Cheltenham New Year's Day Tips: @RoadCheltenham Provides Through The Card Thoughts

The traditional New Year’s Day meeting at Cheltenham is always one of the highlights of the jumps season and it marks the end of the busy festive period. We’ve had the King George VI Chase and four days at Leopardstown and Limerick, now attention turns to the home of jumps racing.

I’ve had a look through the card ahead of Wednesday’s action, landing on a selection in all seven races – with a strong fancy in the big staying handicap chase and a NAP in the Grade 2 Relkeel Hurdle. Without further ado, let’s get straight down to it...

12:20 Cheltenham

While there are question marks regarding the form of the Paul Nicholls yard at this moment in time, I’m expecting KALIF DU BERLAIS to uphold the form with Tedley. He meets the Nigel Twiston-Davies gelding off similar terms here and I can see no obvious reason why Kalif Du Berlais won’t finish ahead of his rival once again.

Tedley had to settle for second behind the other horse in the race, Vincenzo, at Windsor just over two weeks ago and there is little to choose between them. It’s a trappy enough race but I’m sticking with the market leader.

12:55 Cheltenham

Diva Luna is a warm order to make amends after falling short on hurdles debut but the one I’m taken by at a big price is NEWTON TORNADO. He’s shown plenty of promise in two runs over hurdles since being snapped up for £85,000 at the sales in April and Ben Jones is a jockey in red hot form, operating at a 26% strike rate in the last 14 days.

Currently an 11/1 shot at the time of writing, I’ll be backing him to finish in the places for the Rebecca Curtis yard – and the Pembrokeshire trainer has a rather impressive win rate of 20% this season.

1:30 Cheltenham

He’s a short enough price but I am really strong on BROADWAY BOY for the 3m1f handicap chase on Wednesday afternoon. The form of his Coral Gold Cup second to Kandoo Kid looks strong, with third placed Victtorino and fifth placed Henry’s Friend coming out and franking the form in recent times.

He’s the youngest horse in the field and is arguably the most talented, and he may need to win this off a mark of 150 if he is to guarantee a run in the Aintree Grand National. He can hopefully get punters off to a flyer for the New Year.

2:05 Cheltenham

I’m expecting Henry Daly’s LOUNGE LIZARD to go well in the 2m4f handicap chase and he looks fairly treated off a mark of 135. He was dropped a pound after finishing third to Grandad’s Cottage at Carlisle the last day and is now just 2lbs higher than his previous winning mark at Huntingdon in March.

Cast your minds back to January 2024 and he finished less than two lengths off Ga Law and nearly five lengths clear of Il Ridoto. The form of that race has worked out well with several winners in behind and Lounge Lizard is a big each way price here for me.

2:40 Cheltenham

ONE BIG BANG could be thrown in off a mark of 127 and James Owen has secured the booking of Harry Cobden for the ride. If the weather forecast is right and the rain comes, I’d expect this son of Masked Marvel to be well supported in the market and he could go off a very short priced favourite.

Of the others, I’d give WHAT A JOHNNY a squeak off a mark of 119. Sean Bowen takes the ride and Olly Murphy is having a terrific season, he can feature in the shake-up on his second start over three miles.

3:15 Cheltenham

I’m very sweet on SALVER in the Grade 2 Relkeel Hurdle and I’ll be doing a rain dance outside the gates of Prestbury Park on Tuesday night. I think he’s a proper, proper horse on soft ground and he will take the world of beating – even with higher rated animals in the race – if he gets his conditions on Wednesday.

There are doubts over whether Golden Ace really wants the 2m4f trip on soft ground and I would be happy to oppose her and Dan Skelton remains adamant that Langer Dan is a better horse on spring ground. He is my Cheltenham New Year’s Day NAP.

3:50 Cheltenham

We know very little about these young bumper horses but the whispers out of Anthony Honeyball’s yard suggest that WALK IN THE WEST could be a very nice type. Hopefully Sam Twiston-Davies will be full of confidence after a winner on Broadway Boy earlier in the day and he can claim victory in this Listed bumper.

An obvious contender with racecourse experience under his belt is GNOMON. He was given an RPR of 120 for his debut success at Exeter in October and several of the horses in behind that day have ran well since.