Oli Bell Cheltenham Festival Preview

What a week we’ve got coming up. From a personal point of view, there’s nothing quite like the Cheltenham Festival, everything about the week from start to finish is just pure magic. 

The excitement you feel when you are around the track on Tuesday morning is incomparable. All dreams are still alive and everyone hopes that they can be a Festival winner be it for the first time or, in jockey Ruby Walsh’s case, a 53rd. 

Everyone has their own aspirations and for the week and when they come off the feeling must get is indescribable.

I know a lot is made of the famous Cheltenham Roar, but I’ll never get tired of hearing it when the tapes go up for the first race on day one – the Sky Bet Supreme Hurdle. I can’t wait to hear it again this year and I’m really looking forward to the whole meeting.

There will be a special The Opening Show on every day of the Festival, running on ITV4 from 9.30am to 11am with some great guests. 

On Tuesday we will be joined by the most successful current trainer at the Festival, Nicky Henderson, before multiple Cheltenham winning jockey Nina Carberry joins us on Wednesday. 

Ten-time champion trainer Paul Nicholls will be on the show on Thursday and on Friday we will get the inside track on the Timico Gold Cup with Tom Scuadamore. 

Even though his ride Thistlecrack is missing the race, Tom is in the best position to give his thoughts on winning the Blue Riband. Ruby will also be with us every day, along with a number of celebrities heading to the Festival, starting with England cricketer Eoin Morgan and golfer Lee Westwood, a winning Cheltenham owner himself last year with Ballyalton.

With some great shows and great features lined up, it’s an exciting time. We all hope that you enjoy the Festival as much as we will and we’ll try to convey the nerves, tension and atmosphere as best we can for those who aren’t able to make it there this year.

Here are my thoughts and best bets for the week:

Tuesday:

1.30pm – Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, 2m 87y. Lots of focus will be on Willie Mullins and current favourite Melon (3/1 with Sky Bet). However, I think his 20/1 hope Cilaos Emery may have slipped under the radar. He was beaten last time out but I think the test of the Supreme will do him good. He’s got loads of talent and will offer value against the top horses.

2.10pm – Racing Post Arkle Chase, 1m 7f 199y. Altior has the X Factor and more, he’s breathtaking. This is one of the races to sit back and watch something out of this world happen. We all hope he performs to the best of his ability, like he did on the same day last year. I can’t wait to hear Nicky’s thoughts on The Opening Show in the morning.

2.50pm – Ultima Handicap Chase, 3m 1f. Neil Mulholland’s understandably confident in The Druids Nephew (10/1) and as a former Festival winner I’m expecting another big performance from him. Previous Cheltenham form can never be discounted at this meeting.

3.30pm – Stan James Champion Hurdle, 2m 87y. I’ve been backing Brain Power (7/1) for weeks now. It’s interesting that David Pipe and connections want to run Moon Racer, with Willie Mullins also sending Vroum Vroum Mag to the Mares’ Hurdle. I still think that Brain Power is over-priced on ground that should be favourable.

4.10pm – OLBG Mares’ Hurdle, 2m 3f 200y. The fact that Ruby has gone for Limini (13/8) says a lot, but there have been quite a few reports that Vroum Vroum Mag (2/1) has been working well at home. The way Limini beat Apples Jade in Ireland was impressive. It’s a tough race and I’m not convinced Ruby has made the right decision, but he knows a bit more about riding a winner at the Festival than I do.

4.50pm – JT McNamara National Hunt Chase, 3m 7f 170y. Beware The Bear (8/1) has another big chance on the first day for Nicky Henderson and I think he will go close. He’s a talented horse and could be a Grand National type one day.

5.30pm – Close Brothers Novices’ Chase, 2m 4f 78y. Its’afreebee (10/1) fared well for Dan Skelton in the Neptune last year and that will be a big factor. Third in a race won by Yorkhill, that’s up there with the very best Festival form and you’ve got to give him a chance.

Wednesday

1.30pm – Neptune Novices’ Hurdle, 2m 5f 26y. Neon Wolf (7/4) and Bacardys (3/1) are the horses everybody is talking about in this race, and rightly so following the disappointing news about Finians Oscar. For me, Neon Wolf is a bit of a monster and such an exciting prospect that as much as the Irish are talking about Bacardys, he will need to be at his very best to beat Harry Fry’s horse.

2.10pm – RSA Chase, 3m 80y. Lots of people say they want to take on Might Bite (7/2). He’s won at Cheltenham before, albeit in a much lower quality novice hurdle, so how much you can read into that I don’t know. He generally jumps pretty well. There will be scares but he if runs like he did at Kempton Park in December he will have a lot of horses out of the question by the start of the second circuit. Quite rightly, he’s the lay of the week for plenty.

2.50pm – Coral Cup, 2m 5f 26y. Despite Tombstone being a short-priced favourite at 9/2, it shows what a quality horse he is that Gordon Elliott and Gigginstown were also looking at the Champion Hurdle with him. I was in Ireland recently with Gordon and you can see the feature on ITV this week.

3.30pm – Betway Champion Chase, 1m 7f 199y. With Altior hopefully running an unforgettable race on Tuesday, I’m sure Ruby and Douvan (2/7) will want to respond with one of their own to put down a marker for the most incredible clash to come between the two in the future. What we want to see is the horses putting in their best and I’m sure Douvan won’t let down his many supporters.

4.10pm – Glenfarclas Chase, 3m 6f 37y. It looks to be a straight fight between three JP McManus horses – Cantlow (9/4), Cause Of Causes (7/2) and Auvergnat (7/1). We will have Nina Carberry with us on Wednesday’s The Opening Show and her insight into the race will be invaluable. Cantlow, with his experience around the course, will be tough to beat, but many people are backing Cause Of Causes, so the market on the day will be very telling.

4.50pm – Fred Winter Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle, 2m 87y. Nicky Henderson’s Divin Bere (6/1) will go close. Nicky’s horse impressively beat Triumph Hurdle hope Master Blueyes at Huntingdon in January and could be a class above his rivals. But clearly the handicapper may also have his say, meaning others like Dino Velvet (14/1) could be considered. Alan King at the Cheltenham weights lunch was bullish about his chance.

5.30pm – Weatherbys Champion Bumper, 2m 87y. Someday (7/1) is towards the top of the betting and connections are keen. Western Ryder’s form (7/1) is impressive and I’m sure owners The Albatross Club will raise the roof if he wins at Cheltenham. 

Thursday

1.30pm – JLT Novices’ Chase, 2m 3f 198y. Lots has been made of Yorkhill’s (11/8) schooling recently, his jumping to the left and a few errors over fences. But he’s a in a different class to his rivals and was superb in last year’s Neptune. If he gets around, no horse will be good enough to beat him.

2.10pm – Pertemps Final, 2m 7f 213y. Impulsive Star (9/1) for Neil Mulholland is a rapidly improving horse and he’s definitely of interest. It’s an ultra-competitive handicap and I think there’s a lot more to come from Impulsive Star in a race that’s tough to call.

2.50pm – Ryanair Chase, 2m 4f 166y. The talk on the Gordon Elliott stable tour was that Empire Of Dirt (7/2) is a talented horse with a big chance. Sporting Life tipster Ben Linfoot put forward an excellent case for Sub Lieutenant (7/1) at a recent preview evening and he offers value. 

3.30pm – Sun Bets Stayers Hurdle, 2m 7f 213y. I don’t think anything can beat Unowhatimeanharry (11/8). Cole Harden (7/1) will give him a target to aim at and he has to be respected as a former winner. But Unowhatimeanharry is a class apart. It could be a memorable Festival for JP McManus as he nears 50 winners, and this would be a good chance to reach that milestone.

4.10pm – Brown Advisory Plate, 2m 4f 166y. I like the look of Art Mauresque (20/1) and Sizing Codelco (10/1). The talk is the former has been working well for Paul Nicholls while Joe Tizzard is very keen on Sizing Codelco. They’re both reasonably priced.

4.50pm –  Trull House Stud Mares Novices’ Hurdle, 2m 179y. The most confident trainer in the build-up to the Festival has to be Warren Greatrex with La Bague Au Roi (13/2), almost to the extent that she’ll win regardless of what the Irish send. She’s versatile, likely to get the ground she wants and she may be underestimated a little bit as – intentionally – we haven’t seen her for a while.

5.30pm – Kim Muir Handicap Chase, 3m 2f. I’m likely to go with Southfield Royale for Neil Mulholland, a trainer who could have an exceptional Festival. The horse hasn’t quite fired this year but finished fourth in National Handicap Chase with Native River ahead of him in a very strong Festival run. I expect much more from him this year and he’ll be saving his best for Cheltenham.

Friday

1.30pm – JCB Triumph Hurdle, 2m 179y. Defi Du Seuil (7/4) will be hard to beat. He has proved himself already this season as an incredibly talented young horse and I find it hard to see Master Blueyes (6/1) or Charli Parcs (6/1) beating him.

2.10pm – Randox Health County Hurdle, 2m 179y. Winter Escape – another JP McManus horse – may have disappointed in November’s Greatwood Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham, but on last season’s form and going by ability he’s shown it would be no surprise if he bounces back at the Festival. He’s currently 12/1 with Sky Bet.

2.50pm – Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, 2m 7f 213y. West Approach going for the Stayers (a 14/1 shot) has opened up this race and it’s a fantastic opportunity now for Death Duty (9/4). It wouldn’t have been a certainty that Death Duty would have beaten Augusta Kate (7/1) when Willie Mullins’ horse fell at the last when they met at Naas in January. I’m looking forward to hearing what Lee Westwood – part of The Masters Syndicate has to say about Augusta Kate on The Opening Show.

3.30pm – Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup, 3m 2f 70y. I’d love Colin and Joe Tizzard to win it with Cue Card or Native River (both 7/2). Joe is a good friend and I’m a big fan of Colin. It would be brilliant for their team to cap what has already been a wonderful season. A horse with more value in their price is More Of That at 14/1 and he’s rumoured to be in great form. 

4.10pm – St James's Place Foxhunters Chase, 3m 2f 70y. On the Fringe (6/4) has won the last two so why look elsewhere, even if he was beaten last time out at Leopardstown? Talk of the town in Crewkerne, Somerset, is that Will Biddick and Ask The Weatherman (4/1) will really stick it up to them. Jack Barber’s horse is a bigger price and could serve it up to the Irish raider.

4.50pm – Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle, 2m 4f 56y. Nick Scholfield was very keen on Lac Fontana (10/1) at a preview event, putting him up as his charity bet. It will be interesting to see how he gets on.

5.30pm – Johnny Henderson Grand Annual, 2m 62y. Nicky Henderson has two runners – Theinval (14/1) and L’Ami Serge (20/1) – in the race named in honour of his father, with the former a strong winner at Plumpton in December, albeit in a three-runner novice chase. 

As soon as Cheltenham finishes, I’ll head to Uttoxeter, looking forward to covering the Midlands Grand National. It will also be the first time I get to present the main race coverage on Saturday afternoon. 

Rishi Persad will deputise on The Opening Show in the morning, with Lizzie Kelly a special guest, fresh from her ride on Tea For Two in the Gold Cup. 

Whatever happens this week, the horses are the stars and like every year there will be some performances on the track that we will remember for the rest of our lives. Good luck with your bets and may the best horses win.