Day one preview and tips

RACING returns to jump racing HQ as we look ahead to two days of horse racing action at Cheltenham.

Here we will take a look at all seven races from day one of Cheltenham’s December Gold Cup meeting, and narrow down the best bets, as well as the value picks.

🏇 Cheltenham December Gold Cup: Day one tips

Odds provided by top horse racing betting sites are correct at the time of writing, and are subject to change.

12:05 British EBF “National Hunt” Novices’ Hurdle – 2m1f

Eight of the ten runners come in here on the back of a win, so confidence will be high for connections that a repeat could be on the cards.

Old Park Star was a good winner on stable debut for Nicky Henderson when dispatching the well-touted Un Sens A La Vie at Kempton. Lisbane Park made light of his inexperience with a comfortable win at Exeter last month, and the same can be said of Dan Skelton’s Minella Marathon.

However, KINGSTON QUEEN can make the most of her weight concession here and back up her facile win at Chepstow. The David Piper-trained mare showed some good form in her bumper days last season, which was highlighted with a third-place finish in a Grade 2 Mares’ Bumper at the Aintree Grand National Festival. This five-year-old mare made light work of her opposition on hurdles debut when running out an easy seven-length winner at Chepstow. The form of that race couldn’t be working out any better, with the second and third going on to win on their next starts.

With that experience now under her belt, the daughter of Kingston Hill can take another step forward and prove tough to beat.

• Selection: Kingston Queen 9/2
• Danger: Old Park Star 2/1

➡️ Bet on KINGSTON QUEEN for the British EBF “National Hunt” Novices’ Hurdle with bet365

12:40 Santa – “The Visit” “Chasing Excellence” Novices’ Chase – 2m4½f

Last season, the now Arkle Novices’ Chase winner Jango Baie won this very race, but it is hard to see any of the four repeating the feat this season.

The only one of the four that you can realistically rule out here is Tintintin. There’s not much separating the remaining three, but this looks like a tough introduction to chasing for Dan Skelton’s Royal Infantry. Although he comes in here race-fit after two hurdle runs this season, his form needs to improve on what we have seen to make a winning chase debut.

Nicky Henderson’s Califet En Vol is returning to the track after a 252-day break. But with the Henderson stable among the winners lately, you can be sure that this talented son of Califet will be well-schooled and ready to do himself justice for his chasing debut.

So, by the process of elimination, SIXMILEBRIDGE is the one to side with today. Last season, he was an eight-length winner of a Grade 2 hurdle on this course, only for it to be taken off him after a banned substance was found in his system post-race. He put the disappointment of that behind him this season with a win on his chase debut over the much-talked-about Derryhassen Paddy.

However, the race was marred by mistakes from all three runners. At one stage, it looked as if Sixmilebridge was going to drop out of contention having led for a long way, only for him to get back in the lead two out before going on to win by over four lengths. It looked as if he took a blow mid-race, and you can expect him to come on fitness-wise from that outing. Now with that valuable experience under his belt, he can put it to good use here and make it back-to-back chase wins on a course we know he enjoys.

• Selection: Sixmilebridge 15/8
• Danger: Califet En Vol 6/4

➡️ Bet on SIXMILEBRIDGE for the Santa – “The Visit” “Chasing Excellence” Novices’ Chase with BetMGM

1:15 Catesby Estates Handicap Hurdle – 2m1f

Dan Skelton was quoted as saying that they were working back from the County Hurdle with Fortune De Mer, so this may be the last time we see him before the Cheltenham Festival. He’s sitting on a mark that would have seen him get into last season’s County Hurdle. So, how much more will they want to get added onto his mark before March?

French Emperor has returned this season as a much-improved performer with back-to-back wins, including here at the November meeting. He emerged from the darkness of November to pull away from Jack Hyde to record a comfortable success. For that win, French Emperor has been hit with a seven-pound rise in the weights, but given that his improvement shows no signs of stopping, he looks sure to be fighting out the finish now up in grade.

There are a few further down who could play a part at bigger odds. Melon would be more interesting if his stable was in better form, but he is one to keep on the right side of going forward. The one who looks worth taking a chance on is KEL DU LARGE.

He was a winner of a bumper here on New Year’s Day 2024 and followed that with a win on hurdles debut in a four-year-old hurdle at Hereford in February. However, that was the last time we saw him until last month. There were a lot of positives to take out of that run, even though he was turned over at 8/13. Having raced freely throughout, Kel Du Large seemed to take a blow two out but kept on well again after a mistake at the last hurdle.

You can expect him to come on plenty fitness-wise for that run, and given that he has won at this course in the past, he is worth siding with at an each-way price.

• Selection: Kel Du Large 8/1 (each way)
• Danger: French Emperor 5/2

➡️ Bet on KEL DU LARGE for the Catesby Estates Handicap Hurdle with Betway

1:50 Turners Handicap Chase – 3m2½f

All eyes will be on the classy L’Homme Presse as he makes his seasonal return. He must carry top weight, and he will need to be on his A-game to defy 162 on his return. Venetia Williams’ stable has been hinting that their prolific spell may be just around the corner, but even so, L’Homme Presse will find it hard to carry top weight here.

The Doyen Chief may have a ‘P’ next to his name, but he was one of many who were left floundering after the disastrous start in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury. Even though connections would have been left furious after the Newbury start, there is every chance that the Alan King eight-year-old could gain compensation here. He has only finished outside of the top three once in his seven chase starts, and that was the “pulled up at the start” effort at Newbury. A reproduction of his second to Deep Cave over slightly shorter will see him bang there.

But there was one who caught the eye of many after his runner-up finish over one furlong shorter back here in November, and that is HERAKLES WESTWOOD.

He has some good form around Cheltenham and found three miles six furlongs too far when seventh in the National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. A return to Cheltenham saw him show his best when a strong staying-on second to Hung Jury last month. The winner has since gone on to finish second in the London National at Sandown last week, giving the form a timely boost.

The step back up in distance will suit Herakles Westwood, and with the added assistance of Sean Bowen in the saddle, it’s easy to see him going one place better than last time out.

• Selection: Herakles Westwood 13/2 (each way)
• Danger: The Doyen Chief 9/2

➡️ Bet on HERAKLES WESTWOOD for the Turners Handicap Chase with SBK

2:25 Unibet Middle Distance Veterans’ Chase Series Handicap Chase – 2m4½f

The veterans’ chase series has become a real fan favorite over the years, and we have a strong lineup for this year’s renewal to look forward to.

Eldorado Allen ended nearly four years without a win, beating Mister Coffey comfortably on the old course last month. He should gain a lot of confidence from that win, but at the same time, he is not one to trust to back it up.

Fugitif’s jumping issues have always held him back, and he will need to be foot-perfect to play a major role. Le Milos is back on a mark that he is more than capable of winning off, but his last two efforts leave a lot to be desired.

However, the one who keeps catching my eye is last season’s runner-up COPPERHEAD. The Joe Tizzard eleven-year-old, who was a high-class performer in his younger days, took over four years to add to his two chase wins. But when he finally got his head back in front in May 2024, he found a new lease of life, winning four from his six starts.

He comes here on the back of a break, but he has already shown that he can win first time out. With the Tizzard yard having started well this season, there is every chance that Copperhead can add another veterans’ chase win to his bow off just 1lb higher than his last win. Torn And Frayed is a course and distance winner, and if he can keep his mistakes to a minimum, he is in the form to play a big part in the finish.

• Selection: Copperhead 8/1 (each way)
• Danger: Torn And Frayed 10/1

➡️ Bet on COPPERHEAD for the Unibet Middle Distance Veterans’ Chase Series Handicap Chase with bet365

3:00 Glenfarclas Crystal Cup Cross Country Handicap Chase – 3m5½f

The visual spectacle that is the cross-country chase at Cheltenham is a sight to behold. Thirty-one obstacles to navigate, over more than three and a half miles, with only one coming out on top.

Stumptown won last season’s renewal before going on to win the Festival equivalent, so it may be worth keeping a close eye on the finish here. There are plenty of questions to answer from the ones at the top of the market, so looking further down can pay dividends.

Latenightpass won this two years ago off a two-pound lower mark, but he needs to find his form again if he is to have any chance of regaining his crown. Busselton is a winner over the banks at Punchestown, but he has yet to shine when faced with the Cheltenham equivalent. His form figures over the Cheltenham cross-country course read 66P, which doesn’t fill you with confidence, especially considering his current odds. Mister Coffey will always find a way to lose, so he is easily overlooked for a win, and the French raider Iceo Madrik has shown enough quirks to put him in the “let him run” category.

That leads me on to last year’s winning stable, and FINAL ORDERS. This nine-year-old has had plenty of racing, but he is lightly raced in this discipline, having run only twice over the banks. His first run saw him just beaten just over two lengths at the Punchestown Festival, and he returned this season with a more than satisfactory third behind Desertmore House and The Goffer. Busselton was over eleven lengths behind the selection that day, and even though there is a six-pound swing in the weights in favour of Busselton, the Cromwell runner has more room for improvement on a track that should suit.

The Gavin Cromwell stable seems to be coming out of their bad patch of form, and should Final Orders be a beneficiary of the turn in stable form, he looks sure to play a major role at big odds. One to note is the Henry de Bromhead-trained Amirite, who would be a big player should he take to this unique test at the first time of asking.

• Selection: Final Orders 10/1 (each way)
• Danger: Amirite 10/1

➡️ Bet on FINAL ORDERS for the Glenfarclas Crystal Cup Cross Country Handicap Chase with BetMGM

3:35 Citipost Handicap Hurdle – 3m

A tricky finish to day one of Cheltenham’s December meeting, and a shock win wouldn’t be a surprise.

Long Draw took last year’s renewal, but he has returned this season with something to prove after two below-par runs. He’s now seventeen pounds higher than when taking this last season, and his customary flat spots have become a bigger issue this season. If he is to put up a stern defence of his title off top weight, he will need to be on his best behaviour.

Not many of the runners who stand in the way of Long Draw making it back-to-back wins in this race inspire confidence, bar two: Kyntara, whose Aintree fourth has been well franked, and LUCKY MANIFEST, who is in flying form, and the one to be with.

The five-year-old son of Lucky Speed continued his good form since leaving James Ewart’s care on the back of a win in May, and continued his winning form with a debut win for Tom Lacey (arrived in October) at Kelso. He was hit with a nine-pound rise for his Kelso win, but then only found one too good here at the November meeting. For his troubles, he has been given an extra five pounds for that runner-up finish in November, but he does look one to keep on the right side of, especially in a race of this quality.

Lucky Manifest is in receipt of a stone in weight off Long Draw, and should he continue to progress, Tom Lacey can claim a well-earned Cheltenham win.

• Selection: Lucky Manifest 4/1
• Danger: Kyntara 7/1

➡️ Bet on LUCKY MANIFEST for the Citipost Handicap Hurdle with bet365

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