Cheltenham Festival Day One Best Bets: Irish Eyes Smiling?
This coming Tuesday is just about the most anticipated day of the year for National Hunt racing fans as the biggest event in the sport goes under starters orders. We are of course speaking of the magnificent Cheltenham Festival which is set to light up Prestbury Park once more.
A golden meeting for the Irish twelve months ago, the raiders from the Emerald Isle kicked things off in style with five wins on the opening day. And hopefully, we may be in for more of the same this time around, as it is a quartet of Irish based runners who catch our eye on Day One.
Champion Hurdle: Honey in the Money
Turning first to the feature, and it’s hard to argue with the market in making defending champion Honeysuckle the clear favourite to defend her crown. The most popular mare in training, she was 6½l too good for the field 12 months ago and warmed up for this with a 6½l romp in the Irish version of this race at Leopardstown. Looking as well as ever that day, and now unbeaten in 14 career starts, the Henry de Bromhead star looks tough to beat.
Having won the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in such spectacular style in 2021, the Willie Mullins trained Appreciate It looks the most obvious danger to the favourite. However, a better value each way bet may be to take a punt on the rapidly improving, Teahupoo, from the yard of Gordon Elliott. One of the young guns in the field at just five years of age, the son of Masked Marvel is a perfect three from three this term and has already accounted for last year’s Triumph Hurdle winner, Quilixios, on three separate occasions. This demands more but he looks up to hitting the frame.
- Honeysuckle to Win at 4/7 with William Hill
- Teahupoo Each Way at 8/1 with Betfred
Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle: Telme Another One?
Returning to the yard of Henry de Bromhead, our next bet comes in the opening mares only contest of the meeting, and we will once again be siding with a mare who had her name up in lights here in 2021. Storming up the hill to slam the Mare’s Novice Hurdle field by 5½l last year, Telmesomethinggirl has failed to win in two starts this term, but took a big step back in the right direction when staying on third at Leopardstown back in December. Kept off the track since, she can be expected to arrive in peak condition for what is undoubtedly her major target of the season, and is fancied to prove tough to repel in the closing stages.
- Telmesomethinggirl to Win at 11/4 with William Hill
Ukraine Appeal National Hunt Challenge Cup: Stat Attack
Multiple Irish Champion Trainer Willie Mullins has taken this staying chase twice in the past nine years and looks to have a prime candidate once again in the shape of Stattler. Only once finishing outside the first three over hurdles, on the early evidence this seven-year-old already looks a significantly better chaser. A perfect two from two over the larger obstacles, he showed stamina to be his strong suit when seeing off the highly regarded Farouk D’alene at Leopardstown last time out and looks the sort to be well suited by this test. Owner Ronnie Bartlett landed this twelve months ago with Galvin, and we like his chances of getting his hands on the prize once more with this tough son of Stowaway.
- Stattler to win at 11/4 with Betfred
Top 20 Betting Offers
|
*New UK customers only. Min Stake: £5. Maximum Free Bet: £30. First bet on a Football, Horse Racing, Tennis, Cricket or Basketball multiple with 3+ selections. Overall odds: 3.00 (2/1) or higher. Free Bets available upon settlement of the qualifying bet. Earn a £30 Uber Eats Voucher on successful Acca qualification. Debit Card deposit only (exclusions apply). This offer is valid 7 days from the new account being registered. 18+ GambleAware.org. Bet the Responsible Way. Full Terms apply |
|||||
|
New customers online only. Valid with code B10G50 on registration. Bet min £/€10 at odds of 1/1 (2.0) or greater across sports or racing (if EW then min £/€10 Win + £/€10 Place) within 7 days of registration. Receive £/€20 Tote Credit, £/€10 Sports Bet, 2 x £/€5 Sports Acca and 50 Free Spins. 7-day expiry. Qualifying bet is the first racing pool or sports bet added to the bet-slip. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. Gambleaware.org. |
|||||
|
18+ New customers only. Opt in and bet up to £40 (min. £20) via mobile or app on any football (odds 1/1+) within 7 days of registration. Get up to £40 in free bets on selected markets, which expire in 7 days. T&Cs apply, see below. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly |
|||||
|
18+ New Customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. 1st Deposit & Bet £/€10+ at min odds 1/2 on Sports within 14 days of account reg & Get 4x £10 Free Bets (selected sportsbook markets only, valid 7 days) Max 1 Free Bet per player. Restrictions + T&Cs apply. |
|||||
|
New customers only. 7 days to place qualifying bet of £10 at 1/1 (2.0) to receive 4 x £10 Free Bets: 1 x £10 football, 1 x £10 horse racing & 2 x £10 Bet Builders. Free Bets cannot be used on e-sports and non UK/IE horse racing. 7 day expiry. Exclusions apply. Stake not returned. 18+. T&Cs apply. |
|||||
|
New customers only. Register, deposit with Debit Card, and place first bet £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days to get 3 x £10 in Sports Free Bets & 2 x £10 in Acca Free Bets within 10 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility exclusions & T&Cs Apply. |
|||||
|
18+. BeGambleAware.org. New GB customers only. Min £10 debit card deposit. Place a £10+ bet at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days. Opt in for £20 sports free bet and £20 Casino Bonus. Valid for 7 days. Geographical restrictions and T&C’s apply. #AD |
|||||
|
18+. New customers only. Deposit and place first bet of £20 or more at min odds Evens (2.0). Get £20 in Free Bets credited as x1 £10 Free Bet and x2 £5 Bet Builder Free BetsT&Cs Apply. Please gamble responsibly. |
|||||
|
18+ New customers only. Min deposit £20. Min Wager £20 at min odds 1/1 (2.0). Max free bet £20. T&Cs apply begambleaware. |
|||||
|
18+ New customers only. Place a £5+ bet at minimum odds of 1/1 (2.0) within 14 days of sign-up. Get £25 in Free Sports Bets + 50 Free Spins (valued at £0.10 each), valid for 7 days on selected bets and games. Free stake not returned with winnings. T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org |
|||||
|
#AD | Welcome bonus for new players only | Maximum bonus is 100% up to £100 | Min. deposit is £10 | No max cash out | Wagering is 40x bonus | Maximum bet with an active bonus is £5 | Eligibility is restricted for suspected abuse | Skrill & Neteller deposits excluded for welcome bonus | Cashback when offered, applies to deposits where no bonus is included | Cashback is cash with no restrictions | T&C's apply |Free bet: Min odds: 2.0 - Free bet value will be deducted from free bet winnings | 18+ | BeGambleAware.org | Gambling is addictive, please gamble responsibly! |
|||||
|
*New members only. £10+ bet on sportsbook (ex. virtuals) at 1.5 min odds, settled within 14 days. Free Bets: accept in 7 days, valid 7 days on sportsbook only. 2x£5 Free Bets for Bet Builder only. Stake not returned. T&Cs + deposit exclusions apply. Bet Responsibly. GambleAware.org. 18+ |
|||||
|
18+. New UK & ROI customers only . Certain deposit methods & bet types excl . Min first £10 win or E/W bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 & get 4 x £10 free bets . Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. No cashout, restrictions + T&C apply |
|||||
|
New bettors; Code SPORT; Wager deposit & bonus 8x; Max qualifying bet stake=initial bonus; Valid 60 days; Min odds, payment method exclusions apply; New customers only. T&C apply; 18+ Please gamble responsibly. |
|||||
|
18+. Play Safe. Online only. For new UK register customers using promo code G40. Deposit & place £10 cash single bet (min odds 1/2) on sportsbook (excl. Virtuals). Get £40 in Free Bets (4x£10), valid for sportsbook (excl. Virtuals), 7 days expiry, must use in full (£10 each). Not valid with deposits via PayPal, Neosurf, Paysafe, Apple Pay, NETELLER, Skrill, ecoPayz, Kalibra/Postpay or WH PLUS Card. One per customer. Full T&Cs apply. www.gambleaware.org #ad |
|||||
|
18+. BeGambleAware.org. New customers only. Min. £10 deposit, debit card only. Up to 50x wagering, game contributions vary, max. stake applies, 7 day expiry. See full terms. #AD |
|||||
|
New customers place a £10 fixed odds bet at minimum odds of 1/2. Get 2 x £10 free bets. 18+ begambleaware |
|||||
|
18+ | New Customers Only | Promo Code: WELCOME10 | Place a single £10 bet within 3 calendar days of registration. Bet must settle on the same day of placement | Min odds Evens (2.00) | Get 2 x £5 UK/Irish Horse Racing Free Bets + 2 x £5 Football Free Bets | Free Bets valid for 7 days | Max win £250 | T&Cs apply | GB residents only | Gamble responsibly |
|||||
|
New Customers use code EPL10. Deposit £10 and place a bet of £10 on any Premier League Outrights 2025/26 market at minimum odds of 2.0. Free Bet credited within 24 hours and must be wagered on English Premier League markets only. Full Terms apply. Bangers N'Cash rewards are a separate promotional scheme and must be opted into during the weekly promotional period via the BetWright Rewards Section. 18+ begambleaware. |
|||||
|
T&Cs apply. 18+ New customers only. You must place a single win-only bet of £10 or more with odds of evens (2.00) or greater to qualify. Money back as £10 in free bets. Free bet is credited the day after the qualifying bet has settled. Must use code B10G10 when creating an account. |
