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Cheltenham Festival tips: experts reveal their 2024 picks for Friday’s races


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  • The 2024 Cheltenham Festival runs from 12–15 March at Prestbury Park and we have asked the experts to share their Cheltenham Festival tips to try to help you pick a winner or two.

    It is important that you gamble responsibly and you can read more advice on how to bet here. Enjoy!

    Cheltenham Festival tips

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    Cheltenham Festival tips: experts reveal their selections for the fourth and final day’s races:

    Friday 15 March

    Corach Rambler in the Boodles Gold Cup (3.30pm)
    Trainer: Lucinda Russell | Jockey: Derek Fox
    ITV Racing will be on air from 1-4.30pm on ITV1/ITVX and STV, with The Opening Show broadcasting from 8.30am on ITV4/ITVX and host Ed Chamberlin pinpoints the 2023 Randox Grand National winner as his top tip for the week.

    “I like the Grand National Winner Corach Rambler for Lucinda Russell each way in the Boodles Gold Cup on Friday,” he says. “He has excellent Cheltenham form and will relish a big field and a strong pace. If the Grand National hero is in contention at the bottom of the hill – I think he could win.”

    Racing journalist Tom Peacock agrees with Ed Chamberlin and picks Corach Rambler in the Boodles Gold Cup, “It’s asking a lot to beat Galopin Des Champs but this winner at the last two Cheltenham Festivals as well as in the Grand National is a spring horse who will stay on, at least into the places and represents each-way value.”

    Its On The Line in the St James’s Place Festival Hunters’ Chase (4.10pm)
    Trainer: Emmet Mullins | Jockey: Mr Derek O’Connor
    Racing journalist Carl Evans says: “Its On The Line is quirky, but very talented, as he showed when runner-up in this race last year at the age of six. Premier Magic, who beat him, has every chance of winning again, while Quintin’s Man, who is trained on the edge of Dartmoor by farmer John Heard, could run well at a big price.”

    Gentlemansgame in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup (3.30pm)
    Trainer: Mouse Morris | Jockey: Darragh O’Keeffe
    Racing journalist Carl Evans picks the Mouse Morris-trained runner for Friday’s feature race stating: “He is trained by a shrewd veteran who has kept this horse on ice since he beat Bravemansgame at Wetherby in November. He’s now 6lb worse off with that rival and taking on hot favourite Galopin Des Champs, but he is an each-way punter’s price.”

    Majborough in the JCB Triumph Hurdle (1.30pm)
    Trainer: Willie Mullins | Jockey: Mark Walsh
    H&H racing editor Jennifer Donald says, “I would be picking the Willie Mullins-trained Majborough for Friday’s opening race. He is a fabulous looking horse and surely a future Gold Cup contender and comes to Cheltenham as one of the trainer’s leading juveniles, having finished third in his sole start, the Grade One Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown last month.”

    Thursday 14 March

    Crebilly in the TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase (4.10pm)
    Trainer: Jonjo O’Neill | Jockey: Jonjo O’Neill Jr
    Racing journalist Tom Peacock says: “Crebilly is a smart type who has shown promise at Cheltenham for Jonjo O’Neill this season already and might have hit form at the right time with a win at Exeter last month.”

    Jade De Grugy in the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (4.50pm)
    Trainer: Willie Mullins | Jockey: Paul Townend
    Racing journalist Carl Evans says: “After five straight wins, Bettertimesahead (who cost an eye-watering €310,000 as an unbroken three-year-old) is a worthy favourite, but this Willie Mullins-trained mare, by an outstanding stallion and from a top family, oozes class.”

    Noble Yeats in the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle (3.30pm)
    Trainer: Emmet Mullins | Jockey: Harry Cobden
    H&H racing editor Jennifer Donald says: “The 2022 Grand National winner has been entered for this hurdle race, rather than taking the traditional Gold Cup route favoured by these staying chasers with Aintree in April the end-of-season target once again. The Emmet Mullins-trained nine-year-old finished fourth in last year’s Grand National and beat Paisley Park in a great finish to the Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham in January, so I think it might be a very shrewd move from the trainer and with top jockey Harry Cobden in the saddle, the signs are good.”

    Wednesday 13 March

    Teeshan in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper (5.30pm)
    Trainer: Paul Nicholls | Jockey: Harry Cobden
    Racing journalist Carl Evans says: “Irish stables have won this race for the past seven years, while Willie Mullins has lifted it 12 times since its inception, but this Paul Nicholls-trained runner was hugely impressive when winning an Irish point-to-point and then scored easily at Exeter.”

    Edwardstone in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase (3.30pm)
    Trainer: Alan King | Jockey: Tom Cannon
    ITV Racing will be broadcasting live from 1-4.30pm on ITV1/ITVX and STV and presenter Alice Plunkett says: “I am really looking forward to Edwardstone’s tilt at this race. He has it all to do against El Fabiolo, but it was awesome seeing him let loose on the front at Newbury last time. His jumping was mega and he looked to really enjoy it. That saw him back to his best and convinced the team to stay at two miles.”

    Galvin in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase (4.10pm)
    Trainer: Gordon Elliott | Jockey: Keith Donoghue
    ITV Racing commentator Richard Hoiles says: “I like Galvin for this race. Gordon Elliott likes to target this race and Galvin finished second last year to Delta Work and they both look like lining up again. With Delta Work now rising 12 and Galvin now having had a bit more experience in these type of races, I can see the placings being reversed.”

    Foxy Jacks in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase (4.10pm)
    Trainer: Mouse Morris | Jockey: Gavin Brouder
    Racing journalist Carl Evans opts for Foxy Jacks in the race saying: “He won over this course and distance in November, beating a horse who followed up at the December meeting. This is a level weights contest and he faces some higher-rated horses, but course form is handy in this particular test.”

    Langer Dan in the Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle (2.50pm)
    Trainer: Dan Skelton | Jockey: Harry Skelton
    H&H racing editor Jennifer Donald says: “This Dan Skelton runner hasn’t fired in his four races so far this season, but followed a similar pattern when showing a marked return to form in this race last year, winning after an epic battle to the line. The trainer reports him to have returned a corner at home. He clearly thrives at Cheltenham and is my pick to retain his title.”

    Handstands in the Gallacher Novices’ Hurdle (1.30pm)
    Trainer: Ben Pauling | Jockey: Harry Cobden
    Racing journalist Carl Evans assesses: “Ben Pauling’s horses are in good form. Harry Cobden heads the jockeys’ championship and this horse is unbeaten in four races. Another one for each-way backers.”

    Tuesday 12 March

    Ose Partir in the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (4.50pm).
    Trainer: Martin Brassil | Jockey: Ricky Doyle
    Racing journalist Tom Peacock says: “Ose Partir is a dark horse for one of the shrewdest in the game, Martin Brassil, who showed ability on his first start in Ireland and looks to have been targeted for handicaps.”

    Embassy Gardens in the Maureen Mullins National Hunt Challenge Cup (5.30pm).
    Trainer: Willie Mullins | Jockey: Mr Patrick Mullins
    H&H racing editor Jennifer Donald says: “The opening day of the Cheltenham Festival could belong to the Willie Mullins team, sending out the favourites for the first five races. But his imposing Embassy Gardens, currently second favourite for Tuesday’s penultimate race, is my pick of the day. The trainer swerved Wednesday’s much stronger Brown Advisory for this novice contest for the eight-year-old son of Shantou, who loves jumping and gallops all day, and appears to have come out of his eye-catching Grade Three success at Naas in January in flying form. He might keep improving and what a special moment it would be if Willie could win the race run in the name of his late mother Maureen?”

    Mr Vango in the Maureen Mullins National Hunt Challenge Cup (5.30pm).
    Trainer: Sara Bradstock | Jockey: Miss Gina Andrews
    Racing journalist Carl Evans says: “Stamina is no concern after he hacked up in the Devon National (which he won by 60 lengths). Cheekpieces now go on and Gina Andrews, Britain’s outstanding woman amateur, takes the reins. A sporting each-way bet.”

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    • We’ll be back with more Cheltenham Festival tips from our experts on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of this week’s four-day racing extravaganza.

    Keep up-to-date with all the latest news and updates from the Cheltenham Festival via the Horse & Hound website and read the full report in the 21 March issue of the magazine

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