Key Points
- Ginger Joe’s getting very excited about Day 2 at Cheltenham!
- Unique insights on all SEVEN races today
- Get your punting value now while it lasts!
With the 2023 Cheltenham Festival now under way, I’ll move on to Champion Chase day!
It really couldn’t be looking any better. The ground is looking ever more likely to be perfect, with good to soft conditions predicted for today. So, let’s get under way.
Joe’s best bookie pick for Cheltenham Day 2
13.30: The Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m 5f
Just like Day 1, we have an absolute belter to get us under way for Day 2. The Ballymore truly looks ultra-competitive this year. The declarations haven't quite been confirmed yet, but it is looking like
Impaire Et Passe
will be heading here, after receiving some strong market support over the past few days.
Not only has he been a real talking horse this year, he’s also been very impressive when winning both of his Hurdle starts to date. Although the form could have worked out better, you can only beat what’s in front of you and he has done that well enough to suggest he can go very well here too. His price is becoming a little short though, based on the lack of substance in his form, and there is definitely some more attractive value elsewhere.
Hermes Allen
is flying the flag for the home team, with course and distance form behind him. Whilst that does bode well, I think he’ll have plenty to do to win this.
Good Land
is the bet for me. He won the Nathaniel Lacey and absolutely dominated the field from the front, very much looking like a horse going the right way.
The Ballymore doesn’t have the best record when it comes to backing up form, but this one really does look a little bit special. To my eyes
Good Land at 5/1 is huge value
and at that price with his form to date, he is the best bet in my opinion.
14.10: The Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (Grade 1) 3m
The Brown Advisory is another of my favourite Festival races. This time around, I think it will end up being a race between two horses and I’ve already backed them both.
The 6/4 Favourite, Gerri Colombe looks like a beast of a horse. He’s very visually very impressive and he is built just right for this type of staying Chase.
For many, he is a Cheltenham banker, but I think he has a serious threat in the name of
Thyme Hill, who is no pushover. He has already proven himself in Grade 1’s over Hurdles and he knows his way around Cheltenham very well indeed. He also has a wicked turn of foot for a stayer and if he is there turning for home with the Favourite, then I think he will be very hard to beat and
Thyme Hill is also much better value at 11/2. This should be an absolute belter of a race.
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Ready for runners!
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Cheltenham Chasers
14.50: The Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle (HCP) 2m 5f
There are some particularly well-handicapped runners in the Coral Cup this year and two in particular have caught my eye. One is
SAN SALVADOR, who is currently priced at a huge 20/1, assuming he turns up here.
There was plenty to like about the way he travelled at Punchestown last time out and I think he is one of the better-handicapped outsiders in the race. There’s loads of places on offer, so he’s surely worth an each way squeak?
However, the one I think will be really hard to beat is the Charles Byrne-trained
Run For Oscar, who I put up for the Stayers’ Hurdle when the Favourite was looking uncertain to turn up. He has been given a fair mark for the Coral Cup and there is no reason why he shouldn't get competitive off that.
He represents the best form on offer and has been running very well in races that haven’t been ideally run for his style. Also, the fact that the going may well finally fall in his favour and he is few pounds better off than most, makes him even more appealing. Even though this is a highly competitive Handicap,
I will have a nice punt on Run For Oscar as my main selection
here.
15.30: The Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1) 2m
Energumene
will line up here to try and defend his crown, but there is a duo of English horses who finished ahead of the reigning champion last time out and it makes for a fascinating contest I personally believe we will see a new champion this year.
Energumene
is currently 7/4 joint Favourite to retain his crown this year, but I think he has a bit to find here and I’ll be more than happy to lay him on the day. I think this is going to be between
Edwardstone
and
Editeur Du Gite, who had a great battle in the Clarence House last time out and look all set for a repeat performance.
There was only a head between the pair last time and all angles point to
Edwardstone, provided he is ridden tactically. However, I think
Editeur Du Gite
looks like a much-improved horse and has a huge chance of reversing the form this time.
As you can see, I have a few question marks over both of the joint Favourites, who will need to be 100% on song to prevail.
I’ll put my money where my mouth is here and say that the foot-perfect Editeur Du Gite will outjump the pair
and claim the Champion Chase crown for the Gary Moore team.
16.10: The Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase 3m 6f
Last year’s winner,
Delta Work, is one of the bankers of the Festival as far as I’m concerned. That’s despite his stablemate
Galvin, who was a genuine Gold Cup contender last year, looking set to line up here this year. Frankly, the Gordon Elliott pair are so far clear of the rest here, that they should be coming home first and second, according to the market anyway.
There is one I like at a big price and that is yet another Gordon Elliott runner,
Mortal, currently priced at around 40/1. He has some great form round here, has been campaigned specifically with this race in mind and his experience is sure to come into play here.
He was actually due to line up last year, but unfortunately, a slight setback forced Elliott to put that on hold. He has already placed twice over the banks at Cheltenham and might just be flying under the radar.
At such a massive price, he’s a prime target for any each way players
out there.
16.50: The Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Chase (Grade 3) 2m 1/2f
A bit of a confession here guys. The Grand Annual is always a puzzle and to be honest, not a race I have the best punting record for. But that said, it’s also offers a good chance to find some serious value, as it is so open and competitive.
I like two of the Gigginstown runners here, provided they actually turn up, as both also have live entries in the Plate. Anyway,
the two I’ve selected are Embittered and Midnight Run. They are both trained by Joseph O’Brien and both have some nice form, but it does tend to come sporadically.
They’ll be running of marks of 145 and 146 respectively and both are more than capable of serving it up to the field, providing they turn up in good form. The Grand Annual is not a race I like to get stuck into, but
I'm trying both as small stakes, each way selections
only.
17.30: The Weatherbys Champion Bumper (Grade 1) 2m 1/2f
The final race for Day 2 is the Champion Bumper and there’s a few I fancy here. In my opinion,
WESTERN DIEGO
was very impressive when he won at Naas last time out and is open to tons of improvement off the back of that run. He is
currently a juicy 20/1 in the market
and I think this drop back in trip will play to his strengths.
His sire is Westerner, who had plenty of gears himself back in the day, and this boy looked plenty flashy on debut, suggesting that he has plenty more to come. I’m actually quite excited about him and he hasn’t yet been marked by many, so there will be plenty of value in his price on the day.
Chapeau De Soleil
is another sure to improve. On his debut for the Mullins team, he finished just three lengths behind Better Days Ahead, even though he did so much wrong. He ran very green and he pulled hard, but still managed to finish up snapping at the heels of a horse with way more experience. I think he could turn out to be pretty special, but I’ll probably throw a few darts at this race.
And here's my video for today...
2023 Cheltenham Festival Day 2 selections. Champion Chase, Ballymore Novices Hurdle, Champion Bumper
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