Cheltenham Festival Day 1

The first day of the Cheltenham Festival is known as Champions Day. In this Cheltenham Festival Day One Guide, you will learn everything you need to know from the latest news, tips, stats and information on all the Day 1 action from Cheltenham Racecourse.

The official date of day one of the Cheltenham 2023 Festival is Tuesday 14th March.

This first day, is the first of four days of top-class racing, starting on a Tuesday and finishing on Friday.

The opening day showcases the Grade 1 Champion Hurdle which is a fiercely contested 2m hurdling race for the best hurdlers in the world. Other major races on the first day include the Grade 1 Arkle Trophy and the Grade 1 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

It also sees the start of the British and horses Irish runners competing against each other in The Prestbury Cup annual challenge.

Find out more about the first day of racing at the Cheltenham Festival:

Cheltenham Festival Day One Racecards

Here are the following races competed on day one of the Cheltenham Festival, Tuesday 14th March 2023:

13:30 The Skybet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle

The curtain-raiser of the Festival is the Grade 1 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, there are eight hurdles to jump during the race, which is 2 miles and 12 furlongs long.

The opening race always draws huge loud cheers from the horse racing fans – known as the “Cheltenham roar”.

Cheltenham 13.30 Tips – The Skybet Supreme Novice Hurdle

Trainer Barry Connell will saddle the unbeaten Marine National in a bid to land the first race of the meeting. He has won all 4 of his races to date. On his latest outing he travelled strongly and made smooth headway, a mistake at the last almost cost him the race but he picked up well to head Irish Point at the post. Barry Connell has been very confident of his chances with the talented jockey Michael O’Sullivan in the saddle. In fact Barry Connell has tipped himself to win both opening races and bullish on his chances in the first race on the second day of the Cheltenham Festival.

He is sure to be dangerous but the selection is FACILE VEGA  for the Willie Mullins camp, he had won 6 races on the spin before a lacklustre effort last time out.

Jockey Paul Townsend came under some scrutiny for blazing an electric but virtually impossible pace to maintain at Leopardstown, eventually finishing a remote last of the finishers.

He will certainly have learned from that outing and is taken to regain winning ways here. Impaire Et Passe, another from the Mullins contingency is unbeaten in his 3 starts to date proving his 18 lengths maiden success was no fluke when landing a grade 2 event next time out. This would represent another step up in grade though.

• Cheltenham 13.30 NAP – FACILE VEGA
• Cheltenham 13.30 NB – MARINE NATIONAL
• Cheltenham 13.30 Long Shot – IMPARE ET PASSE

The online bookmakers that currently have FACILE VEGA 10/3 best odds are:

• UNIBET – Supreme Novices Hurdle odds – Get Cheltenham Free Bet Offer at Unibet

14:10 Arkle Challenge Trophy

The Arkle Challenge Trophy is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase for horses aged five and above. It is run over a distance of2 miles on the Old Course and there are 13 fences to jump during the race. It is always one of the most thrilling and eagerly anticipated races of the festival.

Cheltenham 14.10 Tips – The Arkle Chase

An intriguing race on the cards and the selection is the Nicky Henderson trained JONBON who has made an excellent start to his chasing career winning all 3 of his races in devastating fashion.

He was long odds on last time out when landing a Grade 2 event in a fast time. El Fabiolo looks sure to go well for the Willie Mullins camp and also boasts an unbeaten chase record.

He won a beginners chase in a hack cantor before landing the Irish equivalent of this race beating the talented Banbridge and Appreciate It in the process. The latter will be looking to reverse that form here.

• Cheltenham 14.10 NAP – JONBON
• Cheltenham 14.10 NB – El Fabiolo
• Cheltenham 14.10 Long Shot – APPRECIATE IT

The online betting brands that currently have JONBON 7-4 best odds are:

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14:50 Ultima Handicap Chase

The Ultima Handicap Chase is a Grade 3 National Hunt steeplechase for horses aged 5 and over. It is run a distance of around 3 miles and 1 furlong on the Old Course at Cheltenham, and there are twenty obstacles to jump during the race.

As always a very big and competitive field is set to line up. Plenty of horses are in with chances none more so than the ultra-consistent Into Overdrive for Mark Walford.

He is on an upward curve and has turned out to be a much better chaser than hurdler winning 5 of his last 6 starts, the latest a competitive Grade 3 handicap at Wetherby.

Lord Accord is a course and distance winner who warmed up nicely for this with a recent hurdle outing whilst Nassalam and The Goffer also make the shortlist.

However, it’s the Tizzard representative OSCAR ELITE who makes most appeal. He bounced back to form when taking a Grade 2 event over 3 miles at Ascot easily beating Bold Endeavor and looks to have got off lightly with only a 4lb rise.

Cheltenham 14.50 Tips – The Ultima Chase

The third race of the meeting at 2:50 pm is the Ultima Handicap Chase. A race where novices have a strong record.

• Cheltenham 14.50 NAP – OSCAR ELITE
• Cheltenham 14.50 NB – INTO OVERDRIVE
• Cheltenham 14.50 Long Shot -THE GOFFER

The online betting websites that currently have OSCAR ELITE 12-1 highest odds are:

•  LADBROKES Ultima Handicap Chase – Get Ladbrokes Best Odds Guaranteed

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15:30 Champion Hurdle (the feature race)

The fourth race of the meeting at 3:30 pm is the Cheltenham Champion Hurdle where the best hurdlers lock horns on the biggest stage. This is the feature race on the opening day. It is run a distance of 2 miles and 12 furlongs on the Old Course, and there are eight hurdles to leap during the race.

For a full guide on the Champion Hurdle, or the Unibet Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy to give it its full name, check out our review page.

Cheltenham 15.30 Tips – The Unibet Champion Hurdle

The big race of the day and I am looking forward to seeing the breathtaking CONSTITUTION HILL taking on the best hurdlers around. He has crucial course form, winning last year’s Supreme Hurdle by an incredible margin.

The Nicky Henderson trained superstar went on to win 4 Grade 1 races on the trot, the latest being the Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle beating Epatane by a whopping 17 lengths.

The Irish contingency will be desperate to land this and may well look towards State Man as their main hope for victory another who boasts Cheltenham form.

He is going from strength to strength and notched his 6th success on the bounce and a 4th Grade 1 on the spin when easily accounting for Flame Bearer last time out.

Another Irish challenge could come the way of Vauban who will be looking to pick up any pieces and will be hoping there are some chinks in the armour of the selection.

• Cheltenham 15.30 NAP – CONSTITUTION HILL
• Cheltenham 15.30 NB – STATE MAN
• Cheltenham 15.30 Long Shot – VAUBAN

The biggest online betting brand that currently has CONSTITUTION HILL 1-3 best odds are:

• PADDYPOWER
• SKY BET
• BETFAIR
• UNIBET

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16:10 David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle

The David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle, now known as the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle for sponsorship reasons, is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle event for mares aged four years and above. It is run a distance of around 2 miles and 4 furlongs on the Old Course, and there are 10 hurdles to leap during the race.

Cheltenham 16.10 Tips – The Mares Hurdle

Fans’ favourite Honeysuckle is sure to have plenty of admirers here and this could very well be her last race before heading for retirement. Trainer Henry De Bromhead will be desperate to bow out on a high for all connections.

Although running consistently well all season she doesn’t quite seem the force of old though and a chance is taken on Willie Mullins’ BRANDY LOVE. Although being a quirky type and having no course form to date the key to this horse is a left-handed track, which the mare gets here.

If the selection can put her best foot forward she could well take some serious stopping. The option of reaching for the hood in recent outings has also helped to settle better during the races. Harry Fry saddles Love Envoi her form should not be underestimated.

• Cheltenham 16.10 NAP – BRANDY LOVE
• Cheltenham 16.10 NB – HONEYSUCKLE
• Cheltenham 16.10 Long Shot – LOVE ENVOI

The betting websites that currently have BRANDY LOVE 8-1 best odds are:

• UNIBET
• BOYLE SPORTS

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16:50 BOODLES/ Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle

The Fred Winter Juvenile Novices’ Handicap Hurdle, also known as the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle for sponsorship purposes, is a Grade 3 National Hunt hurdle competition for horses aged four years. It covers a distance of around 2 miles and 12 furlongs, with eight hurdles to overcome along the way.

These are the youngest horses that can compete over jumps and it is often a tricky race to predict. The race is normally run at break-neck speed, so accurate jumping, stamina and guys are normally required to win.

Cheltenham 16.50 Tips – BOODLES/Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle

The second handicap of the day and another extremely competitive affair. Willie Mullins has a few in the lineup but it is TEKAU who looks the most likely of his contingency. He won an 18 runner maiden at Leopardstown and followed up that performance with a fine 3rd in a Grade 1 at the Dublin Festival.

Andrew Slattery saddles Sir Allen who was an average flat horse but has taken to hurdling like a duck to water winning a 20-runner maiden a Punchestown and then backing that performance up with an impressive victory at Naas with the well-fancied Byker back in 3rd.

Bo Zenith trained by Gary Moore is obviously held in very high regard. He was sent off at longs odds on his hurdling debut but things didn’t go to plan and was subsequently well beaten.

There was more market support on his second outing at Haydock and was once again sent off as clear favourite but on this occasion he truly obliged. There looks to be plenty of scope for improvement.

Our Cheltenham 16.50 Tips is to wager on

• Cheltenham 16.50 NAP –TEKAU
• Cheltenham 16.50 NB -BYKER
• Cheltenham 16.50 Long Shot -SIR ALLEN

The online betting brands that currently have TEKAU 5-1 best odds are:

• PADDYPOWER
• UNIBET

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17:30 National Hunt Chase – (Registered as National Hunt Challenge Cup)

The last race on the first day of the Cheltenham Festival meeting at 5:30 pm is the National Hunt Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys’ Novices’ Chase, a Grade 2 steeplechase for amateur riders on horses that are five years old or above. It is run over a distance of approximately 3 miles and 6 furlongs, with 23 hurdles to be jumped along the way.

Cheltenham 17.30 Tips – The National Hunt Cup

Willie Mullins doesn’t just seem to hold the cards here he seems to hold the aces! GAILLARD DU MENSIL is a clear pick of these at the ratings. Competing in top Grade 1 events this season and this represents a substantial drop in class.

He also ran a fantastic race in the Irish National to finish 3rd proving he can see the trip out well. Inferior stablemate Ramillies will be looking to chase the selection home after a fine and consistent start to the season whilst the Gordon Elliot trained Chemical Energy will be looking to put his previous lacklustre effort behind him and fill the place.

• 5.30 NAP- GAILLARD DU MENSIL
• 5.30 NB- Minella Crooner
• 5.30 Long Shot- Chemical Energy

The online betting brands that currently have Gaillard du Mensil 1-1 best odds for the National Hunt Challenge cup are:

• WILLIAM HILL
• PADDYPOWER
• SKY BET

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Cheltenham Festival Day One Tips – 14th March 2023

Here are the betting tips for Day One of the Cheltenham Festival 2023.

• Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) – FACILE VEGA
• Arkle Challenge Trophy (Grade 1) – JONBON
• Ultima Handicap Chase (Grade 3) – OSCAR ELITE
• Champion Hurdle (Grade 1) –  CONSTITUTION HILL
• Mares’ Hurdle (Grade 1) – BRANDY LOVE
• Close Brothers Novices’ Handicap Chase (Listed) – TEKAU
• National Hunt Chase (Grade 2) – GAILLARD DU MENSIL

Check our Cheltenham tips for all the other days as well!

If you are looking to bet on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival make sure you check out any Cheltenham Festival free bets and sign-up offers, you can see these on our Cheltenham Free Bets page.

If you are looking for Cheltenham tipsters on which horses to wager there is no better source of information than the trainers direct. Check what the trainers have to say about their horses running on the first day of the Cheltenham Festival.

• Henry De Bromhead Cheltenham Best Selections on the First Day
• Paul Nicholls Cheltenham Best Selections on the First Day
• Willie Mullins Cheltenham Best Selections on the First Day
• Nicky Henderson Cheltenham Best Selections on the First Day
• Gordon Elliott Cheltenham Best Selections on the First Day
• Dan Skelton Cheltenham Best Selections on the First Day

Champions Day Cheltenham 2023 Tickets

Day One kicks off The Cheltenham Festival with Champion Day.

With seven races, including the Unibet Champion Hurdle, the tickets for opening day sell quickly and it is advised that you purchase in advance.

The best place to purchase tickets for Champions Day is from here.

Cheltenham Favourites for Day 1 Racing

Many punters are looking for the runners and favourites at Cheltenham today and for the whole Festival week.

If you are a favourite backer you will want to check out our guide to the amount of Starting Price favourites to win at the Cheltenham Festival.

Here are the current Cheltenham Favourites for Tuesday 14th March (1st Day of the Festival):

• 1:30 –FACILE VEGA
• 2:10 –EL FABIOLO
• 2:50 –NASSALAM
• 3:30 –CONSTITUTION HILL
• 4:10 –HONEYSUCKLE
• 4:50 –TEKAU
• 5:30 –GAILLARD DU MENSIL

The first race at Cheltenham today is 1:30pm and the last race at Cheltenham today is 5:30pm.

Of the Cheltenham Favourites today the main bankers for punters in Acca bets would be Honeysuckle and Edwardstone.

Betting on Cheltenham Festival Day 1

Cheltenham Day 1 Free Bets And Betting Offers are out in force for the opening Champions Day at 2023 Cheltenham Festival.

If you are looking to bet on the first day of Cheltenham check out these great deals by some great bookies:

Many have some great offers for new customers at the moment, they all have wide sportsbook market betting options (not just racing), so they can be used for all your sports betting needs as well as having great horse racing market betting. Please always bet responsibly.

Other Cheltenham Festival Days Out

If you are looking for information on the other Cheltenham Festival days and Cheltenham racecourse in general, check out our guides to the races, tips, odds history and more info, on the Cheltenham Festival days:

• Second Day Racing at the Cheltenham Festival – Queen Mother Champion Chase day
• Third Day Racing at the Cheltenham Festival – Stayer Hurdle Day
• Fourth Day Racing at the Cheltenham Festival – Cheltenham Gold Cup day

Summary of Day 1 Racing at the Cheltenham Festival

The first day of the Cheltenham Festival, known as Champion Day is held on a Tuesday at the world-class Cheltenham racecourse, the feature race is the Grade 1 Champion Hurdle where all eyes will be on Constitution Hill.

The first day of Cheltenham is famed for a cracking atmosphere and the “Cheltenham roar” which goes up after the tapes rise on the first race.

The Grade 1 Arkle Trophy and the Grade 1 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle are the two other significant races on the opening day. Along with several excellent handicaps including the Festival Handicap Chase, which is always a tough race.

The first day at Cheltenham is one of British sports great days out and is highly recommended by the teams here at British Racecourses.

Other Cheltenham Related Articles

If you have enjoyed this Cheltenham Day One guide, here are some other articles related to Cheltenham betting you may also like:

Keywords and races covered – Champion Hurdle (full name – Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy) and free bet stakes options (qualifying bet restrictions apply), National Hunt chase, Supreme novices hurdle, Cheltenham festival 2023.

Please always bet responsibly.