Cheltenham Festival 2020 Day One Preview

Cheltenham Festival 2020 Day One Preview - a look at the big races each day of the Cheltenham Festival 2020 with odds from SBK.

13:30 - Supreme Novices' Hurdle

Market leaders Asterion Forlonge and Shishkin look like superstars in waiting, but both may lack the experience for this test. Gordon Elliott’s Abacadabras is preferred at around 7/1 – beaten only once this season by Ballymore favourite Envoi Allen. Fiddlerontheroof and Chantry House can follow him home.

1. Abacadabras – 7/1
2. Fiddlerontheroof – 15/2
3. Chantry House – 15/2

14:10 - Arkle Novices' Chase

 Willie Mullins has won four of the last five renewals but it’s hard to see his Cash Back turning the form around from his last run against market leader Notebook. Henry De Bromhead’s runner is far from a certainty though and it might be worth chancing recent Kingmaker winner Rouge Vif, who clearly didn’t give his running here in November. 

1. Rouge Vif – 16/1
2. Notebook – 3/1
3. Cash Back – 7/1

15:30 - Champion Hurdle

With many of the market leaders re-routed, this could fall to last year’s winning trainer Gavin Cromwell, with his runner Darver Star. A repeat of his efforts in the Royal Bond and Irish Champion Hurdle would likely be good enough to win this. The supplemented Cilaos Emery is also of interest while Nicky Henderson’s Epatante is passed over following recent reports of her coughing. 

1. Darver Star – 12/1
2. Cilaos Emery – 8/1
3. Pentland Hills – 6/1

16:10 - Mares' Hurdle

Arguably the race of the day with the last three winners lining up, however this will almost certainly be decided by Benie Des Dieux or Honeysuckle, with the latter just preferred. Dan Skelton’s Roksana can fill the places. 

1. Honeysuckle – 3/1
2. Benie Des Dieux – 4/6
3. Roksana – 22/1

All prices correct at time of publication