Fox. .7/1. .E/W.
Plenty of E/W options available with bookies extra places etc.
SEDGEFIELD. .If anyone is interested today .I always like the off meetings on these days.
Put up one of B Hughes mounts but he has four here and hes an obvious one to look at here.
15.15. .Maxed Out King. .4/1
15.55. .Nefyn Point. .7/2
16.35. .Warendorf. .100/30
GL ALL
Serious money coming for Abacadabras .
Was as high as 13/2 yesterday best priced 4’s now.
Abracadabras
Fakir D’oudairies
Epatante
3 x singles, 3 x doubles, treble
Kildisart
Supasundae
Trainwreck
Lord De Mesnil
E/w lucky 15
Best of luck to all.
Morning all it’s that time again
Edwardstone 1.30 25-1
Marie banrigh 2.10 14-1
The conditional 2.50 15-2
Supersundae 3.30 10-1
Rocksana 4.10 14-1
Highest sun 4.50 28-1
Lamanver pippin 5.30 18-1
Ew singles & ew super hienz☘️Gl all on day one 👍
Some good picks put up from everyone. Like i said in my piece these races are very competitive. Bet what you can afford, and good luck!
Altior out of Champion Chase….very disappointing but hopefully hes ok
Yes lads its finally here… gutted altior is out but plenty of money to be made so here goes….
1.30 elizr dainay
2.10 fakir d’oudaries
2.50 vindication
3.30 darver star
4.10 benie des diuex
4.50 espoir de guye
5.30 the hollow ginge
Cheltenham placepot
3 Asterion Forlonge/ 1 Abacadabras
2 Brewin’upastorm
7 Discorama /15 Cobra De Mai
3 Cilaos Emery/16 Supasundae
1 Benie Des Dieux/9 Roksana
2 Hold The Note/10 Galvin
Away from the madness
Mansfield 3.45 Southwell .interesting 66/1>20/1 GL
Anyone who doesn’t back Antepost in any sport is more likely to lose, back antepost in any sport and you are rewarded with far bigger odds than the selection should be and even in December 14/1 was still available for my selection in the Supreme, Abacadabras has been on my radar since last years Champion Bumper,
When you back a horse a year in advance there are two points you always hope go your way,
(1) that the horse stays fit and well for the following year
(2) that the ground is favourable which always comes down to luck especially at this time of year,
With Abacadabras it was always a worry that it would be too soft for him but the closer we got the more you could see that the ground would dry out a little and the better the ground gets the more he looks a winner, it is currently soft ground after 4mm of rain overnight but that is far better than I expected it to be a couple of weeks ago, it doesn’t look like much rain from now to race time and a good breeze certainly helping to dry the ground a little more,
Abacadabras is one of the best travellers in the sport just now, he hasn’t run since December but the plan was always to get him to Cheltenham fresh and connections have been extremely confident for a long time now, which is why Gordon Elliott only has the one in the race, Abacadabras has been my strongest bet for the festival and the 25/1 each way was a cracking price on a horse that is now 4/1 and he should get shorter, looking at the three festivals of Cheltenham, Aintree and Punchestown this one at Cheltenham would be his worst chance, give him good ground on a flat track and there isn’t a horse that could beat him not even Envoi Allen but still confident he has enough class here and as I said he’s a horse that travels strongly and has a change of gear at the end of his races, he also has by far the best form coming into this race
Festival Banker
1:30 Cheltenham ABACADABRAS
I have 10/1 e/w Champ for the RSA now 7/2, and I wouldnt back him now with stolen money
Aberacadabras ,Champion Hurdle next year ?
two for friday
2-10 Aromon in the county hurdle 10/1 NAP
5-30 Front View in the martin pipe 6/1 NAP
Cheltenham
1-30 Asterion Forlonge 10/30
2-10 Falkir D’oudairies 4/1 nap/nb
2-50 Kildisart 12/1 ew
3-30 Epatante 9/4
4-10 Benie Des Dieux
4-50Espoir De Guye 7/1
5-30 Ravenhill 15/2
good luck all
abracadabras 1.30 cash back 2.10 vindication 2.50 not so sleepy 3.30 imperial aura 4.50 ravenhill 5.30 well done all winners yesterday
excellent write up dc well done for taking the time out to do it cheers
Aye good stuff DC.
An of course great work from the guys on site, Allan T,VV and Riz. 👍
Cheers, a lot of work has gone in to getting site ready for Cheltenham.
Great first race and well done to everyone on Shishkin.
Great work from all the guys , for the festival : – )
Cheers !!
Hi All !!
Every year we waiting for this day *_*
Cheltenham Day 1
Win
R. 2 – Notebook
R. 4 – Epatante
Benie d Dieux , to short for me .
Each Way
R. 6 – Imperial Aura
R. 7 – Lord du Mesnil
Placed
R. 3 – Discorama
R. 4 – Darver Star
All a good start , control your stakes , you know 4 days .
BOL
What a first day , A Dream , Imperial Aura :- ))))
Discorama placed , Darver Star placed , simply Amazing *_*
Trixie for Cheltenham…
Asertion Forlonge…1.30 (single to with skybet cash back offer )
Conditional. ..2.50
Epatante…3.30
Wee R/fc on Notebook n Falkir D’Oudairies.
GL all 👍 🐪
If I’d been backing horses to finish second in the last month, I would have been extremely better off, beaten on the line in the first race doesn’t bode well!!
What a race that was! Had Shishkin @ 4.32/1 for a great start to the festival ✅
Yeah, great ride by nico also, used all his Cheltenham experience 🏇👍
2.10 Esprit Du Large 12/1. GL ☘
Al Dancer 9/1 ew 6 places Bet 365
GL All
Be lucky
Another damn second!! Grrrr
Bloody Nora, 3 second’s in a row!! Grrrrrrrrrrrr
Get in The Conditional 8/1 great start first bet at Cheltenham for me.
GL ALL
Holy shit , what a race , I need Discorama 2nd – 3rd , for the trifecta : – )))
Cheers , my day is safe now *_*
And again Maxed Out King wins 5/1 The beers are flowing here.
GL ALL
At last a winner after 3 second’s!!
Just brilliant from Rachael Blackmore
DC .Superb ride Great to see
Yeah superb.
Carefully Selected looks a good thing in the last n i see DC your quite keen. 11/8
GL
At that price with the way hes jumped so far I wouldn’t touch him.
Hes the best horse in the race but hes too short for me
I say it last time in a other tread , her ride on A Plus tard last year , was the best ride ever saw from a female jokey , its a pleasure to see R Blackmore in Action , she is so strong in the finish , she is one of my favorite Jokey ever : – )
well done winners, looks like plug had couple decent shouts.
happy for david bridgewater, followed a few of his throughout the season and then the condition who also had a big season did the business, wasn’t even on the single stupidly but still happy.
BOL
train wreck ew
bol
4th second of the day, when your luck is out it stays out!!