Cheltenham Festival 2024: Tom Collins looks forward to next week’s blockbuster meeting

Horse racing fans can rejoice as the Cheltenham Festival has finally appeared on the horizon. It felt like it would never come as we struggled through the cold and wet winter, but the hard graft and long hours spent tracking important formlines should now begin to pay off.

With less than a week to go until the best four days of jump racing, I will try to clear up what still remains a pretty murky picture when it comes to entries, likely winners and ground. For extra insight and tips, make sure you check out my daily column throughout the meeting on betting.getsbk.com.

Tuesday

When the clock strikes 1pm we will be just half an hour away from one of the biggest roars in sport. The Grade 1 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (1.30) kicks off proceedings, an event that has been won by a plethora of racing’s greats over the years. 

Trainers Willie Mullins and Nicky Henderson have dominated with seven victories between them over the last decade and they are well represented again, but one horse who looks to be going elsewhere is long-time antepost favourite Ballyburn. Tullyhill, Mystical Power and Jeriko Du Reponet could head the betting as a result, though there has been some support for the Gordon Elliott-trained Firefox.

Wide-open betting heats in the Arkle (2.10) and Ultima (2.50) follow on what is likely to be soft ground, before we get stuck into the featured Champion Hurdle (3.30). Unfortunately Constitution Hill, the best jumps horse in training, has been forced to miss the festival which should pave the way for the Mullins-trained State Man. Many will rely on him in accumulators.

Another likely to fill many betslips is Lossiemouth, who is favourite for the Mares’ Hurdle (4.10). She will be super tough to beat at short odds and I consider her banker material. It’s good to have a confident selection during the middle of the card as we end proceedings with the Boodles (4.50) and National Hunt Chase (5.30), two races that are notoriously tough to predict. Saying that, I quite like Corbetts Cross in the latter event on the step up in trip.

Wednesday

The long range weather forecast suggests the ground may dry out a touch as we head into day two, the second and final day where racing is held on the Old Course. Ballyburn will be the toast of bettors in the opening Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle (1.30), which is better known as the Sun Alliance or Ballymore or Neptune! Stablemate Ile Atlantique seems the biggest threat.

Willie Mullins will hope to make it a perfect start to the afternoon with Fact To File in the Brown Advisory (2.10), while he also has chances in the Coral Cup (2.50). The one horse who is overbet there is Langer Dan.

El Fabiolo continues the Mullins theme in the showpiece Champion Chase (3.30) and won’t be much of a price to land the Grade 1. Punters will have the chance to land a juicy winner just moments later as the Cross-Country Chase (4.10) and Grand Annual (4.50) boast enticing markets.

The hurdles are removed for the final contest of the day, the Champion Bumper (5.30). Mullins has won this race four times in the last six years and has another strong hand, so don’t expect the Irishman to catch an early taxi back to his accommodation.

Thursday

Half-time and ready to assert in the second-half on the New Course. That will be the motto for many. Novice chasers are in action first in the Turners (1.30), which could be dominated by the Brits for a change as Ginny’s Destiny and Grey Dawning head the market, but the Irish are expected to be back on top when it comes to the Pertemps Final (2.10). Give Icare Allen a second look if he lines up there.

Banbridge is set to take on last year’s winner Envoi Allen in the Ryanair (2.50) before we witness one of the best Stayers’ Hurdle (3.30) fields in the last decade battle it out for a large first prize pot. Some big guns are avoiding each other in other divisions, but that’s not happening here to the relief of many.

The perennially difficult Plate (4.10) comes next before the relatively new Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (4.50), which features two hype horses in Brighterdaysahead and Jade De Grugy. The latter makes more sense at the prices to me. The ‘lucky last’ is a famous cliche, but you will need fortune on your side to pick the winner of the Kim Muir (5.30).

Friday

Gold Cup Day. It should be a national holiday, right? Sir Gino will look to get bettors and traders off to a good start at prohibitive odds in the Triumph Hurdle (1.30) before 26 runners compete in the hotly contested County Hurdle (2.10).

The Albert Bartlett (2.50) is up next and has been won by a group of largely unfancied horses with an average price of 21.2/1 over the last decade, so this is a nice spot to take a shot in search of a big return. The same might not be said about the Gold Cup (3.30) itself as last year’s champ Galopin Des Champs should prove mighty hard to beat.

Recent JP McManus recruit It’s On The Line tops a near all-Irish head of the market in the Hunters’ Chase (4.10), while those green and gold silks could be at it again with Dinoblue in the Mares’ Chase (4.50) that follows.

A total of 27 races have finished, just one to go. A get out of jail free card or a chance to add to a phenomenal week? The Martin Pipe (5.30) is far from the easiest finale but plenty face Sa Majeste to strike for that man again, Willie Mullins. At a much bigger price, I prefer the value on offer on Encanto Bruno. Maybe he will have the last laugh.