THE START of The Cheltenham Festival 2024 will be celebrated with the Cheltenham roar at 1.30pm with the start of the Supreme, the first of 28 races over the four days of The Festival. At the time of writing on Sunday there has been some rain at the course and although Cheltenham drains so well it is important to remember there is so much moisture in the ground. This coupled with temperatures that will be in the low double figures for next week mean that the ground won’t get as quick as some might have expected for Thursday and Friday.

State Man is Unibet 2/5 on in the Unibet Champion Hurdle (Grade 1) , the feature on day one with Willie Mullins’ charge looking unopposable after the very unfortunate withdrawal of reigning Champion Constitution Hill, trained by Unibet Ambassador Nicky Henderson. State Man has had the perfect season, and there are each way opportunities to consider.

Lossiemouth in the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle (Grade 1) is Unibet 4/7 and was a class act on Festival Trials day when winning the Unibet International Hurdle when never coming off the bridle to beat Love Envoi by 9½ lengths. Lossiemouth is unproven over this 2m 4f trip and she will be ridden with that in mind to overcome the rest of the field with another top performance.

Enjoy whether at the home of jump racing or watching #athome on ITV Racing and Racing TV. See you at Cheltenham!

Cheers The Wine Tipster.  

Unibet will be paying MONEY BACK AS CASH if 2nd or 3rd on the 13:30 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle from 9am on Tuesday. Opt-in on Betslip. T&Cs apply.

2.10 Cheltenham – My Pension Expert Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase (2m)

JPR One has looked a proper two-miler to date, with lots of speed and is an excellent jumper. It was a real shame to see him unseat at the last at Cheltenham in November (marked up in my Unibet blog) as he’d been foot-perfect to that point, but like one or two horses that weekend, the last proved tricky for him. The Henry VII at Sandown, despite not being a bad run by any means, might have come a bit too soon and the heavy ground just didn’t suit him. JPR bounced back to form though when putting in another superb round of jumping in the Grade 2 Lightning Chase at Lingfield last time when ideally in front after the last and he looks tailormade for the Arkle in an open renewal.

Unibet 8/1 each way

2.50 Cheltenham – The Ultima Handicap Steeple Chase (3m 1f)

Chianti Classico (NAP) was marked up in my Unibet Ante-Post blog last month and there is no reason to desert him now as this seven-year-old has just the unexposed progressive profile to take the Ultima. He was marked up in my Unibet Ten To Follow for this campaign on the back of a three-timer last season on his first three hurdling starts at Chepstow, Market Rasen and Wincanton respectively, when favourite or second favourite. This season he switched to fences and he showed at the Unibet Jump Season Opener at Chepstow, when winning on chasing debut with a superb round of jumping, that he had a very bright future over the larger obstacles. He followed up at Ascot next time when winning pushed out on ground that was tacky and certainly didn’t suit him at all. I saw Chianti Classico close up that day and he is such an imposing individual. Chianti Classico’s most recent appearance after his Ascot run was in January at Kempton when staying on second to the smart Flegmatik. Chianti Classico’s jumping and travelling style is well suited to Cheltenham and if the ground is at least a combination of soft and good to soft that will suit him.

Unibet 6/1 each way

Trelawne could also run a big race for the Kim Bailey team, with the booking of Harry Cobden raising an eyebrow, and this is a horse crying out for a step back up in trip after two efforts at shorter in recent months. He’s lost nothing in defeats to Colonel Harry and Crebilly in small fields, and it’s to be remembered the last time he tackled this trip was at Uttoxeter over hurdles a year ago when he beat Lord Snootie. That’s decent form, and with the ground coming in his favour, he can play a big part in the Ultima.

Unibet 17/2 each way

3.30 Cheltenham – Unibet Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy (2m ½f)

Nemean Lion is my each way selection after winning the Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton on soft ground last month when beating Colonel Mustard. He was always doing enough when looking the winner a long way out. He had been stepped up in trip in the Lanzorate at Kempton (marked up in my Unibet blog) on his penultimate start and finished second to Jay Jay Reilly after Nemean Lion had made a mistake at the last two hurdles. Back in November Nemean Lion (tipped in my Unibet blog) was fifth beaten 9½ lengths by Iberico Lord in the Unibet Greatwood Hurdle when giving the winner a stone in a race which always acts as a strong form guide. Nemean Lion has plenty to do off a mark of 151 and he will need to put in a smooth round of jumping too, however looks the prime each way selection for the third spot with the ground very much in his favour.

Unibet 25/1 each way

4.50 Cheltenham – Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (2m ½f)

Harsh was included in my Unibet blog with five handicappers to follow for the Cheltenham Festival and is one of two entries for the Joseph O’Brien team with stablemate Lark In The Mornin. There have been five winners in the last ten years priced at 25/1 and above with Irish trained runners winning the last six renewals. Harsh has had his three runs over hurdles, which is the requirement to be eligible to run in the Boodles and was third on hurdling debut when looking very inexperienced behind Mighty Bandit (entered Triumph Hurdle), with stablemate Lark In The Mornin second (Boodles favourite at Unibet 9/2). Next time out Harsh won a maiden hurdle at Cork when again not jumping smoothly throughout, although he jumped the last well moving clear to win comfortable by 8 lengths. He was aimed at graded company in a Grade 2 (yard won in 2022) at Chepstow on Welsh Grand National day when conditions were atrocious and he jumped better this time ahead of fading at the last to finish fourth behind Salver, who was the only one who handled the conditions. Harsh would have liked to have travelled much quicker that day and surely with the favourable soft conditions at Cheltenham he will have the opportunity to show the ability he has off a rating of 121, with his stablemate Lark In The Mornin on 122.

Unibet 25/1 each way

5.30 Cheltenham – Maureen Mullins National Hunt Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys’ Novices’ Chase (3m 6f)

Kilbeg King is improving all the time, and he ran a cracker at Kempton at Christmas in the Kauto Star given the track wouldn’t suit when third to the brilliant Il Est Francais. At Ascot in the Reynoldstown he might well have taken this race if he’d picked his feet up a little better at the last when leading and then just lost out to Henry’s Friend with Apple Away (reopposes) in third. Both of those starts were over 3m and this marathon trip promises to suit him well, and if he jumps smoothly, he can upset his more fancied rivals Corbett’s Cross and Embassy Gardens, who look plenty short enough given neither completed in the Albert Bartlett last year. Kilbeg King makes plenty of appeal and has a great attitude.

Unibet 9/1 each way

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