Cheltenham Day One 🐎

The Cheltenham festival starts with the perfect opportunity for Annie Power’s Mystical Power to seize his first Grade one win. This likeable gelding began his racing career with a win in a National Hunt Flat race at Ballinrobe before subsequently winning on hurdling debut, comfortably by 7 lengths at Galway. He then went to the Grade 2 Skybet Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle at Punchestown at which he won the race in a similar style to his previous start, by 7 lengths. Both hurdle wins have been on soft ground and although lacking experience in comparison to his contenders, I’d expect him to be a Cheltenham natural in the same way his dam was. Mark Walsh takes the ride for the extremely in form Willie Mullins and Mystical Power wears a first time hood.

Kim Bailey trained Chianti Classico is the one for me in the Ultima Handicap Chase. Starting off his racing career in a point to point, he won the race when beating his rival in the highly respectable Stumptown, by 2 1/2 lengths. He was beaten a length on his first national hunt flat start before winning on his next and then won 3 consecutive hurdle races, including one with a 24 length victory. He then went to Cheltenham for the Grade One Albert Bartlett in which he was pulled up, but I’d be hesitant to let this put me off as he then had wind surgery before going chasing and winning two on the bounce. Last time out, he failed to complete the chasing hat trick at Kempton when beaten only 2 lengths by a course specialist in Flegmatik. Willie Mullin’s Meetingofthewaters is not to be taken as light competition as unlucky to unseat last time out, he recorded two chase victories as of November and December 2023, one of which was over 3 miles in soft ground, so he should enjoy this type of test.  

Lossiemouth unsurprisingly and rightly leads the market for the 2024 Cheltenham Mares Hurdle and as much as I don’t doubt she will stay the longer trip, a horse that appears to have more value is Harry Fry’s Love Envoi. Unlike Lossiemouth, Love Envoi is proven over the trip of 2m 3 and won this race in 2022 before giving Honeysuckle a hard time last year when just short of following up her previous Cheltenham victory. She was no match for Lossiemouth last time out at her beloved Cheltenham and although Lossiemouth won’t give her an easy battle, she is a highly respectable mare who will relish this soft ground and step back up in trip so at each way odds of 12/1, I feel she is not to be ignored. 

The Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle looks a tight race but I’d be unsurprised if Paul Nicholls’ Liari could take victory here. Liara is a French flat winner who is currently unbeaten over hurdles in Britain and was most recently seen recording a gutsy 5 length victory in the Bet365 Scottish Triumph Hurdle, holding fellow contenders Roaring Legend and Balboa in second and third. His other two wins came in the shape of a gutsy win at Wincanton on his British debut in October and a Class 1 listed race at Aintree in November. He will enjoy this trip of 2 miles and won on soft ground on his first British start. He is a determined sort who will be up to the challenge of Cheltenham so he should be there or thereabouts. 

Lastly is the National Hunt Chase which I think contains Gordon Elliot’s biggest chance of day one victory in Salvador Ziggy. This consistent gelding provided himself with solid course form when second in the Pertempts last year over 3 miles on soft ground. He was pulled up on his next start before returning to winning ways when completing the hat-trick at Punchestown, Tramore, and Killarney. He then came second in a 17 runner race at Listowel and was last seen at  Far Hills when racing in the USA. This proved too much for Salvador after a long season so he has been given a break of which he returns tomorrow. Gordon Elliot has a good record in this race and he will relish the trip and soft ground. He is a confident jumper and goes well fresh which I’d be unsurprised to see proven tomorrow - at 11/2 he provides higher value than the market leaders.