THERE’S no time to reflect on yesterday’s action as we look ahead to day two of the Cheltenham Festival, but will today finally be the day of reckoning for Jonbon in the Queen Mother Champion Chase?
Seven races, four Grade 1s, let’s go.
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Best bets for day two of Cheltenham Festival
- THE YELLOW CLAY Turners Novices’ Hurdle – 6/1 each way with Spreadex
- DANCING CITY Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase – 4/1 with SBK
- BECKETT ROCK Coral Cup – 28/1 each way with BetVictor
- VANILLIER Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase – 7/1 each way with talkSPORT BET
- SOLNESS BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase – 8/1 each way with bet365
- JAZZY MATTY Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase – 9/1 each way with BoyleSports
- KALYPSO’CHANCE Weatherbys Champion Bumper – 6/1 each way with TonyBet
Cheltenham 1:20 Grade 1 Turners Novices’ Hurdle – 2m5f (4yo+) (Old Course)
- Selection: The Yellow Clay 6/1 (e/w)
- Danger: Final Demand 15/8
We kick off day two of the Cheltenham Festival with possibly the race of the day as Final Demand, The New Lion, and The Yellow Clay go head to head.
The New Lion has been impressive in all his wins to date, but he comes here with the dreaded Challow Hurdle hoodoo over his head. Challow Hurdle winners are 0-21 in the Turners Novices Hurdle, and even though he has been impressive, that is a standout stat. The form of that race isn’t working out all that well, and he has yet to face a real battle and come off the bridle, which he will have to do today. So at the prices, he has to be taken on.
Final Demand couldn’t have been more impressive when winning the Grade 1 Nathaniel Lacy Novice Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival, beating Wingmen by 12 lengths. He is given the highest respect, but his form with Wingmen ties in with the unbeaten THE YELLOW CLAY. He is coming here on the back of an equally impressive win in the Grade 1 Lawlors Of Naas Novice Hurdle and set a high standard himself.
The Gordon Elliott-trained gelding is 4/4 over hurdles and looks tailor-made for a test like this. There was talk of him running in the 3m Albert Bartlett on Friday, but for me, this is the ideal race for him.
He travels within himself, jumps well, and can pick up and stay strong off a pace. His current price underestimates his chances here, and he can prove hard to beat.
From an outsider’s point of view, Kappa Jy Pyke looks like a horse who is firmly on the up after winning his maiden after his below-par run on his first start for Willie Mullins when bolting up at Punchestown.
Bet on THE YELLOW CLAY for the Grade 1 Turners Novices’ Hurdle with Spreadex
Cheltenham 2:00 Grade 1 Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase – 3m½f (5yo+) (Old Course)
- Selection: Dancing City 4/1
- Danger: Ballyburn 11/10
Last season’s impressive Turners Novices Hurdle winner Ballyburn sits as the short-price favourite to make it back-to-back wins at the Cheltenham Festival, but he does have a few questions to answer.
For me, his jumping is an issue. We saw that come to the fore at Kempton when he made a horrible mistake at the last when he was well beaten by Sir Gino over 2m. He’s not brave at his fences and can be overly careful getting from A to B. He also tends to over-race, which is not ideal when tackling 3m+ for the first time. For all his talent, he is there to be taken on, and take him on I will, with his stablemate DANCING CITY.
This three-time Grade 1 novice hurdle winner has the perfect profile for the demands of a race like this. He never over-exerts himself and only does what he has to do to win, so you will never get a double-digit winning margin with Dancing City.
He is a horse that will improve as the season goes on, just as he did last season. And if he jumps the last upside Ballyburn, it’s easy to see Dancing City have too much stamina for his stablemate up the gruelling Cheltenham Hill.
One who could be a fly in the ointment is Henry de Bromheads, Gorgeous Tom. He was a fast finishing 4th, beaten just 1 length in the Grade 1 Drinmore Novice Chase over 2m4f. Going on that, the step up to 3m will suit him, and he looks like a good each-way option.
Bet on DANCING CITY for the Grade 1 Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase with SBK
Cheltenham 2:40 Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle – 2m5f (4yo+) (Old Course)
- Selection: Beckett Rock 28/1 (e/w)
- Danger: Jimmy Du Seuil 14/1 (e/w)
Be Aware has been the go-to horse for the Coral Cup for the past few weeks, but he looks too short in the betting now for a race of this nature.
Ballyadam is a horse who always runs well at the Cheltenham Festival and was 2nd in this race off a 4lb lower mark last season. He will run his race, but he would become more interesting if the ground were to soften.
The Willie Mullins-trained Jimmy Du Seuil hasn’t been seen since finishing a well-beaten 5th behind Ballyburn at last season’s Punchestown Festival, but off a mark of 145, there could be some room for improvement with him.
The one that I am going to side with is BECKETT ROCK. The Henry de Bromhead 6-year-old has been making up for lost time this season, and even though he got the better of Bunting at Clonmel in January, Beckett Rock ran his best race to date when a strong staying on 2nd over 2m4f at Fairyhouse last month. The UK handicapper has given him 2 lb more than his Irish mark, and this lightly raced 6-year-old could be much better than his mark given that the step up in trip is likely to unlock some more improvement.
If Classic King were to get in (first reserve), he would have a big each-way chance. He is a character, and a race like this is something that he would relish.
Bet on BECKETT ROCK for the Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle with BetVictor
Cheltenham 3:20 Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase – 3m5½f (5yo+) (X-Country)
- Selection: Vanillier 7/1 (e/w)
- Danger: Stumptown 5/2
The cross-country chase is a race that you either love or loathe. I, for one, am a big fan of these races, and now that this has reverted back into a handicap, it has made the race even more interesting.
Stumptown has turned himself into a cross-country specialist and has won his last three starts over the banks, including a cheeky win over course and distance last time. But the handicapper has had his say and put him up 8 lbs for that win. It may not be enough to stop him, but I want to take a chance that his stablemate, former Grade 1 Albert Bartlett winner and Grand National 2nd, VANILLIER can get the better of him.
It’s fair to say that Vanillier has his own way of doing things, but when he decides to put it all together, he becomes a very talented gelding. He has been well beaten by Stumptown when they met at Punchestown and Cheltenham this season, but the application of blinkers seemed to flick a switch in Vanillier last time out when dominating a Punchestown banks race, beating Coco Beach by 18 lengths.
If the blinkers have the desired effect once again, there is every reason to believe that this former Grade 1 winner can make the most of the 10 lbs he gets off Stumptown and record his second Cheltenham Festival win.
Top weight Galvin is the clear class angle in the race, and if the ground stays on the good side, this 11-year-old could roll back the years and play a major role.
Bet on VANILLIER for the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase with talkSPORT BET
Cheltenham 4:00 Grade 1 BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase – 2m (5yo+) (Old Course)
- Selection: Solness 8/1 (e/w)
- Danger: Jonbon 10/11
Considered by many to be the banker of the week, this race is Jonbon’s to lose. But it’s no coincidence that his three career defeats have come at Cheltenham.
For all his brilliance away from Cheltenham, he has proven to be at his most vulnerable when he steps foot on this track.
Though his task has been made easier by the defection of Gaelic Warrior and Il Est Francais to the Ryanair Chase on Thursday, there is still that lingering feeling that Jonbon will somehow manage to throw this away.
The defending champion, Captain Guinness, has looked like a shell of the horse that took this race last season, but if he were to bounce back to form, he could play a part in the finish. But the one that has been overlooked here is SOLNESS.
Yes, Solness was well beaten by Jonbon at Sandown in the Tingle Creek, but he made a bad mistake at the first, and it had him on the back foot from there on out. But he looked a different proposition the last two times when dominating his rivals from the front at Leopardstown to win back-to-back Grade 1s, easily beating Gaelic Warrior at Christmas and then going on to comfortably hold off Marine Nationale by 2 lengths at the Dublin Racing Festival.
Now that Il Est Francais is not in the picture, there is every chance that J J Slevin can get a clear early lead on Solness. If he can get into the rhythm that saw him win back-to-back Grade 1s, then his rivals may not be able to reel him in.
Two-time winner Energumene is not out of this but would prefer it if the ground were softer.
Bet on SOLNESS for the Grade 1 BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase with bet365
Cheltenham 4:40 Debenhams Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase – 2m (5yo+) (Old Course)
- Selection: Jazzy Matty 9/1 (e/w)
- Danger: Unexpected Party 6/1 (e/w)
Unexpected Party can be expected to put up his best performance of the season off a 6 lbs higher mark than when taking this race last season, and if he can, he will be bang there once again.
The Gavin Cromwell-trained My Mate Mozzie has constantly threatened to run a race of this nature. With the likely good to soft ground a massive plus for him, he can be expected to go close here.
Now that JPR One has taken up his engagement here rather than in the Champion Chase, he has kept the weights down for his rivals, and one of the main beneficiaries of that is former Fred Winter winner JAZZY MATTY.
Formerly trained by Gordon Elliott and now in the care of Cian Collins, Jazzy Matty has rediscovered his form for new connections, winning twice and finishing in the runner-up spot twice, including a head defeat over course and distance off just a 2 lb lower mark.
He has a nice profile for this race, and the horse that gave the late Michael O’Sullivan his last win at the Cheltenham Festival can bring back floods of memories in what would be an emotional win for all connected with Jazzy Matty.
Cheltenham 5:20 Grade 1 Weatherbys Champion Bumper – 2m½f (4-6yo) (Old Course)
- Selection: Kalypso’chance 6/1 (e/w)
- Danger: He Can’t Dance 33/1
The last race on day two of the Cheltenham Festival sees the best bumper horse square off in what is a lottery.
Only two of the past 14 winners had run in just one bumper, so that is not a great stat for supporters of favourite Copacabana and Gameofinches. They are two of five runners for Willie Mullins, and their best chance could lay with mare and Dublin Race Festival winner Bambino Fever. But, KALYPSO’CHANCE is the one I want to be on the side of.
The Gordon Elliott-trained 5-year-old is unbeaten in two bumpers and doing it well on both occasions. With Jack Kennedy onboard, expect this son of Masked Marvel to be bang there when it matters.
His stablemate He Can’t Dance is not out of it at a massive price. The race was not run to suit at Leopardstown, and with a guaranteed stronger pace here, he has every chance of picking up minor honours.
Bet on KALYPSO’CHANCE for the Grade 1 Weatherbys Champion Bumper with TonyBet
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About the author
James Anderson
James Anderson is a Betting & Gaming Writer at The Sun. He is an expert in sports betting and online casinos, and joined the company in November 2020 to work closely with leading bookmakers and online gaming companies to curate content in all areas of sports betting. He previously worked as a Digital Sports Reporter and Head of Live Blogs/Events at the Daily Express and Daily Star, covering football, cricket, snooker, F1 and horse racing.
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