Neil Morrice shares his race-by-race selections for day 2 of the 2024 Cheltenham Festival.
CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL 2024 – DAY 2
Race 1 GALLAGHER NOVICES’ HURDLE (Grade 1)
No1 BALLYBURN
Trainer: Willie Mullins – Jockey: Paul Townend
BALLYBURN towers above his rivals in a race that has cut up, and should make it the perfect start to Day 2 for William Mullins. With just one defeat in five races in bumpers and hurdles the six-year-old stands out, while his latest triumph at Leopardstown last month stamps him as a star in the making.
His relaxed style of racing suggests he’ll have no problems stepping up in trip, and he can come home in front of stablemate ILE ATLANTIQUE, who is smart on his own right, and unlucky not to be unbeaten over hurdles.
HANDSTANDS is the only unbeaten runner and completed a four-timer with a stylish display at Huntingdon. Interestingly Ben Pauling has retained the services of Harry Cobden, who clicked with the five-year-old in that Sidney Banks Hurdle.
Prediction: 1st BALLYBURN, 2nd Il Atlantique, 3rd Handstands
Race 2 BROWN ADVISORY NOVICES’ CHASE (Grade 1)
No2 FACT TO FILE
Trainer: Willie Mullins – Jockey: Mark Walsh
FACT TO FILE has not looked back since failing to cope with AMERICAN MIKE on his chase debut at Navan. His subsequent back-to-back triumphs at Leopardstown have been gained in exemplary fashion, making him one of the best long term prospects in his stable. American Mike won well on a return visit to Navan but lacks the scope of my selection, who is already being groomed towards Gold Cups next season.
Henry De Bromhead’s MONTY’S STAR put in a career-best performance over fences when scoring at Punchestown to help make it another potential big race success for Ireland.
That said, the Paul Nicholls-trained STAY AWAY FAY landed the Albert Bartlett here 12 months ago and is two from three over fences. She will enjoy the track and the ground, but may have to settle for minor honours.
Prediction: 1st FACT TO FILE, 2nd Monty’s Star, 3rd American Mike, 4th Stay Away Fay
Race 3 CORAL CUP HANDICAP HURDLE
No10 LANGER DAN (Each Way)
Trainer: Dan Skelton – Jockey: Harry Skelton
This will be more attritional than usual, granted the heavy rain of Tuesday, so the key is finding horses that revel in the conditions of which LANGER DAN is one.
There are no better preparers of horses to be ready for the day in big handicap hurdles than the Skeltons, and their eight-year-old is to all intents and purposes a forgotten horse. Since his success in the corresponding race 12 months ago he’s barely attracted a shilling in the betting market in visits to Kempton (twice), Sandown and Doncaster. However, he’s consequently taken a drop in the ratings to the same mark, and comes back off a similar freshening break as in 2023. Bookies beware!
Owner JP McManus is double-handed in the contest, and both SA MAJESTE and BRAZIL go into the melting pot. Sa Majeste has only four career starts under his belt of which two were in France. He revelled in the heavy when last seen at Limerick over Christmas. Brazil won on the Flat at the Galway Festival last summer, and following a lengthy absence enjoyed a pipe opener for this at the Dublin Racing Festival, an outing that should have put him spot on.
BUILT BY BALLYMORE has first-time cheek pieces in his bid to complete a hat-trick for Martin Brassil, while DODDIETHEGREAT also needs respecting off what could prove an attractive mark, though his stable has been quiet.
Prediction: 1st LANGER DAN, 2nd Brazil, 3rd Sa Majeste, 4th Doddiethegreat, 5th Built By Ballymore
Race 4 BETWAY QUEEN MOTHER CHAMPION CHASE
No3 EDWARDSTONE (Each Way)
Trainer: Alan King – Jockey: Tom Cannon
Last year’s Arkle protagonists EL FABIOLO and JONBON have subsequently dominated the ante-post market for this Day 2 feature, with the former defending a six-race unbeaten sequence over fences for Willie Mullins. He’s been hugely impressive in each of two starts this season, especially when humbling the classy Dinoblue at the trials meeting at Leopardstown last month.
Jonbon managed to inflict a defeat on the favourite over hurdles at Aintree two years ago, but things haven’t exactly gone to plan for him over fences this season. He’s twice taken care of business with EDWARDSTONE, but made silly errors on the way to a shock defeat by ELIXIR DE NUTZ at the January meeting here. If Jonbon bounces back he could make a race of it with El Fabiolo, but a new factor in the equation is EDWARDSTONE based on his success in Newbury’s Game Spirit Chase in which he adopted new tactics and galloped and jumped his rivals into submission. Similar enterprise could make a back-to-his-best Edwardstone worth chance to post a minor upset.
Prediction: 1st EDWARDSTONE, 2nd El Fabiolo, 3rd Jonbon
Race 5 GLENFARCLAS CROSS COUNTRY CHASE
No2 COKO BEACH (Nap)
Trainer: Gordon Elliott – Jockey: Sam Ewing
COKO BEACH took to this discipline like a duck to water when scoring at Punchestown last month and could have plenty more to offer. Like DELTA WORK, he will revel in the very testing conditions.
MINELLA INDO brings a touch of class to the table and along with GALVIN could challenge for minor honours. However, as a note of caution, there’s an 8am inspection to decide whether the race can happen, and with a further 6mm of rain forecast, that seems unlikely, with the race ready for a move to Friday.
Prediction: 1st COKO BEACH, 2nd Delta Work, 3rd Minella Indo, 4th Galvin
Race 6 JOHNNY HENDERSON GRAND ANNUAL CHALLENGE CUP HANDICAP CHASE
No16 HARDY DU SEUIL (Each Way)
Trainer: Jamie Snowden – Jockey: Gavin Sheehan
The rain of the last 48 hours has been welcomed by connections of mud lover HARDY DU SEUIL. The seven-year-old has been unusually campaigned since his arrival in Lambourn, contesting novice chases in the 2021/22 campaign and handicap hurdles throughout last season. So effectively, this is only his second outing in a full handicap following an eye-taking run to place behind Etalon at Sandown last month. At a decent double-figure price he appears set for a proper crack at this, and he should earn.
SAINT ROI is a classy individual who was good enough to finish third in the Arkle 12 months ago. On his first run in a full handicap chase he troubled the judge at Fairyhouse, formlines which give him a chance should he enjoy a trouble-free passage.
LIBERTY HUNTER deserves respect in his bid to complete a hat-trick for Evan Williams while three Irish challengers that take the eye are SOLNESS, SA FUREUR and PATH D’OROUX. The very much in-form MADARA could also claim a cheque.
Prediction: 1st HARDY DE SEUIL, 2nd Saint Roi, 3rd Liberty Hunter, 4th Path D’Oroux, 5th Sa Fureur, 6th Solness
