Day 2 of the 2024 Cheltenham Festival is packed with Grand One races. Ballyburn and Fact To File are favourites in their respective races, while Doddiethegreat and Da Capo Glory are tipped for the Coral Cup. El Fabiolo is set to shine in the Champion Chase; Minella Indo is expected to perform well in the Cross Country Chase, and Libberty Hunter is a favourite for the Grand Annual. You Oughta Know and Royal Infantry are expected to perform well in the Champion Bumper.
This Champion Chase headlines the action at Cheltenham on Wednesday 13th March
Fact To File, El Fabiolo and Libberty Hunter feature in our Cheltenham day two selections
Expired
Mark Walsh riding Fact To File clear the last to win The Ladbrokes Novice Chase at Leopardstown. (Getty)
Cheltenham Day 2 Tips
1:30pm Cheltenham - Gallagher Novices' Chase Tips
2:10pm Cheltenham - Brown Advisory Novices' Chase Tips
2:50pm Cheltenham - Coral Cup Tips
3:30pm Cheltenham - Champion Chase Tips
Live Stream
4:10pm Cheltenham - Cross Country Chase Tips
4:50pm Cheltenham - Grand Annual Tips
5:30pm Cheltenham - Champion Bumper Tips
The 2024 Cheltenham Festival continues on Wednesday, which is affectionately known as Ladies' Day. Along with the Queen Mother Champion Chase, viewers have got three further Grade Ones to enjoy, along with the Cross Country and two competitive handicaps.
Just 14 runners have been declared for the opening two Grade Ones on Wednesday and it's hard to look beyond the favourite in both races. BALLYBURN (4/7) comes to the Gallagher Novices' Hurdle having won over this distance at Christmas, before a resounding Grade One success at the Dublin Racing Festival.
I'm not a fan of Ile Atlantique, who doesn't seem to have the stomach for a scrap, and Predators Gold won't even place if he repeats the performance he produced in the Nathaniel Lacy. Of the other runners, Handstands remains somewhat of an unknown quantity and has the potential to be mixing it at this level, but 12/1 isn't a big enough incentive for me to get involved each way.
I won't be having a single bet on Ballyburn at his current price. I've got him in a few multiples, though, so I'll certainly be cheering the odds-on favourite home.
2024 Gallagher Novices' Chase Tips - Ballyburn
2:10pm Cheltenham - Brown Advisory Novices' Chase Tips
If there are negatives against Ballyburn's rivals in the Gallagher, there are plenty more against FACT TO FILE'S (10/11) five opponents in the Brown Advisory.
Stay Away Fay and Monty's Star are excellent prospects, but I don't fancy Paul Nicholls' runner on the sharper Old Course and Henry De Bromhead's raider was pulled up on his only previous start in top level company. American Mike is an inconsistent horse. Giovinco should be running in the Ultima, and Sandor Clegane won't be good enough.
Fact To File is the most inexperienced runner in the field and he's basically had two solo efforts on his last couple of starts. Yet, everything the market leader - who can still be backed at a shade of odds-on with the top Cheltenham Festival bookmakers - has done thus far oozes class and when Willie Mullins says a horse will have no trouble seeing out a distance, they usually don't.
2024 Brown Advisory Novices' Chase - Fact To File
2:50pm Cheltenham - Coral Cup Tips
I've backed Doddiethegreat at 12/1 for the Coral Cup in my ante-post series and Nicky Henderson's star sneaks into this field at the bottom of the weights. However, there's been a cloud hanging over Nicky's yard for a couple of weeks now and most of his runners on day one ran deplorably, which doesn't bode well for out ante-post punt.
I didn't think Doddiethegreat would get into the final field when my guide to this race went live last week, so I backed BUILT BY BALLYMORE (8/1) at 12/1. Martin Brassil, who has saddled the runner-up in this race the last two years, has pointed his novice at this handicap following two impressive victories. Built By Ballymore will make a lovely novice chaser next season, but he could be well-treated on his handicap debut and he's a confirmed mudlark.
At a much longer price, I fancy a punt on DA CAPO GLORY (33/1). Padraig Butler's seven-year-old brings Grade Two form into this handicap, having only been beaten four lengths when third to Hiddenvalley Lake in the Boyne Hurdle last month. Da Capo Glory has beaten Ash Tree Meadow over two-and-a-half miles at Punchestown and remains relatively unexposed over this distance. Seven-pound claimer Darragh Allen, who won on Da Capo Glory at Cork in January, will make his Cheltenham debut in this hanicap and I could see them performing better than their odds would suggest.
2024 Coral Cup Tip 1 - Built By Ballymore
2024 Coral Cup Tip 2 - Da Capo Glory E/W
Paul Townend celebrates on board El Fabiolo after winning the Sporting Life Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices' Chase during day one of the Cheltenham Festival 2023. (Getty)
3:30pm Cheltenham - Champion Chase Tips
I'm not one to back odds-on shots, but for the third Grade One in a row, I'm left with no alternative but to side with EL FABIOLO (1/2), who is the only potential superstar in this year's Champion Chase.
Jonbon was beaten all ends up by his rival in last year's Arkle and produced a shocking round of jumping on his most recent spin around Cheltenham in the Clarence House. Elixir De Nutz, who was fortunate to beat Jonbon in that Grade One, wants good ground to be at his best, as does Gentleman De Mee. Edwardstone blew his one and only shot at the Queen Mother 12 months ago, while the likes of Boothill and Funambule Sivola shouldn't be good enough to get involved.
Captain Guinness followed Energumene home last year and I would fancy him each-way if it wasn't for that pesky heart condition, that could rear it's ugly head at any time. El Fabiolo has beaten every field he's faced over fences by at least five lengths. I see no reason to oppose him here.
2024 Champion Chase Tips - El Fabiolo
Live Stream
If you plan on watching any of Wednesday's races at Cheltenham live via a mobile device, then check out our Champion Chase Live Stream guide.
Evan Williams' eight-year-old made a winning debut around Cheltenham on New Year's Day, beating a useful yard-stick in Matata, who runs in the Arkle on day one. Williams' eight-year-old will relish the extra cut in the ground at Cheltenham and Harry Cobden has been booked to ride.
I wouldn't be surprised to see Maskada run well as she attempts to defend her crown, and Unexpected Party could be a danger over this more suitable trip. I'm really keen on Libberty Hunter though, so I'm happy to go with the new favourite as my sole selection.
2024 Grand Annual Tips - Libberty Hunter
5:30pm Cheltenham - Champion Bumper Tips
Unlike most of the handicaps this week, we've got a capacity field for the Champion Bumper. Willie Mullins, as usual, accounts for the bulk of the runners and I still fancy YOU OUGHTA KNOW (9/1), despite both Patrick Mullins and Paul Townend opting for other rides.
Willie Mullins' six-year-old has the ideal profile for Cheltenham, having gathered plenty of experience over the past 12 months. The form of You Oughta Know's wins at Kilbeggan and Galways have worked out well and Willie's six-year-old proved he could handle softer ground with an excellent run at the Dublin Racing Festival, where he finished second to impressive winner Jeroboam Machin.
Dan Skelton is selective about which horses he runs in the Champion Bumper. Cause Toujours disappointed as the favourite for this contest back in 2017, but his two runners since, Third Time Lucki and Elle Est Belle have both hit the frame.
On Wednesday, the Skeltons team up with ROYAL INFANTRY (33/1), whose experience could prove vital in this competitive race. Royal Infantry ran in three point-to-points and has won twice under rules this season. Harry Skelton's mount was an unfancied 14/1 shot when he scored on debut at Doncaster and drifted in the betting prior to his heavy-ground win at Newbury last time out. At 3/1, he represents decent value and you might get an even better price when punters get stuck into Willie's runners on the day of the race.
2024 Champion Bumper Tip 1 - You Oughta Know E/W
2024 Champion Bumper Tip 2 - Royal Infantry E/W
Verdict
Cheltenham Festival Day Two Tip Tips:
Best Bet1: Fact To File 2024 Brown Advisory @10/11 at BOYLE Sports - 15 Units
Best Bet2: Minella Indo 2024 Cross Country @2/1 at Hollywood bets - 10 Units
Best Bet3: Libberty Hunter 2024 Grand Annual @13/2 at BetTom - 10 Units
Best Bet4: You Oughta Know 2024 Champion Bumper @9/1 at bet365 - 10 Units
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