Cheltenham Day 1 Tips: Check out all Tuesday's best bets here
We are set for an epic opening day of the 2022 Cheltenham Festival on Tuesday, and our in-house tipster Steve Chambers has picked out a selection for all seven races, and you can check them out here...
13:30 - Supreme Novices' Hurdle
An absolute stonking renewal of the Supreme Novices' Hurdle sees the Nicky Henderson-trained duo of Jonbon and Constitution Hill take on the Willie Mullins-trained duo of Dysart Dynamo and Kilcruit in a thrilling festival curtain-raiser. However, one that could be being overlooked is the Gordon Elliott-trained MIGHTY POTTER, who was last seen storming to victory in the Grade 1 Future Champions Novice Hurdle and has shaped like there's definitely more in the tank.
Around an 8/1 chance, at the time of writing, the Cullentra House inmate showed tremendous tenacity to fight his way back to beat the classy Three Stripe Life in that Leopardstown event back in December, and having shaped like a longer trip would ultimately be his optimum then he could use his stamina to great effect here. This event is sure to be run at a breakneck pace, and Mighty Potter could well outstay some of the leading contenders in a thrilling finish.
14:10 - Arkle Challenge Trophy
There's no doubt the 2022 Arkle is the most competitive of the novice chases at this year's Cheltenham Festival, and the vastly improved chaser Edwardstone heads into the event with the best form in the book, as he was last seen thumping Third Time Lucki in the Grade 2 Kingmaker Novices' Chase at Warwick, but Alan King's charge is worth taking on with a Willie Mullins-trained raider, who oozes class.
BLUE LORD has made an imperious start to his chasing career - winning all three of his starts in fine fashion - and he was last seen beating another of Tuesday's rivals in Riviere D'etel in the Irish Arkle at the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown back in February. Immediately trimmed in the betting for this event, Blue Lord will need to improve as Riviere D'etel did make a blunder at the last fence to hand Blue Lord the guaranteed win, but the classy seven-year-old can continue on an upward curve and bound to Arkle glory.
14:50 - Ultima Handicap Chase
We move swiftly on to the first competitive handicap of the week, and what a real head-scratcher punters have been treated to in the Ultima Handicap Chase at 14:50. Former Ryanair Chase hero Frodon has held his ground for the contest, and will have to give at least 9lbs away to all his rivals, but who can write off the Paul Nicholls-trained pocket rocket with any sort of confidence. However, the Ditcheat raider will struggle to claim another Cheltenham Festival success, and the Ultima can head the way of the Irish in 2022.
A three-times visitor to the Cheltenham Festival, BEN DUNDEE is hoping it's fourth time lucky for him to get his head in front, and the ten-year-old looks to stand a terrific chance, if he can build on his recent second at Leopardstown, where he was second in the Paddy Power Chase. Upped 5lbs for that effort, he runs off a mark of 147 here, but he ran a fine race when fifth in the Plate at last season's festival off the same mark, and the step up to 3m 1f at this year's festival could see him improve significantly. With double-figured odds available, the consistent performer can claim a career best win.
15:30 - Champion Hurdle
Ten go to post for the Champion Hurdle, and all the talking will be about the reigning champion Honeysuckle retaining her Grade 1 crown on Tuesday, and the darling of the National Hunt arena is a red-hot odds-on favourite to claim the prize. However, she will have to get the better of last year's runaway Supreme Novices' Hurdle winner Appreciate It, who will make his seasonal reappearance here, and while he could be a class act that can trouble Honeysuckle, it will be tough on his first start for a year.
For those looking for an each-way alternative to the favourite should side with the David Pipe-trained ADAGIO, who has tremendous Cheltenham form, and warmed up for this with a fine runner-up finish in the Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton. Second in the Greatwood Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham off top weight at the start of the season, Adagio showed last season when second in the Triumph Hurdle that he relishes the test of Prestbury Park, and while he may find it tough to down Honeysuckle he can certainly make the frame from an each-way perspective.
16:10 - Mares' Hurdle
A strong Irish contingent are set to fight out the finish of the 2022 Mares' Hurdle, and the Gordon Elliott-trained Queens Brook has been well supported in the betting over the last couple of weeks and has to be a leading player, while the legendary Willie Mullins will be aiming to win the prize for a staggering ninth time. The Closutton handler's most likely challenger will be Relkeel Hurdle winner Stormy Ireland, who has shown great form at Cheltenham, but both the Elliott and Mullins' raiders will struggle to get the better of the current 11/4 favourite TELMESOMETHINGGIRL.
Hugely impressive when romping to victory in the Mares' Novices' Hurdle at last season's festival, Henry De Bromhead's classy mare has failed to get her head in front this season, but she ran a fine race in defeat when giving weight away to Stayers' Hurdle contender Royal Kahala and last year's Coral Cup winner Heaven Help Us at Leopardstown in December. Off level weights on Tuesday, De Bromhead's starlet can enjoy a return to Cheltenham and can duly prove a cut above here.
16:50 - Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle
A race dominated by one horse in recent weeks, the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle is supposedly all about whether Gaelic Warrior is thrown in off a mark of 129, and the Willie Mullins-trained raider is a red-hot favourite for the four-year-old handicap hurdle, which is the penultimate race on day one of the Cheltenham Festival.
However, at 5/2 in the current betting he's unbackable in a race awash with imponderables, so it's worth looking elsewhere for some value and the one that catches the eye is the Joseph O'Brien-trained PRAIRIE DANCER, who was last seen chasing home Icare Allen in a Grade 3 event at Fairyhouse. Rated in the 90s on the Flat, Prairie Dancer shaped like a real test of stamina would play to his strengths, and with blinkers fitted for this event he can outrun his lofty odds and make the frame.
17:30 - National Hunt Chase
A meagre field of seven go to post for the National Hunt Chase, which draws a close on day one of the meeting, but there's some exciting staying chasers taking their chance and Run Wild Fred looks the one they have to beat, as last season's Irish Grand National runner-up built on that by claiming victory in the Troytown at Navan, but he was beaten in a Grade 1 last time out by Fury Road.
Fourth behind another of Tuesday's rivals Vanillier in last season's Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle, the Willie Mullins-trained STATTLER has relished the switch to fences this season, and has won by of his chases in impressive fashion. A six length winner on his chasing debut, he then got the better of the classy Farouk D'Alene in a Grade 3 event at Naas, and with more set to come over the larger obstacles the Closutton inmate can reign supreme here.
