CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL DAY 2 TIPS 2024

Like the Supreme, the shape of this contest rests on where Willie Mullins decides to run Ballyburn, the ante-post favourite for both races. It’s not an easy choice given that the Mullins number one showed an impressive turn of foot over 2m at the Dublin Racing Festival but had won over 2m4f before that. That combination of speed and stamina will make him a formidable opponent wherever he runs. The Irish contender with the best credentials after Ballyburn is Henry de Bromhead’s Slade Steel, runner-up to him at the DRF but also previously a 2m4f winner. Mullins has good back-up in Readin Tommy Wrong and Ile Atlantique, a close first and second in a Grade 1 at Naas, along with possibly Mystical Power and the less well-tested Billericay Dickie. The best British hopes are Gidleigh Park (Harry Fry), Handstands (Ben Pauling) and Captain Teague (Paul Nicholls).

Willie Mullins will be doing one of his juggling acts here and much depends on whether Dublin Racing Festival winner Fact To File runs here or in the Turners on Thursday. He will be the one to beat in either race after his impressive display at Leopardstown. Other options for Mullins include Embassy Gardens, Nick Rockett and Minella Cocooner. This is one of the best Grade 1 races for Britain with seven winners in the past decade, coming from six different stables, and there are major home chances again with Stay Away Fay (Paul Nicholls) and Grey Dawning (Dan Skelton). Stay Away Fay won last year’s Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, with several of his beaten rivals set to line up again here, and has excellent chase form at the track too, having finished third in open company in the Cotswold Chase on Trials day. Grey Dawning went to Aintree instead of Cheltenham last spring but has good course form now, with a somewhat unfortunate second place sandwiched between his two chase wins. The latest victory in a Grade 2 at Warwick was his most impressive yet, adding to his progressive profile. The best Irish contender outside the Mullins stable looks to be the Henry de Bromhead trained Monty’s Star, who still has to prove himself at this level but looked good when upped to 3m in a beginners’ chase at Punchestown last time. He has form that ties in with Stay Away Fay and Albert Bartlett third Sandor Clegane (Paul Nolan) is set to renew rivalry too.

This highly competitive handicap hurdle was introduced in 1993 and regularly attracts a maximum field (currently set at 26). Last years winner Langer Dan (9-1) became only the fourth winner at singlefigure odds since 2004. The next four home were 16-1, 20-1, 50-1 and 22-1. Eleven of the last 14 winners had won or finished second last time out. Commander Of Fleet and Langer Dan did not fit that general trend in the last two years, although both had run in a Grade 2 last time. Langer Dan, back down to last year’s winning mark after a series of heavy defeats this winter, is set to head back here again for Dan Skelton, who also has Lanzarote Handicap Hurdle winner Jay Jay Reilly as an option. Doddiethegreat (Nicky Henderson), fourth in the Betfair Hurdle, could step up to this trip and Sa Majeste is in the picture for Willie Mullins.

This was the last of the big championship races to be cracked by Willie Mullins but his breakthrough winner Energumene went back to back last year and, even though that one has been sidelined by injury, El Fabiolo has a strong chance of completing a Mullins hat-trick. Last year’s Arkle scorer has won all six chase outings and ominously went up nearly half a stone on Racing Post Ratings with a dominant display last time in the Dublin Chase at Leopardstown. His main rival is the Nicky Henderson-trained Jonbon, as he has been since their novice hurdling days. Over fences the British hope has been just a step or two behind El Fabiolo most of the way and he was beaten five and a half lengths into second in their Arkle clash, but there’s no doubt he’s a high-class two-mile chaser at his best, as he showed in his Tingle Creek victory in December. They’re the big two by far on form, but there are other Grade 1 regulars set to line up, notably 2022 Arkle scorer Edwardstone, back on winning form for Alan King in the Game Spirit at Newbury last time, and Henry de Bromhead’s Captain Guinness, runner-up in this race last year.

Ireland has won 16 of the 19 runnings of this unusual event, introduced when the festival expanded to four days in 2005. Gordon Elliott’s Delta Work confirmed this as a race for specialists when he became the fourth multiple winner. Elliott has been the dominant force with five wins since the race was changed to a conditions event in 2016, having previously been a handicap (in 2021, while Elliott was suspended, Tiger Roll won in Denise Foster’s temporary care). Elliott is set to field a strong team again with hat-trick seeker Delta Work alongside Galvin, last year’s runner-up, and recent Punchestown banks winner Coko Beach. This has become a big target for Grade 1 winners once they hit the veteran stage and the latest in that mould is 2021 Gold Cup winner Minella Indo, who shaped promisingly for Henry de Bromhead when fourth under 12st in a course-and distance handicap in December.

With the switch from Friday to Wednesday, this hotly contested 2m handicap chase had a significant change three years ago by moving from the New course to the Old. The Old course is sharper and tighter, favouring a quicker, strong-travelling type. Last year's winner Maskada scored at 22-1 for Henry de Bromhead, comfortably clear of 7-2 favourite Dinoblue. Nine of the last 14 British-trained winners had won at Cheltenham before. Madara was a rare British runner at the Dublin Racing Festival and landed a notable victory for Sophie Leech, setting up a tilt at a first Cheltenham Festival win for the Gloucestershire trainer. Gavin Cromwell has been raiding successfully in the opposite direction this season and could send the novice My Mate Mozzie here. Ireland has won eight of the last 22 runnings, including four in the past ten years.

A Dream To Share was something of a fairytale success for John Kiely and the Gleeson family in last year’s race, even if ultimately he was owned by JP McManus, but it won’t be a surprise if the big two Irish stables re-establish their stranglehold this time. Before A Dream To Share, Willie Mullins (four) and Gordon Elliott (two) had won the previous six runnings between them and they have a host of leading candidates again. Elliott has a couple of the main fancies in Jalon D’Oudairies and Romeo Coolio, plus the longer-priced The Yellow Clay, but the Mullins squad is even deeper. Highest in the ante-post market for the 12-time winning trainer are Jasmin De Vaux and Maughreen, while further down the list are You Oughta Know, Cantico, Fleur Au Fusil and Argento Boy. Britain hasn’t won since 2016 but there are decent chances this year with Teeshan (Paul Nicholls) and Let It Rain (Dan Skelton). The always well-stocked Irish ranks also feature Goldinthemountains (Martin Brassil) and Mywayofthinkin (Gavin Cromwell).