Cheltenham Day One, Champion Hurdle Day.

By Carl Harris @ Cheltenham

Tuesday is always a great day to kick off the Cheltenham Festival.It kicks off the Supreme Novice Hurdle, then The Arkle and gets better with the feature being the Champion Hurdle.

This really is amazing, the day racing fans have been waiting for. Racing Diary is LIVE from Cheltenham with Suntalk Radio, listen in and sample the flavour of the biggest and best festival of them all.

After months of preparation the runners and riders are known and we can get stuck in. Here are your free horseracing tips for day one of the Cheltenham Festival. A full preview of day one of the 2010 Cheltenham Festival. Big Races today are The Supreme Novices Hurdle, The Arkle and The Champion Hurdle. Get your Free Horseracing Tips.

1:30 Cheltenham, The Supreme Novice’s Hurdle

The Irish have been backing super horse Dunguib here since he won the Champion bumper at the Cheltenham Festival last year. He didn’t just win last year he destroyed them and has remained unbeaten ever since. His last run at Leopardstown hardly troubled Dunguib but there have been questions asked about his jumping.  Below is Dunguib‘s last run;

Dunguib is clearly a high class horse and is certainly the Irish Banker of the meeting but at odds on he represents little in the way of value, now. Indeed if he gets beaten then many Irish punters will be in trouble. So can Dunguib be beaten?

Firstly let me take you back to 2008 when Binocular appeared here at a similar price to Dunguib, having been unbeaten for Nicky Henderson. It was Captain Cee Bee who beat him that day as he didn’t get up the Cheltenham hill. We know that Dunguib does get up the Cheltenham Hill. Watch again his Champion Bumper win last year, below;

So we need to look at the opposition. In my view there is only one horse to possibly trouble Dunguib at that is Get Me Out Of Here. Regular readers of Racing Diary will now that we absolutely love Get Me Out Of Here. We have had it right off with him on his last three runnings and last time got a handsome 10/1 as Get Me Out Of Here won at Newbury. At the prices Get Me Out Of Here is a very solid each-way bet and certainly I will be on here. We simply don’t know how good Get Me Out of Here is, similarly the same could be said of Dunguib who might, just might be the real deal!

Supreme Novices Hurdle Betting Advice;

• Dunguib to Win
• Get Me Out Of Here- Each Way.

2:05 Cheltenham, Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy Chase

The Arkle Chase is a race where there has only been one winning favourite in the last ten years. Forpadydeplasterer won last year at 8/1. The Arkle is one of the toughest races to solve but what the stats do tell us is that we need a good jumper and seven of the last eleven winners were trained by Pipe, Nicholls or King.

We have our starting point, but it is a certainty that Alan King will not be winning The Arkle. The market would suggest that this is going Ireland in 2010 with Captain Cee Bee and Sizing Europe heading the market. Tony McCoy will be on Captain Cee Bee who looked to be galloping all over Sizing Europe when falling at the last in a grade one in Ireland. Captain Cee Bee is the one to beat in my view.

Tony McCoy rides Captain Cee Bee

So can the Irish be beaten in The Arkle in 2010? In short Yes. I am taking them on with Somersby who I really like, having seen him win well at Warwick and then jump so well at Sandown. I am backing Somersby Win and Place (each-way) because I cannot for the life of me see him out of the frame. Captain Cee Bee gets up the hill but in my view Somersby could be the best of them all.

Arkle Chase Betting Advise;

• Somersby, each-way.

2:40 Cheltenham William Hill Trophy Handicap Chase

Last year Tony McCoy gave Wicheta Lineman one of the best rides ever seen at Cheltenham. Sadly that horse is no longer with us but we have a very competitive handicap to get stuck into.   I have no huge bet planed at this stage, perhaps I will get something Live at the track which you can listen to on Suntalk Radio. The one I like, for small stakes is Theatrical Moment, although I write this prior to declarations and he may not run here, if he does I will be a backer!

3:20 Cheltenham Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy (grade 1)

Tuesdays big race The Champion Hurdle. Go Native will land a £1m bonus if he wins here but there are 10 horses standing in his way. The Champion Hurdle has in many way been the hardest race antepost to fathom. There has been more in outs than the hokey cokey for the Champion Hurdle Field. We know that there are eleven runners, but who will win?

Nicky Henderson saddles three in the race with Punjabi, the reigning champion being the choice of stable jockey Barry Geraghty. In my view he has made a mistake, I think Zaynar will perform better and  in my view represents the best each-way value in the race. He was beaten at Kelso but I am prepared to forget that, the ground was a joke and he will get perfect going at Cheltenham. Last year he won the Triumph Hurdle and is looking to emulate Katchit to win the Champion Hurdle as a five year-old. However only one five year old from 79 that have started since 1985 have won.

What is interesting is that Ireland have a strong hand in The Champion Hurdle with Solwhit and Go Native reopposing. Go Native beat Solwhit in TheFighting Fifth Hurdle and I think can do it again. Here is that run at Newcastle last year;

Go Native looks very strong here. Go Native has only been beaten once this season which was by Voler La Vedette and has done nothing wrong since. Certainly against this field I would opt for Go Native. Binocular has looked a shadow of the horse he was, Punjabi won an egg and spoon race last time and has shown nothing since his Champion Hurdle win last year, Celestial Halo could run well but I am prepared to overlook Paul Nicholls’ horse here.

I think this is a really tough race but I am going with two in The Champion Hurdle.

Champion Hurdle Betting Advice;

• Go Native- To Win.
• Zaynar- Each-way

4:40 Cheltenham David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle

I will be absolutely gob smacked if this doesn’t go to an Irish trained runner. Quevega is looking to win back to back  David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle titles but has an amazing mare called Voler La Vedette standing in her way.

As I said when previewing the Champion Hurdle she absolutely hammered Go Native, which can be taken many ways but along with her unbeaten record shows that this is a very good mare. She would be my best bet of the day, including Dunguib in the first!

This is a great race and I do not expect Quevega to give up her crown easily. I am hugely encouraged that Barry Geraghty rides Voler La Vedette. She was considered for The Champion Hurdle, for me this is the right decision and think she is an absolute shoe in for The David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle and will deny Quevega a historic double.

David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle betting advice;

• Voler La Vedette, Win (NAP)

Good Luck, have a great day and remember to tune in to SunTalk to hear us live from Cheltenham.

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ATR Team Champion Hurdle Preview;