Great News! The Cheltenham Festival is back, and here at NetBet, we have decided to put our expert tipster to the test and have asked him to cast an eye over all four days of action. Cheltenham provides the highest quality horse racing worldwide; for many, it is considered the season’s highlight.
We are also running a fantastic promotion across all four days where you can get a Free Bet of up to £10 if the horse you backed finishes 2nd to the SP Favourite in any live ITV race.
Cheltenham Festival Day One
Tuesday 14th March
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
Live on ITV
The 2023 Cheltenham Festival gets underway next Tuesday. It will surely be a pulsating four days of racing at one of the most famous venues in the world. Last year was as thrilling as ever, and there are many races which all have their little subplots. Our betting expert believes that some of these races will go to script, but he also predicts that some outsiders will experience glory this year. Read through these tips for day one and see if they inspire you.
1.30 pm – Supreme Novices Hurdle – 2m
The first race of the Cheltenham Festival is always eagerly anticipated, and the excitement from the crowd is always electric. This contest is run at a frenetic pace and is often the launchpad for many horses to go on and achieve great things.
Our betting expert has decided to stick his neck out this year and go for outsider Rare Edition. This horse’s record at such distances is impressive, and he believes the odds for this selection are way too high. Therefore if you fancy placing an outside bet, you will struggle to find any better.
Tip: Rare Edition – 25/1
Danger: High Definition – 10/1
2.10 pm – Arkle Chase – 2m
Over the years, this race has often thrilled and produced some spectacular races. Moscow Flyer, Azertyuiop and Un de Sceaux are just some of the horses who have walked away victorious. The question we all want to know, though, is who is the favourite for this year?
El Fabiolo and Jonbon are both tipped by many to win the race. However, our betting expert has decided to go for a different horse which he believes is capable of causing what could be considered an upset.
Dysart Dynamo is the next best in the pack, and his odds look rather generous. Therefore this bet could be the most enticing and certainly offers the best value.
Tip: Dysart Dynamo – 5/1
Value: El Fabiolo – 6/4
2.50 pm – Ultima Handicap Chase – 3m1f
This is the most challenging race to predict of the day. This race is called a graveyard for punters since some massive shocks have occurred over the years.
Last year, those who had Corach Rambler at 10/1 would have been delighted as he chased down Gericalt Rogue. A fun fact that might make bettors hopeful or nervy, depending on their betting preferences, is that only three favourites have won this race since 1977.
This year our betting expert has gone for Corach Rambler to repeat last year’s heroics! The odds of this horse winning again haven’t been reduced by that much, and he is more than capable of coming good again.
Tip: Corach Rambler – 7/1
Danger: Oscar Elite – 10/1
3.30 pm – Champion Hurdle – 2m
This race is highly anticipated as most people expect to see Nicky Henderson’s Constitution Hill not only win the race, but cement his legacy as one of the all-time greats.
When hurdles are involved, this horse doesn’t just win; he does it in style. All five of his wins over hurdles have come by a double-figure margin.
We would like to be edgy with this one, but our betting expert can only see one result, and that is Constitution Hill emerging victorious. Although State Man will be there waiting to win if, for whatever reason, this race doesn’t go to script. Therefore this will have to be the value bet of choice.
Value: State Man 3/1
Favourite: Constitution Hill 1/3
4.10 pm – Mares Hurdle – 2m4f
Willie Mullins might want to claim ownership over this race since he has won this race an incredible nine times over the last 15 meetings. Last year though, the Irish dominance was finally knocked back a bit when Marie’s Rock, trained by Nicky Henderson, came in at an impressive 18/1. A very nice day for a few NetBet Punters.
This year many are expecting normal order to resume and for Honeysuckle to confirm Ireland’s dominance in this race. Our betting expert also shares this opinion, but he has also selected a bet that is certainly worth selecting if you are going for value.
Tip: Honeysuckle 3/1
Value: Echoes in Rain 13/2
4.50 pm – Fred Winter Handicap Hurdle – 2m
The markets accurately predicted last year’s race, as three of the first four horses to finish were high up on the betting.
Trainer Padraig Roche was delighted to score his first festival winner when Brazil came in at 10/1, beating the favourite Gaelic Warrior. This race in recent history has been one which has suited outside bets, with horses priced at 25/1 or above, winning seven out of the last ten races! So what can we expect from this year?
Our betting expert believes Takao at 4/1 is great value and feels this horse can emerge victorious.
Tip: Takao 4/1
Danger: Bad 8/1
5.30 pm – National Hunt Chase – 3m6f
By this point, many punters would be wondering how to get home. However, the longest race of the day is still to come, and these races over longer distances have thrown up some unbelievable drama in the past.
This race is the oldest at the festival and was reduced three years ago ever so slightly as some believed the race was too demanding for the horses. Chemical Energy is our betting experts’ tip this year, although he recommends covering your bets over two horses if you can.
Tip: Chemical Energy 2/1
Favourite: Gaillard Du Mesnil: Evens
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