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‘The World Cup of horse racing’ - day one
The Cheltenham Festival has been described as ‘The World Cup of horse racing’ and following 361 days of meticulous preparation from trainers, owners and jockeys their equine athletes arrive in the Cotswolds in peak physical condition, dreaming of making history at a four day jamboree which is jump racing’s annual showcase.
The meeting is famous for its Irish influence and despite only 10 thousand of each day’s 60,000-strong crowd coming from across the Irish Sea, it feels like the entire Emerald Isle has taken over the course and along with the very best horses and riders the Irish come thirsty, helping racegoers sink an estimated 265,000 pints of Guinness in total over the duration of the meeting.
It’s also make or break for the betting industry which will see a staggering £300m change hands during the busiest betting week of the year. In 2016 a string of hot favourites all won leaving the bookies to shell out a staggering £60m and the oddsmakers are still shuddering at the prospect of Cheltenham kings Ruby Walsh (jockey) and Willie Mullins (trainer) teaming up to be the toast of punters again.
The racing experts at www.bonuscodebets.co.uk will share the top tips and insight for every race of the meeting, while also helping you find the best odds and offers to beat the bookies.
Finally, wherever you’re following the action from, you won’t miss the famous ‘Cheltenham Roar’ that goes up as the runners set off for the first race, with the volume topping the 119 decibels generated by a Boeing 707 in take off.
Tips: 1.30 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle – 2 miles, 14 runners
This is a race for the very best up and coming horses and it’s a typically wide-open affair, although bookies are braced for an Irish gamble on hotly-touted Melon, trained by the master Willie Mullins and ridden by Ruby Walsh. The horse has just one run under his belt however, meaning the hustle and bustle of the big day might just get the better of him. One horse who is already proven at the big meeting is fellow favourite Ballyandy, a winner last year representing the top father and son team of Nigel and Sam Twiston-Davies. At longer odds, it may pay to take a chance each way on Crack Mome or Elgin, both of whom will enjoy the good ground set for racing thanks to the lack of rain overnight. A win for MELON would get the Irish off to a flying start, but it may pay to side with experience over promise in the shape of Ballyandy at around the 3/1 mark.
Ballyandy
Crack Mome
Elgin
