We are exactly one month from the start of the Cheltenham Festival 2024.
Cheltenham Festival 2024
With Newbury’s Super Saturday now passed, we are less than 30 days away from the Cheltenham Festival – yes, that’s one month today.
Although we have nearly amassed all the clues we will get, the upcoming week still has notable races to watch. Firstly, Thursday offers some midweek insight as star novice chaser Giovinco looks to get his season back on track for Lucinda Russell with an entry at Newcastle.
On the same day, Sandown host the Grade 2 Jane Seymour Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle. Although that may not sound like an ideal trial for the Dawn Run, I invite you to look at the last two winners of the Sandown race – You Wear It Well and Love Envoi. It may be worth paying attention then, with Little Mis Dante, Pawapuri and Aston Martini all given entries amongst others.
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Saturday offers up a host of action with Ascot, Haydock and Wincanton all staging fixtures. Indeed, the former hosts the Grade 1 Ascot Chase, a race won by Shishkin last year before going to be 2nd in the Ryanair and winning the Aintree Bowl.
The Grade 2 Reynoldstown and the Swinley Handicap Chase complete the card. Elsewhere, Wincanton hosts the Grade 2 Kingwell Hurdle whilst Haydock puts on Grade 2 hurdles for both novice and open company.
In addition, with the Grand National entries recently being released (weights will be released on Tuesday 20th February), both Haydock and Punchestown will host National trials at the weekend.
Which Cheltenham Festival entries will we get this week?
This week we get entries for both the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle and the Mares’ Chase on Tuesday. The former should feature Brighterdaysahead who was mightily impressive winning at Navan yesterday, and is now a best priced 3/1 second favourite on William Hill for the race.
The latter should feature Dinoblue (6/5 on Sky Bet), who’s been transformed for the change to fences, running a very promising 2nd in last year’s Grand Annual and was most recently an 8th length 2nd to El Fabiolo at the Dublin Racing Festival. Allegorie De Vassy, who bounced back to form with a win at Naas on Saturday, is expected to be given an entry for the race too.
Mares’ Chase 2024 Odds
| Name | Best Price | Worst Price |
|---|---|---|
| Dinoblue | 6/5 | 10/11 |
| Allegorie De Vassy | 9/2 | 3/1 |
| Limerick Lace | 6/1 | 4/1 |
| Brides Hill | 12/1 | 7/1 |
| Riviere Detal | 16/1 | 10/1 |
| Harmonya Maker | 20/1 | 14/1 |
| Apple Away | 20/1 | 10/1 |
Cheltenham Festival 2024 Tips
With the entries revolving around the mares’ races this week, I have stuck on theme with a selection for the Mares’ Hurdle. Although many were impressed with Lossiemouth’s recent comeback at Cheltenham on Trials Day, I find it astonishing that she is odds on for a race of such depth.
Indeed, equally impressive on the same day was her stable mate Ashroe Diamond who beat fellow mares Gala Marceau and Under Control in the Grade 2 Yorkshire Rose at Doncaster. Past winners of the race include both Epatante and Vroum Vroum Mag and she’s already a Grade 1 winner.
However, Lossiemouth was impressive because of her turn of foot, winning the Unibet Hurdle with a 113.61% finishing speed. Taking out dual Champion Hurdle winner Honeysuckle, whose excellence makes her an exception, the Mares’ Hurdle winners all seem like stayers.
Both Marie’s Rock and Roksana were 2nd in the Liverpool Hurdle over 3 miles at Aintree, and were 3 mile Grade 2 winners elsewhere. Benie Des Dieux won the French Champion Hurdle at Auteuil over an extended 3 miles 1f, Apples Jade was a three time Grade 1 winner over 3 miles whilst the mighty Quevega won four Punchestown World hurdles.
In contrast, Lossiemouth hasn't even raced over 2 ½ miles yet, let alone three. That’s not to say she won’t stay, but it’s not a doubt I’d want to be having when backing a horse at odds on.
You Wear It Well can certainly go well for Jamie Snowden if they revert to front running tactics; however. I’m not completely convinced that last year’s novice crop was a standout year.
It baffles me that Marie’s Rock is available to back at prices as big as 16/1 (best price on Coral). As stated, she fills the 3 miles provision, finishing 2nd behind Sire Du Berlais in last year’s Liverpool Hurdle and recently winning a Grade 2 at Doncaster beating You Wear It Well.
Her form figures at Cheltenham read 271171. One 7th was of 19 runners in the Greatwood hurdle over an inadequate 2 miles whilst the other was in this race last year. Sent off 9/4 favourite, she was keen out the back in a slowly run race where the two horses leading finished 1st and 2nd.
In addition, Nicky Henderson’s other two runners Theatre Glory and Epatante were equally disappointing finishing either side of her in 6th and 8th. This year she was 2nd to Bob Olinger in the Relkeel which looks even better now after his staying on 2nd to State Man in the Irish Champion Hurdle. She ticks a lot of boxes for me and is far more appealing at 16/1 than Lossiemouth is at 8/11.
This is the seventh of 10 Road to Cheltenham round-ups running each Monday from 1st January until 4th March, featuring ante-post tips every week!
See below for Jamie Radford’s ante-post tips in the Road to Cheltenham 2024 series, as well as Cheltenham tips from Architect for six races so far.
| Architect Tips | Jamie Radford |
|---|---|
| Cheltenham Gold Cup Tips | Road to Cheltenham Week 1 Tips |
| Stayers' Hurdle Tips | Road to Cheltenham Week 2 Tips |
| Arkle Chase Tips | Road to Cheltenham Week 3 Tips |
| Supreme Novices Tips | Road to Cheltenham Week 4 Tips |
| Brown Advisory Tips | Road to Cheltenham Week 5 Tips |
| National Hunt Chase | Road to Cheltenham Week 6 Tips |
This Week’s Cheltenham Ante-Post Tips
- Marie’s Rock @ 16/1 (1pt Each-Way) – Mares’ Hurdle
