Cheltenham Day 2 Tips: 6/4 Nap heads Owen’s Wednesday fancies

It was a dramatic opening day of the Cheltenham Festival and a relatively successful one for Betfred Insights readers, thanks to a 14/1 antepost winner in Myretown and a bit of joy at modest prices on the afternoon.

Fingers crossed for some more winners from my Cheltenham Day 2 tips, which includes a 6/4 Nap for that man Willie Mullins.

13:20 - Final Demand @ 6/4

The opening race on Wednesday is the Turners Novices' Hurdle, which has taken a similar shape to the 2023 renewal that saw the late Hermes Allen go off favourite against Willie Mullins' Impaire Et Passe.

This time, it's Dan Skelton's The New Lion who flies the flag for the British and FINAL DEMAND representing the visitors. I'm firmly with the latter.

The New Lion was bought by JP McManus, no less, after his stylish victory in the G1 Challow Novices' Hurdle at Newbury over Christmas to extend his unbeaten record to 4-4 and while he was very impressive on the eye, the form is average. The same can be said of his other three wins too. I think he's overrated.

On the other hand, Mullins' six-year-old - who fetched a lofty €230k as a store in June 2022 - was deadly in his maiden at Limerick over the festive period, beating subsequent winners Timmy Tuesday and Will The Wise by 15L in a canter, and even more impressive in the G1 Nathaniel Lacy over 2m6f at the Dublin Racing Festival.

He travelled strongly, jumped superbly and stretched 12 widening lengths clear of the 139-rated Wingmen, who had the rest of the field over five lengths adrift. It was a mega performance.

The vibes out of Closutton have been very strong in the build-up to the Festival and I think he'll take the world of beating.

14:00 - Ballyburn @ 8/11

In a typical Brown Advisory with more runners and softer ground, I'd be tempted by Dancing City. However, I don't think he's going to get the stamina test he desperately needs, which plays into stablemate BALLYBURN's hands.

Willie Mullins' seven-year-old was a seriously impressive winner of last year's Turners Novices' Hurdle and as far as I'm concerned he's by far the classiest horse in this lineup.

I suspect the pace will be average at best, which will allow the son of Flemensfirth to be seen to better effect against the aforementioned Dancing City and fellow stayers Better Days Ahead, Stellar Story, Lecky Watson and Quai De Bourbon. Gorgeous Tom is will be suited by the race if it plays out how I imagine, but he lacks the class of the selection.

Ballyburn was only just getting going over three furlongs shorter at the Dublin Racing Festival last time out, pulling five widening lengths clear of dual Grade 1 winner Croke Park, and could be even better over this extended distance. He should also be hard to beat as the odds suggest.

14:40 - Beckett Rock each-way @ 22/1

There's been a lot of money for Willie Mullins' Bunting for the Coral Cup over the last 48 hours, which makes BECKETT ROCK look well overpriced - especially in a Super Extra Place Race (6 places instead of 4).

Selected race(s). Applies to Each Way, Single & Multiple bets only. Best Odds Guaranteed & Antepost bets do not apply. Min. runner rules apply. T&Cs Apply.

Henry de Bromhead's six-year-old son of Kayf Tara beat Bunting off level weights in the Munster Hurdle at Clonmel earlier in the year, yet is now four times the price despite being just a pound worse off.

Sure, Mullins' runner is a year younger and that was his first appearance after a layoff, so he's open to plenty of improvement, but the selection is actually less exposed with just five runs to his name.

He bombed out at the Dublin Racing Festival a couple of weeks after that run in County Tipperary, but the whole yard was in bad form at the time so I'm willing to forget it completely.

His subsequent effort at Fairyhouse 18 days ago was much more like it. Over 2m4f for the first time, he was given a serious amount of ground to make up from out the back of the field and had to pass the majority of his rivals to finish a staying-on second.

Whether he can back up three races in fairly quick succession (38 days) is the question that needs answering, but he makes plenty of each-way appeal to me.

15:20 - Galvin @ 7/2

Since the handicap weights were released, I've been sweet on GALVIN for the Cross Country.

The Gordon Elliott-trained 11-year-old was awarded a mark of 154, which I think is very fair given he was fourth, beaten just eight-and-a-half lengths, off a pound higher in last year's Grand National before an excellent second in the American edition back in October.

He's since had a spin over hurdles in a charity race to prepare and has reportedly been bouncing at home - plus conditions are very much in his favour. It's good to soft (good in places) on the Cross Country course at time of publication, which will be music to connections' ears.

I respect Stumptown, but he's been done no favours by the handicapper. I wouldn't be surprised to see him and Galvin flip-flop in the betting closer to race time.

16:00 - Jonbon @ 5/6

Surely JONBON finally gets his Cheltenham Festival victory in the Queen Mother Champion Chase?

Nicky Henderson's nine-year-old, a winner of as many Grade 1 races, has only lost three times in his career to date and two of those defeats have come at the Festival - to stablemate Constitution Hill in the 2023 Supreme and El Fabiolo in the Arkle a year later - but he's looked better than ever this term and there's not much to worry about in the way of competition.

He's rated 12lbs superior to current second-favourite Marine Nationale, who's winless in three starts this season, and has already brushed aside Energumene. I suppose Solness is dangerous if allowed to dictate once again, but I can't see Nico de Boinville allowing that to happen.

Much has and will continue to be made about his Cheltenham form, but I think it's massively exaggerated. There's no shame in the Constitution Hill or El Fabiolo defeats, and he's improved significantly since then. He only failed to win the Clarence House in January last year due to a terrible mistake that would have stopped many horses.

I can't find a negative about him on Wednesday, to be frank, and I actually think Jonbon is good value at 5/6 - especially with Betfred's 10% Winnings Boost.

16:40 - Jazzy Matty @ 7/1

JAZZY MATTY, ridden to victory in the 2023 Fred Winter by the late Michael O'Sullivan, can bring the house down on Wednesday by winning the Grand Annual.

Since moving from Gordon Elliott to Cian Collins last year, the six-year-old son of Doctor Dino has posted some smart form over fences, including when third to Brown Advisory hopeful Gorgeous Tom and the 130-rated Monbeg Park at Wexford during the summer.

But it's his run over course and distance at the October meeting I really want to focus on. He finished second by just a head to Gavin Cromwell's Path d'Oroux, rated 11lbs superior, giving away eight pounds.

That was his latest run over the bigger obstacles - he's had a spin over hurdles in between - and he's been allocated a mark of just 135 ahead of his return to Prestbury Park. That's a rise of just two pounds.

He must have every chance of landing a second Festival win.

17:20 - Kalypso'chance @ 5/1

Finally, I make KALYPSO'CHANCE the bet in the Champion Bumper.

While I think the Willie Mullins duo atop the market - namely Copacabana and Gameofinches - are the better long-term prospects, their seasons only got going within the last 31 days, whereas Gordon Elliott's five-year-old son of Masked Marvel was first seen in November.

That was a standard bumper at Punchestown he won by 15 lengths, before a stylish four-and-a-half length victory in Listed company at Navan before Christmas.

He's been kept fresh since, which I like, and his trainer has history in the Festival's only flat race. I think he's a cracking bet at current prices.

Selection must finish 2nd in selected race(s). Win singles & win part of E/W bets only. Cash within 24 hours, max £10. Min runner rules apply. T&Cs Apply.

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