Cheltenham Festival Day Two Tips

Day Two of the 2024 Cheltenham Festival Cheltenham Festival should be another excellent day of racing, with a further four Grade 1’s to get stuck into. The Racing Club Insider guides us through their tips for all seven races on day two of the festival. 

1.30pm – Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle

The Wednesday opener looks to be fairly straightforward this year, with BALLYBURN expected to win this comfortably. Master trainer Willie Mullins has won the last two renewals and he should be able to win again this year, considering he saddles five of the eight runners in the race! 

Ballyburn looks by far the best of his bunch, having bolted up in his last two races, and he looks impossible to oppose. He’s a short price though, so if you’re looking for an E/W option at a bigger price I’d go with his stablemate Mercurey, who cruised to victory last time out and could easily outrun his odds and chase his stablemate home.

TIP – BALLYBURN

2.10pm – Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase

This is an open race considering there is a short-priced favourite, but it is hard to get away from FACT TO FILE. The vibes coming out of the Mullins yard are extremely strong on him, and they feel he could be a future Gold Cup winner, so if he’s going to get to that level, you expect he will need to win this. 

Aside from his chase debut back in November, he’s looked a natural over fences, winning both other races in effortless fashion. He was the only one home last time out after Gaelic Warrior unseated Paul Townend, but the result was never in doubt anyway, with Fact To File in control of the race already. The only real danger will be Stay Away Fay, but he hasn’t quite looked as impressive over fences as he did over hurdles, so I’d happily take him on with Fact To File.

TIP – FACT TO FILE

2.50pm – Coral Cup

Five of the last eight renewals have gone the way of the Irish and I’m backing them to have the winner again this year, although with a different trainer to the usual suspects! BUILT BY BALLYMORE has run out an easy winner on his two runs over this trip this season and could prove tough to beat, especially if the ground remains on the softer side of things. 

He’s won his last two races by a combined 24 lengths, but his mark of 139 isn’t too harsh in my opinion. It’s worth noting that 14 of the last 15 winners had a rating of 138 or higher, so he fits that trend nicely and he also fits the trends for age, number of races that season and wearing headgear trends too. I think he’s a fairly solid option, with the chief danger being Sa Majeste for Willie Mullins, but I do feel that Built By Ballymore looks the most likely winner, so he gets the verdict!

TIP – BUILT BY BALLYMORE

3.30pm – Queen Mother Champion Chase

EL FABIOLO comfortably saw off Jonbon in the Arkle last year and having won all three races since, he should have the measure of his rival again and can make it a perfect 7/7 over fences. His win in the Dublin Chase last time out proved he was as good as ever, finishing over 14 lengths clear of Captain Guinness, who lines up again in here. 

He’s a short price so I will also give an each-way tip, which is Alan King’s Edwardstone. He was ultra impressive when winning the Game Spirit Chase at Newbury last time out and I’d fancy him to chase home El Fabiolo and Jonbon. 

TIP – EL FABIOLO

4.10pm – Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase

The Cross Country race is a race that Gordon Elliott has done notoriously well with, winning five of the last seven renewals, and although Delta Work has won the last two, I’d be tempted to side with his stable companion COKO BEACH. 

He comes into the race as the highest-rated horse in the line-up, and he made the perfect start to the cross-country fences when winning at Punchestown last month. He finished 17 lengths ahead of Fameaftertheglory and a huge 34 lengths ahead of Stattler that day, and I’m expecting him to go off much shorter than his current price of 4/1. I wouldn’t be surprised if he went off as favourite for this, although Delta Work and Minella Indo are obvious dangers.

TIP – COKO BEACH

4.50pm – Grand Annual Handicap Chase

This race is one it can often pay to side with one at bigger odds – 8 of the last 10 winners won at 10/1 or bigger, so I’m keen to side with one of the outsiders. The one I’ve come down on is SOLNESS for Joseph Patrick O’Brien, who should be able to reverse recent form with Madara and Path D’oroux. 

He was only beaten just over six lengths at Leopardstown by Madara, but he did make a couple of mistakes and pecked on landing once too, which didn’t help his cause. This time, he’s 10lbs better off with that rival and with a cleaner round of jumping I think he should easily be able to reverse that form. He’s a big price, but with bookies paying at least five places, I think he’s a fantastic each-way bet.

TIP – SOLNESS

5.30pm – Champion Bumper

Yet another race that has been dominated by Willie Mullins, who has won four of the last six renewals, and I’m backing him to win it again this year with YOU OUGHTA KNOW. He could only finish runner-up in the bumper at the Dublin Racing Festival (DRF), but the form of that race usually works extremely well in the context of this race. A Dream To Share won it in 2023 before winning the Champion Bumper, as did Facile Vega (2022) and Envoi Allen (2019). The winner of that race, Jeroboam Machin, isn’t entered in the Champion Bumper, so he looks a great option. 

Previously, he had won both of his bumpers, including a demolition job over the smart Croke Park, and his effort at the DRF was his best performance so far. He looks a good option to side with in a race that looks far more open than usual.

TIP – YOU OUGHTA KNOW

DAY ONE TIPS