The countdown to Cheltenham Festival is well and truly on.
Just one more sleep until the first of four extraordinary days of racing begins. And after that attention will turn to the Grand National at Aintree.
Our man Garry Owen picks out his best bets and selections every day right here. Here's his day one tips.
CHELTENHAM
1.30 MARINE NATIONALE (NAP)
2.10 JONBON
2.50 INTO OVERDRIVE
3.30 CONSTITUTION HILL
4.10 ECHOES IN RAIN
4.50 SIR ALLEN
5.30 GAILLARD DU MESNIL
And here's a preview to Day 1 of the festival and don't forget to check out our LIVE blog which will be running across all four days of the meeting.
MARINE NATIONALE (1.30) can sink his rivals in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle on Day One of the Cheltenham Festival. Barry Connell's charge looks tailor-made for the traditional curtain-raiser to the four-day bonanza. The six-year-old showed potent speed when bolting up in a Punchestown bumper on debut in May. He put his turn of foot to good use once again when cruising to victory from My Gaffer at Killarney. Despite those routs, the strapping son of French Navy’s future always appeared to be over timber. The gelding confirmed that impression when routing Viceregent back at Punchestown in October. That power-packed performance earned the bay a tilt at the Royal Bond Hurdle at Fairyhouse. And he didn’t disappoint with a superb defeat of the high-class Irish Point in the Grade 1 contest. The rising superstar should be primed so he can leave some exciting opponents trailing in his wake.
JONBON (2.10) can kick off a magnificent afternoon for Nicky Henderson in the Arkle Trophy. The gelding found only Constitution Hill too good in last season’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle here. He gained well-deserved compensation when outpointing El Fabiolo in the Top Novices’ at Aintree. Big things were expected ahead of the seven-year-old’s chasing debut at Warwick in November. And he shot to the head of the market for this Grade 1 with a bold-jumping defeat of Monmiral. The bay was foot-perfect again when thrashing the talented Boothill in the Henry VIII at Sandown. However, he didn’t please everyone when making heavy weather of beating Calico at Warwick. That run should still have put the superstar spot-on for today so he can silence his critics in style.
The Seven Barrows Ace can then bag his ninth Champion Hurdle with CONSTITUTION HILL (3.30). The superstar burst onto the scene with a blistering defeat of Might I on his timber bow at Sandown. Henderson then immediately pitched the six-year-old into the Tolworth back at the Esher venue. That proved an inspired decision as he disposed of Jetoile with even greater ease in that Grade 1. The gelding took his form up yet another notch when leaving Jonbon for dead in the Supreme here. Those triumphs inevitably made the bay a red-hot ante-post favourite for this year’s Champion. And his odds hardened when he crushed Epatante on his comeback in Fighting Fifth at Newcastle. The son of Blue Bresil barely broke sweat again when brushing aside that same rival at Kempton. The Lambourn raider looks a true great so he can put in another masterclass under Nico de Boinville.
INTO OVERDRIVE (2.50) will be fully revved-up by shrewd Mark Walford for the Ultima Chase. The eight-year-old looked smart when hacking up over 2m 4f at Carlisle and Hexham last March. He built on those efforts when slamming Geryville back over three miles in a warm Perth novice. The gelding didn’t mind dropping down in trip when caning Dublin Four on his return at Wetherby. He then made the most of a bad job when second to the top-class L'homme Presse at Newcastle. The bay resumed winning ways by decisively defeating the talented Sounds Russian at Wetherby. The bold-galloper wouldn’t be out of place in the Gold Cup so he can land this valuable handicap.
Willie Mullins can get on the scoreboard with ECHOES IN RAIN (4.10) in the Mares’ Hurdle. The bay proved she was a Grade 1-performer by bagging the 2021 Punchestown Champion Hurdle. The seven-year-old held her form well against the best around at the highest level again last season. She was kept on the boil by Team Closutton with a productive spell on the Flat during the Summer. The star looked likely to make a winning return to timber in the Hatton’s Grace at Punchestown. However, she was denied a second Grade 1 success when coming down at the second last flight. The daughter of Authorized showed no ill effects with an effortless defeat of Cash Back at Naas. The Barnane Stud raider is always strong at the finish so she can shade a hot event back over 2m 4f.
The top trainer can then take the National Hunt Chase with GAILLARD DU MESNIL (5.30). The seven-year-old handled this track well when a game third in last season’s Brown Advisory. He then relished a marathon trip when filling the same spot in the Irish National at Fairyhouse. The gelding was dropped back to 2m 4f for his comeback in the Drinmore at the same track. And he produced another career best when a terrific second to Might Potter in the Grade 1. He then comfortably bagged a top-level prize of his own back over three miles at Leopardstown. The grey produced another highly creditable shift when third down in trip at the Foxrock venue. This gruelling Grade 2 looks a more realistic target so Team Donnelly’s raider can land the odds.
Some promising novices’ line-up for the Boodles Hurdle but I’m siding with SIR ALLEN (4.50). Andrew Slattery’s horse lost his way on the Flat after taking a competitive Curragh handicap in 2021. However, he hit back when chasing home the progressive Blood Destiny switched to timber at Cork. The four-year-old put that performance to good use by decisively defeating Calico at Punchestown. The gelding stayed upwardly mobile when hosing up from Morning Soldier upped in class at Naas. The juvenile will be trained to the minute for this race so he can cash-in on an inviting opening mark.
