'I think he's got a stone in hand' - our Ultimate Cheltenham Preview panellists give their festival bankers

The 2024 Cheltenham Festival begins on Tuesday, March 12, and our experts from our Ultimate Cheltenham Preview Night have come forward with their best bets for a sensational four days at Prestbury Park.

Read on to find out who they fancy and don't miss the final instalment with Tom Segal, available now exclusively for Members' Club subscribers.

Patrick Mullins

Fact To File

Brown Advisory Novices' Chase, 2.10 Wednesday

I’m a massive Fact To File fan. He got beat by a fast Flat-bred horse in the Champion Bumper last year, and a trip and fences were always going to be his game. He's a beautiful horse to ride, big and comfortable, settled and sensible, with a high cruising speed and a change of gear. I’d expect him to be hard to beat and I really hope he can get to the Gold Cup next year.

Fact To File14:10 Cheltenham

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Jky: Tnr: W P Mullins

Richard Johnson

Banbridge

Ryanair Chase, 2.50 Thursday

I'm finding it hard to come up with anything to beat Banbridge in the Ryanair.  The market says it's competitive but Banbridge is a festival winner, which counts for a lot on that course in that atmosphere, and he's still improving, so he's obviously got a great chance and you're looking round for something to beat him.

Banbridge14:50 Cheltenham

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Jky: Tnr: Joseph Patrick O'Brien

Henrietta Knight

Brighterdaysahead

Ryanair Mares' Novices' Hurdle, 4.50 Thursday

Gordon Elliott thinks Brighterdaysahead is the best horse in his yard and she will be very hard to beat in the Mares' Novices' Hurdle.

Brighterdaysahead16:50 Cheltenham

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Jky: Tnr: Gordon Elliott

Donn McClean

Majborough

JCB Triumph Hurdle, 1.30 Friday

I think Majborough is still overpriced for the Triumph Hurdle. Sir Gino looked brilliant at Cheltenham, but Majborough could be very good too. He ran a big race in the Spring Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown. He led early, jumped well and kept on bravely after he had been passed to retain third, less than two lengths behind Kargese. That was his first run for Willie Mullins and JP McManus, having been off since April, so there is every chance he will improve considerably for it, and beaten horses in that race (Countrywide Flame, Tiger Roll, Ivanovich Gorbatov, Farclas and Lossiemouth) have a very good record in the Triumph.

Majborough13:30 Cheltenham

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Jky: Tnr: W P Mullins

David Jennings

Corbetts Cross

Maureen Mullins National Hunt Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys' Novices' Chase, 5.30 Tuesday

It would be pretty depressing if Corbetts Cross wasn't good enough to mop up the National Hunt Chase, wouldn't it? I fully expected him to be the leading staying novice chaser at the start of the season and, while the campaign hasn't exactly gone according to plan, surely he's different class to this lot. I can envisage Derek O'Connor lobbing along in second gear most of the way and proving too classy from the last.

Corbetts Cross17:30 Cheltenham

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Jky: Tnr: Emmet Mullins

Bryan Cooper

Galopin Des Champs

Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup, 3.30 Friday

If he shows up in the same form as he did at Leopardstown at Christmas and the Dublin Racing Festival then he's going to be very hard to beat.

Galopin Des Champs15:30 Cheltenham

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Jky: Tnr: W P Mullins

Neil Channing

Fastorslow

Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup, 3.30 Friday

I actually felt like Fastorslow gave Galopin Des Champs a bit of a head start last time, lost a couple of lengths and finished a couple of lengths behind. I'd also say he's even more of a stayer than Galopin Des Champs, so I think the extra distance will help, and I think he's the solid each-way play.

Fastorslow15:30 Cheltenham

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Jky: Tnr: Martin Brassil

Richard Hoiles

Galvin

Glenfarclas Chase, 4.10 Wednesday

Unlike many of the races at the festival, this normally has a finite number of plausible winners and is a race Gordon Elliott has targeted very successfully in recent years. The baton usually gets passed every couple of years, last time from Tiger Roll to Delta Work and now hopefully to Galvin. Personally, I am happy to take on Minella Indo, who takes a fair share of the market.

Galvin16:10 Cheltenham

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Jky: Tnr: Gordon Elliott

Johnny Dineen

Crebilly

TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase, 4.40 Thursday

Crebilly has somehow managed to sneak in off a mark of 140, despite looking as though he would beat Ginny's Destiny over the same course and distance in November only to come down at the second-last, and he has since beaten Tahmuras at Exeter. He only went up 1lb for that and I think he's got a stone in hand. He is unquestionably the most important horse running for me next week.

Crebilly16:10 Cheltenham

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Jky: Tnr: Jonjo O'Neill

Paul Nicholls

Bravemansgame

Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup, 3.30 Friday

You won't go far wrong backing Stay Away Fay in the Brown Advisory, but I think Bravemansgame is a massive each-way price in the Gold Cup.

Bravemansgame15:30 Cheltenham

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Jky: Harry Cobden Tnr: Paul Nicholls

Davy Russell

Romeo Coolio

Weatherbys Champion Bumper, 5.30 Wednesday

I fell in love with him the day he won his point-to-point at Belclare for Donnchadh Doyle and I know all the lads in Gordon's [Elliott] love him too.

Romeo Coolio17:30 Cheltenham

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Jky: Tnr: Gordon Elliott

The Ultimate Cheltenham Preview Night:

Tom Segal: 'He looks very dangerous on soft ground and the nearer the race gets the more I fancy him to upset State Man' 

Davy Russell: 'I thought I was going to win the whole way until two aeroplanes whizzed past me, so he might win it this year' 

Paul Nicholls: 'I like this horse a lot and I'd say he has a nice chance at 10-1' 

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