Cheltenham Trials Day 2023: Betting Tips for the Festival

A big day awaits punters, viewers and all connections involved with their horses this weekend as Cheltenham hosts its Trials Day on Saturday, where the final pit stop at Prestbury Park will be made before the Festival itself gets underway in March.

This weekend’s fixture at Cheltenham is one of its best cards in recent memory, where a nine-race programme is in place. It will feature four Grade 2’s, three competitive Handicaps, the Cross Country and the rescheduled Clarence House Chase plus eight previous Cheltenham Festival winners could line-up on the card as well.

Here I look at some potential Festival clues, covering some horses, big races and notable match-ups that I think might turn out to be good pointers ahead of the big four-day meeting in March as this fixture has produced plenty of Festival winners in the past. Star names Energumene, Edwardstone and Paisley Park are just a few names to mention who will be in action in the Cotswolds.

Triumph Hurdle credentials put to the test in the opener

JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle, 11:40am 

The action-packed Trials Day kicks off with the Grade 2 JCB Triumph Hurdle Trial and the outcome of this race will surely provide clear implications on the Triumph Hurdle ante-post market in March, which takes place on day four of the Festival.

Paul Nicholls has a good bunch of potential high-class juveniles in his team this season and he has two entries in this weekend’s opener in the shape of Afadil and Dixon Cove. The former bolted up on his hurdles debut at Taunton, where he was hard held in winning by two lengths. That form isn’t strong but he is open to plenty more improvement and could step up in grade this weekend.

Dixon Cove, his stablemate, could renew rivalry with Comfort Zone, who both fought out the finish in the Coral Finale at Chepstow last time. It was Joseph O’Brien’s Comfort Zone who just did enough to hold off the late challenge of Paul Nicholls’s Dixon Cove but connections of the latter will certainly be feeling optimistic about reversing the form on better terms here.

If the Paul Nicholls’ duo do collide, it will be fascinating to see who Harry Cobden will choose to ride. Meanwhile, Ben Pauling could unleash the exciting Bad, a hurdle winner in Bordeaux, who holds an entry in the Triumph in March. We don’t know a lot about him but he is one to look out for, as if he were to win this on his stable debut, and win it impressively, his 100/1 ante-post odds will be gone.

Last but certainly not least, the Milton Harris-trained Scriptwriter, who is unbeaten in two starts over hurdles, could join the field. He won the other Triumph Hurdle trial here back at the November meeting and has since won on the Flat at Wolverhampton to keep his winning sequence intact. He is available at 14/1 for the Triumph in March (same as Comfort Zone) and could strengthen his claims if successful here.

Delta Work to show his best work again over the banks 

Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase, 12:40pm 

Although many were left deflated in the main event of this last season at the Festival when Tiger Roll was denied a historical success, there was no denying his stablemate and conqueror Delta Work produced an excellent performance on his first go over the Cheltenham banks to claim the spoils. 

Already a strong 11/10 favourite to defend his title in March, Gordon Elliott’s charge is likely to take all of the beating this weekend in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase. 

He rates the most likeliest winner this weekend and is most likely to go a shade odds-on in March if able to win again at Prestbury Park in this discipline. He could be joined by some interesting Cross Country debutants though, who cannot be ruled out. 

The French have a good record in these events in the UK though and one to monitor closely is the 11-year-old Roi Mage, who immediately took my interest when his name was revealed in the entries a while back and, in the interim, I had hoped he would be lining up this weekend in this.

He is generally available at 25/1 for the Cross Country at the Festival and a good display this weekend could see his price shorten. He has lots of good form in France, especially when you reflect on some of the races he was competing in, such as the Grade 1 Grand Steeplechase De Paris - a race he has competed in three times in the past over the 3m5f trip, finishing third on one occasion. 

He ran well when third on his return in a Cross Country event on his return in Compiegne and warmed up for this with a third behind Minella Indo and Stattler in the Savills New Year's Day Chase. This weekend’s event has clearly been a long-term target, which should get some experience into him before a possible tilt at the big one in March, so he is definitely one to keep in mind with a view to the Festival. 

Former Grand National winner Minella Times is a fascinating intended runner and could really take to this new scenario, so he is another to keep an eye on over the weekend. The likes of Cross-Country regulars - Diesel D’Allier, Back On The Lash and Plan Of Attack are also expected to feature and are more than likely being targeted at the Festival as well. 

Two heavyweights clash in the rearranged Clarence House Chase 

Albert Bartlett Clarence House Chase, 1:20pm 

While the original clash between Energumene and Edwardstone at Ascot didn’t materialise due to the fixture being cancelled, it is great to see the Clarence House rescheduled and added to Trials Day this weekend. It should be a great race plus we get more runners this time as well. 

Champion Chase winner Energumene - who is odds-on favourite to claim back-to-back titles in March, is also a warm favourite to make it nine wins from 10 starts over fences in this race. It is also worth mentioning that it will be run on the new course too. 

It’ll be interesting to see if Paul (Townend) will adopt his usual front-running tactics on this top-class champion, which could potentially risk seeing him get into an early skirmish with Editeur Du Gite - a good winner at Kempton over Christmas.

In essence, now that the race has been moved here instead, this might actually set-up perfectly for Edwardstone. Firstly, Cheltenham seems to suit hold-up horses better than Ascot plus the form of his Arkle win at the Festival last season has worked out well given Blue Lord’s exploits since plus Haut En Couleurs would have won what Thurles without falling at the last. 

His win in the Tingle Creek Chase on his return at Sandown was nothing short of quality too with the likes of Greaneteen and Shishkin well held in behind. His early departure in the Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton last time can be forgiven and recognised as a one-off as he generally jumps well and conditions could be in his favour come Saturday.

With the pair meeting for the first time, it should be a great spectacle and hopefully both of them can bring their best form to the table. Who wins? I am not sure at this stage. Whoever can take the spoils is sure to be a red-hot favourite for the Champion Chase. 

Betfair Chase and Grand National winners head-to-head in Cotswold Chase 

Paddy Power Cotswold Chase, 2:25pm 

Later on, in the Cotswold Chase, we have quite a deep field expected to go to post. The Dan Skelton-trained Protektorat is favourite, who was third in the Cheltenham Gold Cup last season and looked at the top of his game when winning the Betfair Chase at Haydock on his return. He obliterated some very good horses that day, including Frodon, who is also set to feature in this field. 

He is versatile in regards to the ground and connections will be hoping he can land this en route to having a cracker the Gold Cup in less than two months’ time. His nearest pursuer in the betting is Noble Yeats, who provided jockey Sam Waley-Cohen a fairytale end to his career when winning the Grand National last April. 

He too, made a successful return to action, which came at his beloved Aintree, where he beat Ahoy Senor and Sounds Russian in the Many Clouds Chase. I am not sure this track massively plays to his strengths though, as he was well-held in the Ultima off a much lower mark on his only previous visit to Cheltenham. I think he will do well to beat a few proven course specialists. 

Nicky Henderson’s Dusart and Kim Bailey’s Happygolucky also feature in the line-up. It is clear to see whoever wins the Cotswold Chase will likely start second-favourite behind Galopin Des Champs in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. It is also worth noting this race has predominantly been a useful guide for horses in the Gold Cup, with past winners such as The Giant Bolster, Native River, Neptune Collonges and Exotic Dancer all going into acquit themselves very well in the big one in March. 

You don’t necessarily need to win this either to be considered a lively player in the Gold Cup, as beaten horses who have made the frame in this have gone on to run well in the Gold Cup in March with names such as Bristol De Mai, Imperial Commander and plenty more doing just that. This year’s line-up will no doubt provide plenty of clues in the ante-post market after the race has concluded. 

Paisley Park goes for four Cleeve Hurdle wins 

Dahlbury Stallions At Chapel Stud Cleeve Hurdle, 3:00pm 

The Cleeve Hurdle seems to be all about the great Paisley Park, who has won this three times in his career, won a Stayers’ Hurdle and made the frame in two other renewals. 

He isn’t getting any younger now that he is 11 but this hardy campaigner, whose longevity cannot be disputed, has an excellent chance to win here again, especially with the opposition looking rather thin on the ground compared to past renewals. 

He will be massively favoured by the weights and we can recall his memorable win in this last season when he missed the start but still managed to work his way back into contention and defeat his old rival Champ. Sadly, the latter isn’t declared for the race this weekend but that means Paisley has an outstanding chance to raise the roof in the Cotswolds and who’s to say he won’t go and regain his title in March? 

He is probably going to be joined by another warrior in the shape of Jeremy Scott’s Dashel Drasher, who wears his heart on his sleeve, and doesn’t go down without a fight. He hardly ever runs a bad race and this Grade 1-winning chaser is sure to give his supporters, including myself, a bold showing from the front. Gelino Bello is second-favourite behind Paisley and reverts back to hurdles following a fall over fences on Boxing Day.