Cheltenham Festival: Day One Tips

The Cheltenham Festival, The Greatest Show on Turf and the most anticipated national hunt festival in the UK racing calendar, is held annually in March and includes four days of top-class racing, including multiple grade 1 contests. 

As the curtain is raised on the Cheltenham Festival, the famous Cheltenham roar can be heard accompanying the first race and informs all punters that Cheltenham Festival day 1 has begun.

The racing gets underway at the Cheltenham Festival 2024 on Tuesday 12th March, with the opening day colloquially called Champion Hurdle day. During the opening day, there will be seven races for punters to place bets on and follow our Cheltenham Festival Day 1 tips, which will cover all of the handicaps, hurdles and steeple chase contests so you can make an educated betting selection.

As well as the key runners and riders in our day 1 Cheltenham tips, we've also included the key trends and betting information which can influence your strategy. These include recent winners and current form for runners in the Supreme Novices and Champion Hurdle and the other feature races.

Cheltenham Festival betting Tips for Day 1

The Cheltenham Festival is finally here and the time has come for some of the best jumpers in the business to lock horns on a stellar opening day at Prestbury Park.

Tuesday’s card runs from 1.30 - 5.30 and is headlined by the Champion Hurdle (3.30), one of the most prestigious races in the jump racing calendar.

We've assessed the action across the card on Tuesday at Cheltenham and picked out our best bets.

1.30 - Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1, 2m)

The Supreme has a much more open feel to it with Ballyburn bypassing the race for the Gallagher on Wednesday. Willie Mullins holds a strong hand headed by Mystical Power and Tullyhill, but perhaps MISTERGIF is the one to be with from his team. He looked an outstanding talent on his stable debut at Limerick in a performance that stood out on the clock, seeming as if he could have gone round again. Of the non-Mullins challenge, Firefox has to be of interest based on his defeat of Ballyburn after failing to stay 2m4f last time.

Selection: Mistergif to win - 12/1

2.10 - Arkle Novices’ Chase (Grade 1, 2m)

The Arkle is wide open this season with no standout runner. At a right-handed track this could have gone to Found A Fifty or Gaelic Warrior, but in going the other way perhaps HUNTERS YARN will be the answer. It is difficult to know the extent of his ability, but he won in the manner of a top-class novice last time and is surely better than we have seen. Matata, who is also owned by Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, might fare best of the British novices.

Selection: Hunters Yarn to win - 5/1

2.50 - Ultima Handicap Chase (3m1f)

There has been plenty of hype surrounding the Irish runners heading the Ultima market, but Dun Doire was the last Irish winner of this race in 2006 and the prize can stay in Britain and head to connections of WEVEALLBEENCAUGHT. He was sent off a short price for a Grade 1 novice hurdle last campaign and his season has seemingly been geared around a tilt at this race. Chianti Classico ran a lovely trial for this at Kempton when Kim Bailey’s horses weren’t firing and is next best.

Selection: Weveallbeencaught

3.30 - Champion Hurdle (Grade 1, 2m)

State Man will be long odds-on to add a first Champion Hurdle to his eight Grade 1 successes in Ireland, and he has a great chance with old rival Constitution Hill out of the way. However, State Man is yet to match his best efforts elsewhere at Cheltenham and the added test of stamina on slow ground can tilt matters in the favour of IRISH POINT. He is improving rapidly, stays further and that can only help in the conditions. To some extent those comments also apply to Nemean Lion and he is third on the list.

Selection: Irish Point to win - 11/2

4.10 - Mares’ Hurdle (Grade 1, 2m4f)

Lossiemouth will be a tough nut to crack in the Mares’ Hurdle but has something to prove regarding stamina at this distance. This is a venture into the unknown for her and she faces a proven stayer over the longer trip in stablemate ASHROE DIAMOND. She appears to be on an upward curve and will be well positioned to exploit any chinks in the favourite’s armour.

Selection: Ashroe Diamond to win - 5/1

4.50 - Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (2m)

Siding with horses who ran in Naas’s four-year-old juvenile handicap hurdle in February has been a quick route to profit in recent seasons for the Boodles. NARA finished fourth in that and gave the impression she would improve significantly next time for owner JP McManus, who has plundered two of the past four runnings. McManus is also represented by Milan Tino, who has been given a big chance by the handicapper relative to his French form.

Selection: Nara to win - 11/1

5.30 - National Hunt Chase (Grade 2, 3m6f)

The two who head the National Hunt Chase betting, Corbetts Cross and Embassy Gardens, are fitted with first-time headgear and have shown their quirks in recent starts. They have a bit to prove regarding stamina for this extreme test as well, and it seems significant that Gordon Elliott has earmarked this race for SALVADOR ZIGGY from such a long way out. He is the one to beat on ratings, possesses strong course form and can land this big prize en route to his intended next run in the Grand National.

Selection: Salvador Ziggy to win - 5/1

Day 1 Cheltenham Tips Top Races and Contenders

Across the racecard of our day 1 Cheltenham tips, there are many different categories of races, including Grade 1 hurdles, handicap chases, and Grade 1 chase events, all of which are full to the brim with top class competitors who have featured in the qualifying races for the event. We’ve highlighted all of the feature horse racing events below and taken a look at the main race competitors. 

Supreme Novices Hurdle

The opening race of day one is the Supreme Novices Hurdle, contested over two miles and half a furlong. The race takes in eight hurdles which will need to be jumped. When looking at the betting trends for the race, Ireland has picked up 11 wins within the race and trainer Willie Mullins tops the rankings for that trend, which leads us to look at the runners who will fall into that category. Trends also support lightly raced runners, so make sure to browse the form of each competitor before making your selection. 

Arkle Challenge Trophy Chase

When it comes to steeplechase races, the day 1 Cheltenham Tips are quite sparse, but the Arkle gives the novices chasers their chance to test the fences at Cheltenham. Although it's a Grade 2, it’s still highly regarded as a competitive race. Recent trends show Great Britain have lots of success in the race, especially on the trainer front, and if you prefer to look at betting odds, one that stands out is that 72% of winners have no bigger odds than 10/1. 

Ultima Handicap Chase

The first handicap of the Cheltenham Festival is the Ultima Handicap Chase. Often a race which features Aintree Grand National winners, it’s a competitive betting market, where winning runners normally come from Great Britain rather than Ireland.  When exploring the betting trends, 89% of the last 20 winners have made 2-7 starts this season and have only one career fall to their name. They have also performed well at Doncaster and Haydock, so these are worth noting when looking for the form of horses.  Champion Hurdle

The premier race in our day 1 Cheltenham tips is the Champion Hurdle. A horse open to horses aged four and over, it’s part of the Triple Crown of Hurdling and a race in which mares have recently performed well. Examining the racecard for the fourth race of the card, horses which have five or more career wins perform well and have also won within their last three starts before heading to Cheltenham. 

David Nicholson Mares Hurdle 

The final grade 1 race in our Cheltenham Day 1 tips is the Mares Hurdle. A race only on the card since 2008, it was upgraded to Grade 1 status in 2015. One of the most successful races for Irish runners, with Quevega and Vroum Vroum Mag landing wins in the mares hurdle. This positive trend has continued in recent renewals, totalling 12 winners from a total of 73 runners. Looking for betting trends within this race, many winners have placed within their last two starts and also hold an official rating of 140 or more.

Fred Winter/Boodles Juvenile Hurdle

The penultimate and fifth race within our Day 1 Cheltenham tips is the Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle. Introduced in 2005 to the festival card, it’s a race open to four-year-old novice hurdlers. Within this race, many trainers try to take advantage of the low handicapping, but it's the Irish trainers and horses who have seen the most success in the last five runnings. As well as that key trend, some 81% of runners who’ve participated have never run at Cheltenham. One additional factor which punters should take into account when betting is that no horse with odds of 18/1 has won the race, so checking higher-up the betting odds should be the best option.

National Hunt Chase 

The final race on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival 2024 is the National Hunt Chase Challenge. Previously a four-mile race, the distance of the race was cut to three miles, and the number of fences also decreased. A race for amateur jockeys, previous winners of the National Hunt Chase include the Stattler and Galvin, and it’s a strong race for Irish trainers, with Jonjo O’Neill and Gordon Elliott picking up four wins a piece in this race.

Cheltenham Day 1 Betting Strategies

Before placing any bets at the Cheltenham Festival 2024 and following our Cheltenham day 1 tips, there are many factors which bettors will need to consider.  We’ve listed some of the most important strategies and information you’ll need to place bets on the big race events on Champions day.

Set a betting budget

When placing your bets on Cheltenham Festival Day 1, many punters choose to set a budget which often includes a set value for each race. If they select the winning horse, they separate that money and are able to show a profit for the day. 

Research Key Stats & Trends

Many factors can influence a race, and some of the key stats include recent winners and the percentage of winners at a specific age. Other trends can include whether a horse has won a Grade 1, or they’re carrying specific odds which go against the grain of recent winners. 

Winning Jockey Onboard

When selecting a horse, many punters will select a jockey who has shown strong form in the build-up to the Cheltenham festival or has managed to land a winner in races which have previously run that day. 

Top Trainer

There are many trainers who have shown a winning prowess at the Cheltenham Festival, and its these trainers who punters often choose to select again and again if they have winning runners in their arsenal or if they’ve got runners who are top of the market odds. 

Course Condition

The going conditions of the course can influence not only the odds in the betting markets but also whether a horse will perform. Some horses will run better if the ground is softer or if the ground is heavier and there has been more rain. If this is your influencing factor, then it's always best to wait until race day to confirm the conditions. 

After following key betting trends, there are many betting options you can select following our day 1 Cheltenham betting tips. The primary betting types punters can use at Cheltenham are to win, which means one horse to past the post first. Punters can also place each-way bets, which are better for those looking to place value bets which longer odds or for those looking to bet on more than one horse in a race. 

Bet On Day 1 of the Cheltenham Festival

If you’re looking to follow our day 1 Cheltenham Tips, remember to have a solid betting strategy in place and also stick to the budget you’ve set for each day and for each race. There are many key trends to follow, so it’s important to also take a detailed look before making your betting selections and always bet responsibly. However, if you’re ready to watch some thrilling horse racing events, take your seat for Cheltenham 2024. 

Cheltenham Day 1 History 

The opening day of the Cheltenham Festival is a key date in the diary for every national hunt racing fan. Part of an event which has taken place over various courses since 1860, it has been hosted at Prestbury Park, its current locale since 1912. 

One key historical tidbit to know about day 1 of the Cheltenham Festival is that the Gold Cup, the now feature race of the festival, was actually held on the opening day as a support race to the County Hurdle on its first outing in 1924. However, this changed in subsequent years as it became a Championship race and is now the biggest race of the entire week. 

On the racecard for the opening day and included within our Cheltenham Day 1 tips are seven races, two of which have Grade 1 status, which means they rank higher in popularity for punters who are looking to place their festival bets.  All of the races on this day take place on the old course at Cheltenham, and the majority of them also take place over hurdles rather than the larger fences, which normally means races of agility and speed. 

First up as the curtain-raiser is the Supreme Novices Hurdle, and although many trainers eye this race as a key starting point of their Cheltenham challenge, Irish runners often have the most success, so keeping your eyes peeled for Irish runners who are likely to head to post could be a big advantage. 

The second grade 1 race to be held on the opening day of Cheltenham is the Champion Hurdle, where the fastest national hunt hurdlers have their chance at landing a Cheltenham crown. A fast and furious race, where we have seen both Irish and British runners take the crown; the most dominant is trainer Nicky Henderson with a +6.67% win rate.