Cheltenham is here!
Read more: Cheltenham Festival 2024 – Day 1 Selections13:30 – Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) – 2m½f
Ante-Post Positions: Tullyhill 1pt Win @ 10/1
We’re in a fantastic position here with TULLYHILL Ante-Post, having put him up following his extremely impressive Listed victory at Punchestown last time. Ballyburn going to the Baring Bingham has left him to inherit near-favouritism and Paul Townend as jockey – which perhaps is a tip in itself as Paul must think that Tullyhill in the Supreme has a better chance than the likes of an Ile Atlantique in the Gallagher Novice Hurdle. Looking at the race objectively and Ante-Post positions aside however, I’m still very sweet on Tullyhill, and I’d certainly side with him over Mystical Power – who I think has very much surprised the yard with what he has achieved to date. The Handicapper agrees with my assessment too, as he’s given Tullyhill an official rating of 153 for this – compared to Mystical Power’s rating of 148.
This 6yo grey was very highly thought of as a Bumper Horse though, and he ran with major credit in the Grade 1 Champion Bumper at Punchestown when splitting A Dream To Share and County Hurdle favourite King Of Kingsfield. It was major disappointment to see him disgrace himself when jumping like a snooker table over 2m6f on Hurdles debut, but after a 6 week break he returned with a much improved effort to win a 2m Maiden Hurdle at Naas, before bolting up in that Listed contest at Punchestown 23 days ago when again showing significant improvement in the jumping department. If he progresses again like I think he can, he could take some stopping with his massive stride surely an asset.
I will also have a second play in the race mind – and that’s ‘could be anything’ Horse MISTERGIF, who impressed me greatly on his very long-awaited Irish debut at Limerick. it’s a shame he didn’t a full run of things since joining Willie from France this season, but he does have plenty of experience in the locker – with 2 further Hurdle starts as well as 12 Flat races in his native country. He strikes me as a very similar type to Diverge last year, who went on to finish 3rd. Willie Mullins also has a peculiar yet spectacular record in the Supreme when running a Horse who has previously ran in a French Hurdle race; 1121 (Vautour, Douvan, Min, Klassical Dream). Clearly if he is as good as any of that quartet then he would well be up to winning this, but I think this slick jumper should at least be capable of hitting the frame at this stage in his career.
Bets now:
Tullyhill 1pt Win @ 10/3 [2pts if not backed Ante-Post]
Mistergif 0.5pts EW (4 Places) @ 11/1
14:10 – Arkle Novices’ Chase (Grade 1) – 2m
I think that a lot of people are mixing up an open renewal of the Arkle with a ‘weak’ one, as there are seven 150+ Horses declared in this contest, and you can probably make a fair case for most. In my book that makes it a much stronger race than comparisons I’ve seen to the 2019 (Duc Des Genievres) renewal, and I certainly don’t have a massively strong opinion. I do think that if one Horse could potentially be on a different level to his rivals however then that has to be GAELIC WARRIOR, and if he is on a going day then he could be some sight let loose over the minimum trip. Many will have concerns about his tendency to jump out to the right, but if he gets into a good rhythm he could have them all at before they straighten up for home – and under that scenario it would take a very good Horse to go by him up the hill. Paul Townend gives him the vote of confidence, and I am willing to give him a chance albeit the price this morning is very much dwindling my interest.
Bets now:
Gaelic Warrior 1pt Win @ 2/1
14:50 – Ultima Handicap Chase (Premier) – 3m1f
Ante-Post Positions: Chianti Classico 1pt EW (5 Places) @ 20/1
If you’re looking for an each/way angle then I probably will have a small cover bet on Victtorino, who was beaten miles out last time at Ascot, but clearly didn’t give his true running having stayed on strongly at the finish. 3m1f around Cheltenham should suit him much better than Trials Day, the Soft ground should be in his favour, and Yeah Man has clearly boosted his Ascot form by winning the Grand National Trial at Haydock in impressive fashion.
Bets now:
Chianti Classico 0.5pts EW (6 Places) @ 6/1 [1.5pts EW if not backed Ante-Post]
Victtorino 0.5pts EW (6 Places) @ 16/1
15:30 – Champion Hurdle (Grade 1) – 2m½f
Sit back and enjoy State Man! I don’t think there’s anything more I can add here other than that I was very glad to see Iberico Lord supplemented – hopefully he runs well and can make the step up into open-company Hurdle races next season.
16:10 – Mares Hurdle (Grade 1) – 2m4f
Lossiemouth could be ridiculously good here and perhaps I’ll be made to look silly in taking her on… but no matter what anyone says she does have that slight stamina doubt over this 2m4f trip until she goes and does it on the track. Now I’m not saying that she can’t or won’t stay, but I want to side with ASHROE DIAMOND here because I think she’s another very talented Mare, and clearly there are no such stamina concerns with her.
A bit like Lossiemouth, Ashroe Diamond comes into this as somewhat of an unknown quantity compared to the remainder having missed the Mares Novice last year, but she made amends under no uncertain terms at Fairyhouse on her next start in their Grade 1 Honeysuckle Mares Novice Hurdle, where in pretty testing conditions she won extremely easily under a hands and heels ride. She’s only had the two starts so far this season but both were good efforts, firstly when finishing 3rd behind Teahupoo and Impare Et Passe in the Grade 1 Hatton’s Grace Hurdle, before then going to Doncaster in January and putting in an unbelievable round of jumping to win the 2m Grade 2 Yorkshire Rose Mares’ Hurdle from Under Control and stablemate Gala Marceau. The last Horse Willie Mullins ran in that Doncaster race was Vroum Vroum Mag before she finished a gallant 2nd to Apple’s Jade in the Mares Hurdle, and I’m hoping that Ashroe Diamond will be able to go one better at Cheltenham. Although this will be her first time at the track, I think it could actually really suit her, and she clearly travels well as in two visits to the UK so far she is unbeaten. I’ll chance on her to win again in both the straight Win and betting W/O the favourite markets.
Bets now:
Ashroe Diamond 1pt Each/Way @ 15/2
Ashroe Diamond 1pt Win (W/O Lossiemouth) @ 10/3
16:50 – Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (Premier) – 2m½f
I’m not ignorant enough to only have one bullet in such a big field Handicap Hurdle with extra places on offer however, and as such I do want to also have play on OSE PARTIR from that same Leopardstown Grade 2 Juvenile Hurdle formline. This Martin Brassil charge has certainly been plotted out this season, and his debut was particularly eye-catching when he finished a very close 2nd to Kaleosun (119) at Galway under a tame enough ride. He’s since been kept exclusively to Graded company, finishing 9th at Fairyhouse before then finishing 8th in that aforementioned Boxing Day contest – just behind Miss Manzor, and ahead of Eagle Fan/Karia Des Blaises. If we go through the Boodles weights however, Ose Partir will be 7lbs better off with Batman Girac (3.75 lengths), 11lbs better off with Miss Manzor (0.75 lengths), 1lb better off with Eagle Fang (beat 1.5 lengths), and 8lbs better off with Karia Des Blaises (beat 5.25 lengths). Now clearly Juveniles improve at different rates, but with SPs of 80/1 and 100/1 on his last two starts Ose Partir clearly hasn’t been fully let off the leash yet, and off a mark of 126 he could very much make a fool of the assessor – especially with all of those aforementioned weight pulls.
Bets now:
Ose Partir 1pt EW (6 Places) @ 14/1
Eagle Fang 0.5pts EW (6 Places) @ 16/1
17:30 – National Hunt Chase (Grade 2) – 3m6f
I think that EMBASSY GARDENS is probably the NAP of Day 1. This Willie Mullins Novice Chaser has been electric so far over fences, winning by 13 lengths on debut at Punchestown in December, before then thrashing Sandor Clegane by 10 lengths in the 3m1f Grade 3 Naas Novice Chase. He’s taken to fences like a duck to water so there are no jumping concerns (unlike with Corbetts Cross) and a first-time hood is applied to alleviate any concerns of him being too gassy early on and ruining his chance over this marathon trip. He should take some stopping under Patrick Mullins.
Bets now:
Embassy Gardens 2pts Win @ 2/1
Summary
13:30 – Tullyhill 10/3 & Mistergif 11/1
14:10 – Gaelic Warrior 2/1
14:50 – Chianti Classico 6/1 & Victtorino 16/1
15:30 – State Man
16:10 – Ashroe Diamond 15/2
16:50 – Ose Partir 14/1 & Eagle Fang 16/1
17:30 – Embassy Gardens 2/1
Jake Price Racing 
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