Cheltenham Festival day 1: Tips, odds, races and weather for Tuesday - Yahoo Sports
The Cheltenham Festival begins today, drawing back the curtain on four days of the very best jump racing has to offer.
The undoubted highlight of day one is the Unibet Champion Hurdle (3.00), in which Constitution Hill is the red-hot favourite to regain the crown he first one back in 2023.
Brighterdaysahead and last year’s winner State Man will be those attempting to stop Nick Henderson’s charge from making it a perfect 11 wins from 11 starts in his career.
The first race of the meeting has been renamed the Michael O’Sullivan Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, in honour of the late jockey who died after a fall at Thurles last month.
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The red hot favourite has an engine but pulls hard and beat a good horse at Kempton and has a massive engine for a 25-1 shot.
Willie Mullins says may be one of the best he has. He looks like a champion.
is Exciting prospect whose improved jumping last time stands him in good stead here.
Again the favourite Majborough looks like his jumping might be flawed and can kick off a good week for Dan Skelton.
I loved the way quickened up at Cheltenham in November and was really clever when wrong at the last.
gained good experience this year compared to his rivals, whilst form of his last win has been franked.
A runaway winner at Kempton last time, is fast improving and jockey’s 3lb claim comes in handy.
I like horses that come through the Kempton meeting before the Festival. Some people thinks its too close to Cheltenham, but I don’t. has gone up 12lbs but he’s got a nice racing weight.
is a strong traveller who should enjoy this sort of test and lurks on a nice handicap mark.
won the Betfair Hurdle off a low weight but rapidly improving and the favourite Lossiemouth had the mother and father of falls last time.
Fancied for the Champion hurdle, and this is much easier. Kempton at Christmas was too sharp for her, and her fall last time was a one off blip.
She cleaned up on the mares’ circuit last year and should be hard to beat returned to that sphere.
The best hurdler in a generation, only has to stay upright.
was incredible at Leopardstown at Christmas and will be piling on the pressure if the odds on favourite misses a beat.
After an outstanding performance last time, comes here at the peak of her powers, unlike some of her opponents.
ran a good second to the favourite for Friday’s Triumph last time, this is his race.
A mistake at the last cost in the Triumph Hurdle trial at Cheltenham. Stayed on really well at Fairyhouse.
was progressive on the flat and caught the eye over hurdles, particularly last time.
stayed on nicely last time out over three miles, has a nice profile for this race which is now long distance novice handicap chase.
Stayed on really well at Sandown over shorter trip - the jockey will put a few off!
is a sizeable horse who looks ready for this longer trip and should go close at nice odds if his jumping holds up.
Opening race of the meeting and one that often sets the tone for much of action on the course for the week to come.
There are both key things to ignore and key things to factor into your selection here. Winners in the last 12 years after all been five or six years of age, bar one, while ten of those winners were also successful last time out.
Eight of the last 12 winners were trained in Ireland, with five of those winning the Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown the month before the meeting.
Less important is course form (this always tends to be the case in novice races) but it is still worth noting that only four of the last 12 winners had run at Cheltenham before taking the race.
A race in which it has paid to note the top of the market in recent seasons, with all but one of the last seven winners returning as favourite and 11 of the last 12 winning on their run prior to the festival.
This race is one for precocious, talented jumpers, with nine of the last 12 winners rated at 157 heading into the race and with ten of those 12 boasting at least one win at Grade 1 or Grade 2 level heading into the contest.
If there is one race at the Cheltenham where the trends offer up a compelling case for a winner time and again, this is it.
Check the top of the market. Ten of the last 12 winners of the Champion Hurdle have been sent off favourite or joint-favourite, with only one during that time returning at double-figure odds.
As you’d expect with the above stat in mind, 11 of the past 12 winners won on their last run prior to the festival, with the same number having had at least one run at Cheltenham before. Eight of the last 12 have at least one win at Cheltenham.
Age is also a consideration, with ten of the last 12 being between six and eight.
The ground for day one of the meeting is currently good to soft, with some rain forecast to hit the course later on Monday. Whatever rain does come appears to be light and therefore is unlikely to lead to a significant change in ground conditions. The weather for Tuesday is currently set to overcast but dry, with highs of 7C.
There’s a lot of competition between bookmakers for customers during the festival and they will often run their best promotions of the year, especially earlier in the week. Take a look at these Cheltenham betting offers to find free bets to use throughout the week.
ITV will show the first six races of the day on ITV1 on free-to-air television and via its streaming platform ITVX. For full coverage of all seven races, you need a Racing TV subscription.
Cheltenham Festival? Find our best Cheltenham free bets and Cheltenham betting offers to take advantage of between March 11 and March 14, 2025.
