The wait is over and the Cheltenham Festival is finally here. Four Grade 1 races take place on Day 1, and to celebrate the Greatest Show on Turf, Betfair are rewarding customers with a £10 Free Bet when you bet £10 worth of multiples on Tuesday’s racing.
Punters are required to Opt in and Bet £10 on UK & Irish Racing Multiples on Tuesday’s racing, 14th March 2023. The whole bet must have minimum odds of 2.0 (1/1) and you will be credited with your exclusive Sportsbook £10 Free bet after the qualifying bet(s) has settled. This Free Bet can then be used on Horse Racing Multiples, excluding Oddsboosts multiple. T&C’s apply.
Below we’ve taken a look at three favourites who we think will find themselves in the winner’s enclosure on Tuesday. The treble currently pays 7/1 and a £10 bet would trigger Betfair’s Day 1 offer meaning punters would bag themselves a £10 Free Bet. (The offer goes live on Monday 13th March, from 6 PM).
13:30 – Supreme Novices’ Hurdle – Facile Vega 2/1
The Supreme Novices’ Hurdle is the first race on the card at Prestbury Park and Willie Mullins, the trainer who has won this race more than any other, once again has the horse at the head of the market in Facile Vega.
After putting in a disappointing showing at the Dublin Racing Festival,where he was beaten by Il Etait Temps, Facile Vega drifted significantly in the Supreme market. However, we think that run can be forgiven and it’s well worth remembering that he beat Il Etait Temps by four lengths over Christmas.
A winner of the bumper at Cheltenham here last season by three lengths, Facile Vega can follow in the footsteps of other high class young Willie Mullins horses who have won this race such as Douvan, Vautour and Appreciate It.
15:30 – Champion Hurdle – Constitution Hill 1/3
The winner of the first race of the Festival in 2022, Nicky Henderson’s Constitution Hill is the odds-on favourite at 1/3 to win the Champion Hurdle at 15:30 on Tuesday. Nico de Boinville will once again be doing the steering for the Seven Barrows stable, on what is currently the shortest price on offer throughout the four day meeting.
A winner by an impressive 22 lengths over Jonbon in the Supreme last year, Constitution Hill has kicked on this year and shown some of his best performances when beating Epatante by 12 lengths in the Fighting Fifth, before a 17 length romping of the same horse in the Christmas Hurdle.
The Willie Mullins-trained State Man is the obvious danger in the seven-runner field after his showing when beating Honeysuckle and Vauban in the Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown. Ultimately though, de Boinville should ride Constitution Hill just off the pace and when he pulls alongside at the top of the hill, don’t be surprised to see him come swinging in and win by a considerable margin.
The final race on Day 1 of the Cheltenham Festival is the Grade 2 National Hunt Cup which is for amateur Jockeys. That man Willie Mullins once again saddles the favourite in Gaillard Du Mesnil, who is currently the Even money favourite.
The now seven-year-old was third at last year’s Festival when beaten by Ahoy Senor and L’Homme Presse in the Brown Advisory. He then followed that up with a strong third in the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse which provides some strong form if he can repeat that here.
Adding Gaillard Du Mesnil into a treble with both Facile Vega and and Constitution Hill pays around 7/1 with the Betfair Sportsbook and a £10 bet would bag customers a Free £10 Bet for Wednesday.
