Cheltenham Festival day two tips: 40/1 Coral Cup pick

Ten-time Cheltenham Festival winnerJamie Codd is previewing every day of the meeting and shares his best bets for Wednesday, featuring the Champion Chase.

Turners Novices’ Hurdle (1.20)

This looks a savage race. It’s one I’m really looking forward to and features a group of novices I’m hopeful we’ll see in Grade Ones at the Festival for years to come.

The talk from the Willie Mullins camp about FINAL DEMAND has been eye-opening to say the least, and he gets my vote. I saw him win his point-to-point and he’s impressed me ever since with his physique and his way of doing things.

He’s an uncomplicated horse with class, speed and power and you’d have to have been seriously impressed by his wide-margin victory in Grade One company at the Dublin Racing Festival.

The New Lion, The Yellow Clay and Sixmilebridge all look very good too, but I’m with Final Demand, and the little bit of rain that’s been around probably pushes things a little further in the Mullins runner’s favour.

Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (2.00)

This is another good race with three Cheltenham Festival winners from last year all lining up, as well as Dancing City who won three Grade Ones in staying novice hurdles last season. That said, I’m expecting this to be one-way traffic for BALLYBURN.

We found out at Kempton that he’s not a two-miler, and I was really happy with his performance at the Dublin Racing Festival when upped in trip.

His pedigree is all stamina and he was strongest at the line that day. I thought he hosed up in fairness. He’s clear on ratings here, likes the track and has a class edge over his rivals. I expect him to win and win well.

Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle (2.40)

I put up STAFFORDSHIRE KNOT as an eyecatcher in my attheraces.com column a few months back after an encouraging run at Leopardstown, and while he’s run very poorly at Huntingdon since then, I’m going to chance him at odds of around 40/1 in a typically-tricky-looking Coral Cup.

This horse was a very capable bumper performer and novice hurdler, and he finished his season with a good second to Brighterdaysahead at Aintree last year. It’s fair to say not much has gone right since then, but he’s got snippets of form which make me think he could be well handicapped.

The blinkers go on here and he needs to jump better, but Gordon Elliott and Gigginstown have combined to win this race with big-price runners Commander Of Fleet and Carlito Brigante, and this son of Shantou is worth a look for sure.

Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase (3.20)

I like BUSSELTON in the Cross Country. He’s had a couple of looks at the Cheltenham banks now and those experiences will hold him in good stead for the big test here.

He’s an eight-year-old but has been busy throughout his career, running in top juvenile hurdles and winning races such as the Kerry National. He comes here off the back of a spin over timber in the Boyne Hurdle at Navan and while Stumptown will be a tough nut to crack, there’s improvement still in Busselton over this course, and he gets a handy pull at the weights with the market leader too.

BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase (4.00)

This is JONBON‘s time to shine. He deserves to be crowned the champion chaser at long last, and I see no reason why he won’t win. He’s been perfect this season, building on his Shloer success with resounding wins in the Tingle Creek and the Clarence House.

He’s at his physical peak now, and, if he turns up, I don’t think he can be stopped. Solness is the best of the Irish for me, and he’s gone from strength to strength this year. He’ll give it his all from the front, and he could be the one for the forecast to follow Jonbon home.

Debenhams Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase (4.40)

I’ve been very sweet on the chances of MY MATE MOZZIE for some time in this, and it’s a bit of a pity there’s been rain around, as he really does want good ground to be at his best. He ran a hell of a race off a big weight at Leopardstown, which was his first start over fences since last year’s Arkle, where the ground also went against him.

He’s a strong-traveller who could be really well suited to a Grand Annual, and he’s got plenty of good form at the track too. The other interesting runner is JAZZY MATTY, who already has a Festival win to his name having triumphed in the 2023 Fred Winter.

He’s been in good order this season, having won twice over fences, also running well behind Gorgeous Tom and Monbeg Park, both classy older horses he had to concede weight to on the day. We know he likes the track and can handle a race run at a frenetic pace, and I fancy him to put up a pretty bold show in this.

Weatherbys Champion Bumper (5.20)

I was wickedly impressed with the Jukebox Jury mare BAMBINO FEVER when she won at the Dublin Racing Festival and she’s the one for me in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper. She was given a peach of a ride by Jody Townend and I thought it was a hell of a performance to tell the truth, as it was a talented group of mares she put away easily.

The runner-up Switch From Diesel is a solid operator and she came out and won at Naas on Sunday franking the form. You know they’re going to go a good clip here. I expect Jody will adopt similar tactics to those that were successful at Leopardstown. The mare will be allowed to find her feet early and I expect her to come home strongly.

Kalypso’Chance clearly has a big chance too. He was impressive at Navan in a race which Gordon Elliott has won with the likes of American Mike, Envoi Allen, Sir Gerhard, Samcro and Don Cossack. He’s been kept fresh since and this is clearly a well-trodden path for the yard’s top prospects, so I think he’ll give a good account of himself too.