Cheltenham Tips: Our Best Bets for Day 2 At The Festival

Our in-house horse racing expert Dean Ryan is back to take us through race by race tips at the Cheltenham Festival 2024 2024 on Day 2.

It's an alternative look at the markets, with the rain pouring we will need our wits about us for the remaining few days and it could pay to look past the most obvious of angles!

Yesterday's winners included Telmesomethinggirl (without Lossiemouth), Lark In The Mornin and Gaelic Warrior, with each way returns from Matata and Weveallbeencaught! Don't believe us read it for yourself.

Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle – Cheltenham 1.30pm - Ile Atlantique 13/8 Without Ballyburn

A dead-eight as it’s called makes this an each-way race but with Ballyburn here instead of the opener on Tuesday it makes it perhaps a one horse race in the eyes of horse racing betting sites.

It’s kept the field size small, as a few ducked and dived the favourite once they knew it was heading here. 

He looks the real deal, a stayer with boot, and talk of the town in the run up the Festival. Can he be beaten? Probably not.

Ile Atlantique was seemingly the one for this from the Willie Mullins camp. So much so, his conqueror at Naas in January has been routed to the longer race later this week. Reading Tommy Wrong nabbed him that day, but it was a huge performance in defeat.

He will love the ground, has a turn of foot, even if it isn’t sustained in a battle and Patrick Mullins will be looking to have one go at Ballyburn if close enough to do so. 

Predators Gold, for Willie Mullins, is a potential fly in the soup. Tactics will be interesting with Danny Mullins on board. 

They can’t wait too long; Ballyburn will be keen to be in front at the last. Maybe Danny will employ, I’ll go on and see what you have, something he is brilliant at.

The rest are way off the standard normally needed, albeit with upside to come. 

I think Patrick Mullins and Ile Atlantique will get second, and in this alternative view that looks just about value.

Selection – Ile Atlantique 13/8 without Ballyburn

Brown Advisory – Cheltenham 2.10pm – Fact To File 5/6

Fact To File is here, and they discussed the shorter race as an option. With the rain that has fallen, they may have wished they had gone that way.

Willie Mullins has taken the no messing route, no runs over hurdles, no wasted year and it’s all about the Gold Cup next year. 

Galopin Des Champs will be a year older, he needs the new thing to work with for 2025, and by all accounts this is the one.

The trip is a concern only because he hasn’t tackled it yet, and the idling when in front is also a concern because once let loose, he can’t help but be there.

His defeat on chase debut behind American Mike is a concern, only because he was taking a mock exam that day and not the real thing.

There are two good stayers in here against him. Montys Star and Stay Away Fay. 

In a normal year, they would be strong contenders but I do think Fact To File is special. 

There are only six runners, and something has to finish second. I’d probably side with Stay Away Fay to do that, but if Mark Walsh has Fact To File in top gear round the bend, it will be out of the back of the TV.

Betting apps have it short, but perhaps not as short as it should be. The alternative view is to ignore this race and just back Fact To File now for the Gold Cup next year. But why not do both.

Selection – Fact To File 1/1
Selection – Fact To File 10/1 Gold Cup 2024

Coral Cup – Cheltenham 2.50pm – Jigoro 14/1 Each-Way

A nightmare to solve as always, the Coral Cup really announces Cheltenham as impossible after the small field graded races dominate the initial salvos.

Top of the market has been dominated and remains to be with Sa Majeste. 

A mark of 140, the addition of Mark Walsh and the big pot to aim at now shouts improvement to come. Quietly, well loudly, arrives with lots of expectation and a price to match. We will keep looking.

Built By Ballymore does more on the track than at home by all accounts, nothing wrong with that. Talked up at the previews, and it was a price that evaporated from double figures to single.

It's a live chance, with all the aids added and pieces also going on. JJ Slevin will commit, and this chap will love the bog.

Doddiethegreat is a shock to get in, the races being undersubscribed a shock to many too. Nicky Henderson form is a worry, but they like this horse and he is in cheaply off a mark of 132. 

Boat sailed, horse bolted and the price gone! 

Langer Dan then, “ulcers” sorted by all accounts, or maybe it’s just the weather getting better in the spring, hang on to the excuses but he has to be in the mix if he is back to his best. Dan Skelton says he is.

Two that might still have their respective odds in line with the task ahead are Jigoro and Zanndabad.

Jigoro first has run into some of the best novices, Tullyhill and Mystical Power. A mark of 141 is not that stiff, and he could be sneaking in to calmer waters with real claims for Jack Kennedy and Gordon Elliott. 

Zandabad is pretty bad over hurdles it seems, but was smart on the flat and will love the ground. 

Could Tony Martin have a sleeper here that will be obvious after the race? No weight to carry, a claimer on to reduce it further and this five-year-old might just improve his jumping enough to flash home.

I trust the market is right with the top ones, but the alternative view is to suggest that they’ve been bet to within an inch of their value.

Selection – Jigoro 14/1 each-way
Selection – Zanndabad 20/1 each-way

Champion Chase – Cheltenham 3.30pm – Jonbon 4/1

An odds on shot here with El Fabiolo, he’s the best horse, with the best credentials, and is bidding to win this again. He can do that, that’s for sure, but will he?

There is a view that he has learned to hit fences and carry on. I think that is fair.

He is very strong, tough and a huge engine that smacking one only seems to fire him up for the next one. 

A good jumper but not that bothered about fences, is my view, they get in the way!

Jonbon has Nico De Boinville back on and he will love this challenge. Expect a rejuvenated Edwardstone to go from the front and let the two big guns wait in behind, not too far but far enough to get rhythm in the jumping will be the aim. 

Edwardstone won’t stay there forever, I’d chance Jonbon at the prices. There's also a chance that El Fabiolo will really leave his backend in at least one fence under the pressure of chasing the hare in front (Edwardstone), and then ice man Nico can pounce.

It’s a leap of faith with Nicky Henderson form being a doubt for all, but he is too big to ignore.

Selection – Jonbon 4/1

Cross Country – Cheltenham 4.10pm – No Bet

It's not an alternative view to suggest you head to the bar for this race, it’s a tradition amongst many. 

That said it’s become a classy affair over the last few years with Gold Cup also rans heading for a swansong, Grand National winners prepping with victory and now with Minella Indo in the line up it’s arguably peaked again.

The 11-year-old is a stand out here, with such an illustrious CV and is going to be as popular as they come when the betting gets busy. 

Gordon Elliott swings everything he has at Rachael Blackmore and Henry De Bromhead though by letting Delta Work, Coko Beach and Galvin take their chance.

If this race goes ahead, apparently the track is waterlogged as I type this, then it’s a veterans chase of tremendous intrigue. 

Throw in Stattler for the Mullins camp and you are certain to have backed a couple in here before at least more than once.

Keith Donoghue is worth a few pounds round this course, he is usually on the best one, and that helps but Galvin is not going to love the extreme mud. 

Coko Beach is seemingly on the upgrade still at just nine-year-old and could come past the two stable mates here with young Sam Ewing set for a huge ride in the race.

For the rags it is a huge ask, level weights with some of the leading old stagers in the business is not a fun day at school. 

It's a no bet race, the alternative view is to have one. This year I think most will be playing something, the race could be run on Friday if abandoned on the Wednesday – if so we will take another look. 

Selection – No Bet

Grand Annual – Cheltenham 4.50pm – Unexpected Party 14/1 Each-Way

Team GB are strong here, Libberty Hunter and Madara are all the rage with the punters. The race will take some winning, big field, cavalry charge and the Irish are here in numbers too. 

Saint Roi is a tricky one to sum up, can’t have been fully wound until today, if it was it has no chance. If it wasn’t then all systems go on the day that matters most.

Path D’oroux and Maskada, Sa Fureur and even the top weight Dancing On My Own will be popular for Irish money. 

It’s very difficult, you could back four or five and come up wishing you hadn’t.

Unexpected Party would be an unexpected winner but the horse is interesting under these conditions. 

Hasn’t got home over further in hot company, but this will run like a bit further than two miles but not too far. Harry Skelton will have him travelling and if the jumping holds up he might just have his optimum set up here.

I can’t be confident, but I expect Saint Roi is the one that could blow the field away whilst Unexpected Party is the one that takes advantage if he doesn’t.

Selection – Saint Roi 15/2 each-way

Selection – Unexpected Party 14/1 each-way

Champion Bumper – Cheltenham 5.30pm  – No Bet

Usually a race you want to watch with the notebook out for next year. 

These are the stars of Cheltenham future and picking which is the best now is easiest when just assessing the betting market.

I will let it slide – but I will watch with interest. If you believe the rumour mill then The Yellow Clay, Romeo Coolio and Cantico are big players. 

If you check new betting sites there are a couple more fancied than them.

Good luck with it – two days to go with better opportunities await us!

Selection – No Bet