Cheltenham Festival Day 1 Tips: Tips for Cheltenham on Tuesday 12th March 2024

Cheltenham day 1 tips, race by race preview and predictions for all seven races on Tuesday 12th March from the 2024 Cheltenham Festival.

There are seven races across the day, with the Champion Hurdle the big one, and Adam O’Brien has given his thoughts ahead of one of the biggest days in the racing calender. See all our Cheltenham Tuesday tips below with a preview of each race and the best bookies offers to use this year.

 

Tuesday’s Cheltenham Tips for Day 1

Race	Tip	ODDS
1.30pm - Supreme Novice Hurdle	Slade Steel (EW)	9/2
2.10pm - Arkle	Gaelic Warrior	7/2
2.50pm - Ultima Handicap	Chianti Classico (EW)	15/2
	Trelawne (EW)	15/2
3.30pm - Champion Hurdle	Iberico Lord W/O State Man AND Irish Point	15/8
4.10pm - Mares' Hurdle	Telmesomethinggirl WITHOUT Lossiemouth AND Ashroe Diamond (EW)	5/1
4.50pm - Boodles Fred Winter	Palamon (EW)	20/1
	Ose Partir (EW)	14/1
5.30pm - National Hunt Chase	Salvador Ziggy	11/2

 

1.30pm – Supreme Novices’ Hurdle

Only 12 go to post for this year’s Supreme but with ante-post favourite Ballyburn heading to the Gallaghers Novice Hurdle over the longer trip instead of this, we have an open and very competitive contest to get the 2024 Cheltenham Festival underway. Despite sidestepping the opener with his best novice hurdler, Willie Mullins still has the top 2 in the betting in Mystical Power and Tullyhill who are fighting for favouritism currently. I’m happy to take them both on though as they are short enough for what they have achieved so far over hurdles. I would be worried about the latter’s jumping in a Supreme after he has continued to make jumping errors in his races since he was beaten at 1/8 on hurdles debut at the end of November. That was over 2m6f and although he has since won twice over 2 miles, he hasn’t jumped with any fluency and has had freebies up front, which he won’t get in a Supreme.

Mystical Power comes here after following a popular route of Willie’s by winning the Moscow Flyer in impressive fashion last time out. Before that start, he had a break after starting his novice hurdling campaign in the summer which is an unlikely starting point for a Willie Mullins Supreme hot pot. He was due to run in the 2 ½ mile Lawlors of Naas race in January before that got abandoned and there is just a doubt in my mind that he has been shoehorned into a 2miler.

Preference is for the Henry De Bromhead trained SLADE STEEL who comes here after a 7-length second to the beforementioned Ballyburn at the DRF. He couldn’t get near the winner that day but I think the form in behind him will stand up as he finished 7 and 10 lengths ahead of King of Kingsfield and Absurde. He toughed it out on his previous start when beating Lecky Watson and Stellar Story over 2m4. That trip is probably his optimum and it is no secret that connections would have gone to the longer distance Gallaghers if Ballyburn stuck to the 2m route of the Supreme. Having said that, he has the class, pace and stamina needed to win a Supreme and with the likelihood of soft ground on Tuesday, I can see him running his race and being bang there when it matters. At the slightly bigger prices of the leading 4 I think he’s the play here.

• 1.30pm Tip: Slade Steel (each-way) – 9/2 with Betfred (paying 4 places). 

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2.10pm – Arkle Challenge Trophy

The Arkle is a race that usually goes to a short-priced fancy with 7 of the last 9 winners being favourites and 5 of those going off odds-on. This year is completely different and we are currently 7/2 the field. It is as a competitive betting market as I can remember and that is largely due to most of the field having question marks over them. My thought process of this race has gone round in circles a number of times but I’ve landed on the thing to do and that’s back the best horse in the race. GAELIC WARRIOR on pure ability, should be a cut above this field and if it was run on a right-handed track then he would be odds on. Fortunately for the rest of the field, it is on a left-handed track and that brings them all into play due to Gaelic Warrior’s tendency to jump/shift right at his fences. It is tough backing a horse who is capable of doing this, especially in an Arkle but I’m willing to take the chance at the prices. He jumped several fences well and straight on his last start going left-handed at the DRF and even though this course isn’t ideal for that characteristic, his engine is something the rest cannot match. He blew out over 2m5 at the DRF but the drop back down to 2 miles could be to his favour here and if he has recovered from the fall and race from Leopardstown then I think he wins. I think Quilixios is the next best and would be a good EW play to follow him home.

• 2.10pm Tip:  Gaelic Warrior (win) – 7/2 with Bet365.

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2.50pm – Ultima Handicap Chase

The first handicap of the day sees a race that has been like a graveyard for Irish horses in the past. The last time an Irish-trained horse was successful in this race was 2006 and although they went as close as possible last year when Fastorslow was beaten a neck by Corach Rambler, it still remains a race dominated by the UK.

It might come as a surprise then that the top 2 in the market are both Irish-trained. Meetingofthewaters finds himself heading the betting due to the craziness of what the preview circuit brings as he was talked up as a future Gold Cup horse by Danny Mullins at a preview 2 weeks ago. He has since been bought by JP McManus and that cannot go unnoticed. He’s a horse I’ll be happy to take on though, especially at his current price.

My main focus for the race is always based around UK horses and I’m not going to change tact here. A competitive handicap like this, and with bookies paying extra places, makes it ok to have a couple of darts and that’s what I’ll be doing. Not only will I be backing 2 UK horses but I’ll be backing 2 UK horses form the same stable. CHIANTI CLASSICO has been my fancy for the race all winter and I see no reason to dessert now. Kim Bailey’s charge will be ridden by stable jockey David Bass and this has been the target for some time.

Stablemate TRELAWNE comes here with Cheltenham experience from this season and red-hot form at that. 3¾ lengths behind Turners fancies Grey Dawning and Ginnys Destiny and ahead of Plate favourite Crebilly represents strong and respected form. This horse can be a bit tricky and tends to make a mistake but the step up in trip to 3m will be a benefit. He acts on soft/heavy ground no problem and the booking of Harry Cobden is eye-catching and can only be a positive. Both horses have huge chances and I’m happy to back both in my Cheltenham day 1 tips.

• 2.50pm Tip: Chianti Classico (EW) 15/2 (Bet365) paying 6 places
• 2.50pm Tip: Trelawne (EW) 17/2 (William Hill) paying 6 places

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3.30pm – Champion Hurdle

The gloss of this race has somewhat been taken off due to the non-participation of reigning champion Constitution Hill but we still have a race on our hands and with a horse like State Man we have a popular favourite. The winner of 8 grade 1s and only behind Constitution Hill in last year’s renewal he deserves to be a short price favourite and he should get rewarded that his efforts on the track deserve. He is a fantastic horse and I can’t see how any horse can finish in front of him. He’s as solid a favourite can be this week.

I have found an alternative bet here though in the without market. IBERICO LORD was supplemented last week and he comes into the race as an improving sort by winning 2 of the most competitive handicaps ran this season in the Greatwood and Betfair hurdles. I don’t expect him to beat State Man but I do believe he will run well and on that basis, I am recommending to back him without State Man AND Irish Point. I believe he will beat all the other horses behind him and I think this market offers great value

3.30pm Tip: Iberico Lord W/O State Man AND Irish Point – 15/8 with bet365.

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4.10pm – Mares Hurdle

I have been wanting to take Lossiemouth on all winter in this but the closer we have got to the race, the more I have changed my opinion and the more I like her chances. I was worried about her staying the 2m4f trip (and it still might be that she won’t) but her performance on trials day in the Unibet hurdle was impressive. That was over 2m1f and she wasn’t stopping at the line and the further she went, the further she pulled clear. This performance, added to Gala Marceau disappointing on her latest outing (was 3^rd fav at the time), strengthened her position at the top of the market.

Ashroe Diamond is a mare I like a lot and she has some good form in behind the boys over the past 2 seasons but I cannot see how she gets the better of the favourite. Like the race previously, I have found a bet without trying to oppose the favourite and it is in the without market again. TELMESOMETHINGGIRL may be 9 and passed her best but she showed she’s still game when going down to Zarak the Brave last time out over a trip that would have been too short for her. Back up to 2 ½ miles and returning to the scene of her Mares Novice Hurdle win, I think Henry De Bromhead will have her primed and ready to run a big race here. I am going to chance her without the top 2 in the market and I think she’s great value. Rachel has chosen to ride her over the 2 stablemates (who were shorter in the betting at the time) and that’s shouts a big bit of confidence to me.

• 4.10pm Tip: Telmesomethinggirl WITHOUT Lossiemouth AND Ashroe Diamond EW – 5/1 with bet365.

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4.50pm – Boodles Fred Winter

A full field of 22 go to post in this ultra-competitive handicap for 4-year-olds. You can make a case for many horses here but with plenty of them open to huge improvement it’s difficult to get a real handle on the form. It’s a race that often has big-priced winners with favourites having a terrible record. For that reason, I want to ignore the top of the market as I don’t have the confidence to be taking shorter prices.

Like the Ultima, I’m going to have 2 stabs at the race at big prices who have been targeted and ‘laid out’ for the race. Martin Brassil’s OSE PARTIR is the main selection after running out the back of the TV on his last 3 starts in graded company. He has had educational rides throughout the season without ever being put into his races and as a result, he has become well handicapped. PALAMON of Paul Nolan’s yard comes here with a similar record and has been running in behind good horses (Lark in the Morning, Ndaawi, Highwind) the last few times. As a result, I think he’s well handicapped and can run a big race here.

• 4.50pm Tip: Palamon EW 20/1 (William Hill) paying 6 places
• 4.50pm Tip: Ose Partir EW 14/1 (Bet365) paying 6 places

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5.30pm – National Hunt Chase

SALVADOR ZIGGY was my first play in the race in September and I’m still firmly in his camp 6 months on. He has a similar profile to previous Gordon horses who have been targeted at the race where he has got his chasing experience in early before having a break and going into the race fresh. He was last seen finishing last in the American National when he was remarkably leading approaching the last. He was found to have bled badly that day which would explain his sudden demise. His run before that saw him finish 2^nd in a competitive Kerry National on only his 4^th start over fences. He has acted at the track before when finishing 2^nd in last year’s Pertemps hurdle and I believe that will stand him in good stead in this race. Top amateur jockey Rob James rides which is a positive and I would be surprised if he isn’t there at the finish.

The top 2 in the betting have class but they are short enough for me and I want to take them on. They both bombed out at the track in last seasons Albert Bartlett and they come here with lots to prove.

5.30pm Tip: Salvador Ziggy win only – 11/2 with BetVictor.

Follow Adam on Twitter for more Cheltenham tips throughout the week!

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