Normally we send one issue each week, but with the Cheltenham Festival beginning today it felt like the perfect time for special edition.

In this email we are looking at the major races across the first three days of the meeting and picking out a few horses that could run well.

If you are wondering why the preview stops there, the reason is simple. We did not want this email to become too long, and the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the final day’s racing will be covered properly in our usual Friday edition of the newsletter.

Old Park Star heads the market after winning his last three starts and currently trades around 9/4 with most bookmakers.

Mighty Park sits close behind in the betting at roughly 9/2. He is a tougher type who should be well suited by a strong pace, while Talk The Talk (9/2) and El Cairos (9/1) both have form that suggests they could easily outperform their odds.

At this stage Old Park Star and Mighty Park appear the two runners with the strongest overall claims.

The Arkle Novices’ Chase looks set to revolve around Kopek Des Bordes and Lulamba, both of whom have impressed in their chasing campaigns.

Kopek Des Bordes, generally available around 6/4, has shown steady improvement with each outing. His efficient jumping combined with the Paul Townend and Willie Mullins partnership makes him a clear benchmark in the race.

Lulamba, priced around 13/8, brings an equally strong profile. Trained by Nicky Henderson and ridden by Nico de Boinville, he has yet to taste defeat over fences and has looked polished throughout his chasing campaign.

The pair dominate the market and it would be no surprise if the race developed into a straight contest between them. Slight preference goes to Kopek Des Bordes, though Lulamba remains a serious threat.

With Constitution Hill, State Man and Sir Gino all absent, this year’s Champion Hurdle lacks some of the headline names but in doing so has produced a much more open contest.

The New Lion (3/1), winner of last year’s Turners Novices’ Hurdle, sets a strong standard and attempts to follow the path taken by greats such as Istabraq and Faugheen by winning the Champion Hurdle twelve months later.

Poniros (16/1) is another intriguing contender. Winning the Triumph Hurdle on his hurdling debut at 100/1 last year required a serious level of ability and he still has the potential to improve further.

Lossiemouth (15/9) brings a formidable Festival record into the race. A three-time winner at the meeting, she remains unbeaten in four runs at Cheltenham and lines up alongside fellow mares Brighterdaysahead (5/1) and last year’s winner Golden Ace.

Add improving runners such as Tutti Quanti (25/1) and Alexei (18/1), along with established performers Anzadam (25/1) and Workahead (80/1), and the race still looks deep despite the missing stars.

This year’s race features a competitive field of 16 runners.

Romeo Coolio (4/1) has been particularly impressive since going chasing for Gordon Elliott. He has won all four of his starts over fences this season, including two Grade 1 victories at Leopardstown. Those wins came over slightly shorter distances, but his running style suggests stepping up in trip should suit him.

Wendigo (8/1) is another horse whose profile continues to improve. Since starting his chasing career he has steadily moved forward, highlighted by a Grade 2 victory at Newbury, he could be one of the main rivals to the favourite.

Western Fold (14/1) may appeal to those looking for an each-way option. His first season over fences was relatively quiet, but he has improved significantly during this campaign.

This year’s contest features a full field of 26 runners tackling 2 miles and 5 furlongs.

Iberico Lord (10/1), trained by Nicky Henderson, looks an interesting contender. He arrives following a strong victory earlier in the season and appears to have been given a workable handicap mark. Course form can often be important in races like this and his overall profile suggests he could play a leading role.

Storm Heart (6/1), representing Willie Mullins, looks the most obvious threat. Since returning from a break he has improved steadily and arrives here after a pair of solid wins which indicate he may still be progressing.

At bigger odds, Farren Glory (20/1) could appeal as an each-way possibility. Gordon Elliott’s runner has been very consistent without always managing to win, but that reliability could see him involved in the finish if the race unfolds in his favour.

Stumptown (11/4), last year’s winner, returns with strong claims of repeating the achievement. Trained by Gavin Cromwell, he has proven extremely effective in cross-country races and already has an excellent record over this course and distance. Since last year’s Festival he has added another notable victory by winning the famous Velka Pardubicka, one of Europe’s toughest races.

Favori De Champdou (5/2) looks the main rival. Gordon Elliott’s veteran has been enjoying a productive season, winning the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas before following up with success over the Cheltenham cross-country course on Trials Day.

Conflated (25/1) may be worth E/W consideration at a larger price.

Il Etait Temps (9/2) represents Willie Mullins and looks a strong contender. Earlier in the season he produced impressive performances when winning both the Clonmel Oil Chase and the Tingle Creek, beating high-class opposition.

Majborough (10/11) arrives with a growing reputation as one of the most exciting two-mile chasers currently racing. His performance at the Dublin Racing Festival was particularly striking, dominating a Grade 1 field and finishing well clear of rivals.

Quilixios (10/1) could prove interesting at a bigger price. He was travelling strongly in this race last year before falling late on. Despite a break from racing, he has previously run well when fresh.

Wodhooh (8/11) is the obvious one near the top of the market and sets a strong standard on recent form. She arrives here with solid credentials and is likely to be on plenty of shortlists.

For those looking a little further down the betting, Dream On Baby (25/1) is the one that catches the eye at bigger odds.

In the Stayers’ Hurdle, the big favourite and many people’s banker is Teahupoo (5/2), with stablemate Honesty Policy (9/2) next in the market. Both are trained by Gordon Elliott and come here with strong form.

At the time of writing neither horse has a confirmed jockey, and that could yet offer a clue as to how the Elliott team see the race shaping up once declarations are finalised.

The Ryanair Chase looks set to revolve around Fact To File (4/6), trained by Willie Mullins. On paper at least, is the one they all have to beat. It doesn’t look an easy task for the rest of the field, and anyone hoping to take him on will likely need something close to a career-best performance to get past him.

Those are our thoughts for the opening three days of the Festival.
The selections are included for general interest and do not constitute betting advice. If you do choose to have a wager, please gamble responsibly and remember that betting is only for those aged 18 and over.

You can also find our full Cheltenham Festival guide, with updated odds and the latest news throughout the week, at https://cheltenham.horseracing.guide/
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Racing Syndicates - Win a share in Kingmaker Trained by Willie Mullins

Pompey Ventures is running a competition where one entrant will win a 1% ownership share in the racehorse Kingmaker, who is now in training with Willie Mullins at Closutton.

The competition is free to enter, open to residents of the UK and Ireland, and entries close at 9pm on Saturday 14 March.

To learn more about the competition, click here.

Betting Offers

Betfred are already cranking up their Festival coverage, with a full slate of racing offers lined up for both new and existing customers. It’s well worth keeping an eye on their promos page, as Cheltenham‑specific offers update daily.

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