Cheltenham Festival 2024 LIVE RESULTS: Templegate’s Tips, racecards, free bets, odds as horse racing spectacle returns
CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL returns TOMORROW - and it's expected to be a thrilling opening day at Pretsbury Park.
Hundreds of thousands will gather at Prestbury Park for the four-day horse racing bonanza.
And the first race at Cheltenham will be the Champion Hurdle at 3.30pm with State Man the bookies' favourite following the withdrawal of Constitution Hill last week.
- Day One start time: Tuesday, March 12 from 1.30pm GMT
- TV channel: ITV/Racing TV
- FREE live stream: ITVX app/website
Sky Bet’s Day One Cheltenham Festival Picks
Here are all the top picks, according to Sky Bet:
13:30 – FIREFOX
Alex Hammond: “With Ballyburn now out of the first race of the Cheltenham Festival, let’s go for a strong horse in Firefox with Gordon Elliot. He beat Ballyburn already this season over two and a half miles, but a strong run over two miles should be right up his street.”
14:10 – JPR One
Ed Chamberlin: “The Arkle is wide-open, and I don’t think the Irish have a standout horse in this race, so I’m going with a Brit in JPR One, who was brilliant at Cheltenham earlier in the season. He was lucky to come down and he then jumped the final fence well. He’s looked good since that race, he’s a real athlete, and I think he’ll go well as a double-figure price in the Arkle.”
14:50 – THE GOFFER
Oli Bell: “My fancy in the Ultimate Handicap Chase is The Goffer, trained by Gordon Elliot. He finished fourth in the race last year behind Corach Rambler, and his form has proven to outstanding. I think he’s been trained with one race in mind all season, which is this one, so I think he’s a strong choice for this race.”
15:30 – STATE MAN
Alex Hammond: “I don’t think we’re going to win any prizes for this selection in the Champion Hurdle, but with Constitution Hill sadly out, it’s all about State Man for me, and another one for Willie Mullins.”
16:10 – LOSSIEMOUTH
Ed Chamberlin: “In the Mares’ Hurdle, Sky Bet are paying extra-places. I think it Lossiemouth goes in for this race, she’s an absolute cert and I think she’ll stay and she’s much better than the rest.”
16:50 – MILAN TINO
Oli Bell: “In the Boodles, it’s a wide-open race, but I think a lot of people are rightly focused on Milan Tino, trained by Noel George, in the colours of JP McManus. He’s run well behind some triumph hopefuls in preparation for this, and I think he’s fairly-well treated on his French form, so I think Milan Tino will be a horse that will be bang there, come the line.”
17:30 – EMBASSY GARDENS
Alex Hammond: “In the National Hunt Chase, it’s Embassy Gardens, another one for Willie Mullins. I think with another trainer, this horse would most likely be running in the RSA, but Willie has plenty of ammunition. Embassy Gardens has been outstanding over fences and I think he’s probably one for the Gold Cup next year.”
Templegate's tip
Our top tipster aka Steve Mullen has gone through all the runners in the Supreme, the first race on day one.
And his fancy is...
MYSTICAL POWER looks magic in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.
He can edge out Willie Mullins stablemate Tullyhill in what looks a wide-open Festival opener.
He's 4-1 so that could represent decent value.
The favourites for day one...
How many of these will you be backing?
1.30 Tullyhill 3-1
2.10 Gaelic Warrior 3-1
2.50 Meetingofthewaters 5-1
3.30 State Man 1-3
4.10 Lossiemouth 4-6
4.50 Milan Tino 5-1
5.30 Corbetts Cross 15-8
Famous faces at Cheltenham
There will be a few celebrity runners throughout the week... none bigger than Sir Alex Ferguson.
The Man Utd legend is having an incredible year with his runners and aims a few stars at Cheltenham.
Hitman and Protektorat look set to run in the Ryanair on Thursday.
Whilke L'Eau Du Sud looks a right player in the Country Hurdle on Friday at odds of just 15-2.
Sonigino is a 20-1 chance in the Martin Pipe - the final race on Friday - while Monmiral is a 25-1 poke for Thursday's Pertemps ahead of final declarations.
Meanwhile, top football agent David Manasseh looks to have a banker in Ballyburn in Wednesday's Gallagher Novices' Hurdle.
And completing the football line-up is Harry Redknapp, who has entered Bowtogreatness in the Kim Muir on Thursday, as well as Shakem Up'Arry in the Plate (16-1).
While The Jukebox Man is 25-1 for Friday's Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle.
Early blow for the Brits
Bad news for the Twiston-Davies team with Broadway Boy being ruled out of Wednesday's Brown Advisory Novices' Chase over 3m.
The 10-1 chance did an 'exceptional' final bit of work but suffered a late setback.
Willy Twiston-Davies said the development was 'very, very depressing'.
And it means Willie Mullins' Fact To File has one fewer contender to worry about.
NICKY HENDERSON was the early winner as the day two declarations for Cheltenham came through.
The Seven Barrows boss has been rocked by Constitution Hill being out and rumours Sir Gino was about to follow.
But he received a massive boost on Monday as it was confirmed Doddiethegreat had got into Tuesday's Coral Cup.
The eight-year-old, whose place in the field came as a 'shock' to punters, is named after the late rugby union legend Doddie Weir, who tragically died in 2022 aged just 52.
Henderson called Doddiethegreat his 'secret weapon' in the run-up to race week and was desperate for the well-handicapped runner to get in the race.
And he is now confirmed a spot with the field cutting up, and Nico de Boinville gets the ride.
Day one schedule
Here's the lay of the land for day one and when you need to be in place to watch every race
1.30 Supreme Novices Hurdle
2.10 Arkle Novices' Chase
2.50 Ultima Handicap Chase
3.30 Champion Hurdle
4.10 Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle
4.50 Mares' Hurdle
5.30 National Hunt Chase
THE horses are out at Cheltenham getting a feel for the place...
And Willie Mullins is on the ground to check on his squad of superstars.
The Closutton trainer could run riot on day one with four clear favourites and one joint- favourite.
Either one of Tullyhill or Mystical Power could kick him off with a win in the Supreme at 1.30.
After that comes Gaelic Warrior in the Arkle before State Man looks to make the most of Constitution Hill not running in the Champion Hurdle.
Lossiemouth looks an absolute good thing in the Mares' Hurdle while Embassy Gardems is vying for favouritism with Corbetts Cross in the final race of the day, the National Hunt Chase, at 5.30.
No wonder bookies are running scared!
HELLO and welcome to Sun Racing's coverage of the 2024 Cheltenham Festival!
And what a week we have in store.
Willie Mullins is going for 100 career winners at Prestbury Park... but the British trainers, headed by Paul Nicholls and Nico de Boinville, won't let him have it all his own way.
Througout the week we will bring you Templegate's and Matt Chapman's top tips all week, plus all the live reaction to the thrills, spills and brilliant winners.
Without further ado, let's get cracking...
