Champion Day

The Supreme Novices' Hurdle is the race that launches the entire Cheltenham Festival and provides the first clue as to which side of the Irish Sea has brought its best horses to Gloucestershire. Run over an unforgiving two miles with eight flights of hurdles on the Old Course, the Supreme is a race that demands both pace and jumping accuracy.

Historically, the race has been dominated by horses with strong bumper form — particularly bumper winners from the big Flat-bred Irish yards — who transition quickly and efficiently to hurdles. Willie Mullins has trained a remarkable proportion of recent winners, and his team invariably arrives at the Festival with multiple live contenders in the Supreme.

Betting Approach: The Supreme market can be deceptive. A strongly-fancied favourite often goes off at a short price that reflects stable confidence rather than significant form superiority over the field. Look for value among the British-trained runners at bigger prices, especially those who have won on testing ground at good tracks like Ascot or Kempton.

• Watch for horses with strong bumper records converting to hurdles seamlessly
• Cheltenham Festival experience (even at point-to-point level) is a positive
• The draw can matter — early pace positions are beneficial over two miles
• Each-way at 10/1 or bigger in a wide-open market is a valid strategy

The Arkle Challenge Trophy is the two-mile novice chasing championship and one of the most exciting spectacles of the entire Festival. Named after the legendary triple Gold Cup winner Arkle, the race demands that young chasers display brave jumping at high speed around one of the most testing tracks in National Hunt racing.

In recent years, the Arkle has showcased some of the most talented young chasers seen in a generation. Horses who have dominated their novice campaigns over hurdles before switching to fences often appeal here, though it is important to assess how well they have adapted to the bigger obstacles. A flawless jumping round over Cheltenham's fences is absolutely essential for success.

Betting Approach: The Arkle often polarises the market between a short-priced favourite and a largely ignored field. The risk with favourites is that even a small jumping error at Cheltenham pace can cost vital ground. Consider whether the market leader has faced enough genuinely high-quality opposition during the season to warrant a short price.

• Prior chase experience at Grade 1 level is the key qualifier
• Jumping fluency under pressure is the number one factor
• Horses fresh for the day (lightly raced) have an outstanding record
• Trainer confidence — look for reports from owners and connections in the final week

The Ultima Handicap Chase is one of the most popular betting races of the entire Festival — a cavalry charge over three miles and one furlong with fields regularly exceeding 20 runners, producing a cacophony of noise from the grandstands that rivals even the championship contests for pure excitement.

As a Grade 3 handicap, the Ultima provides excellent opportunities to find value. The race is run at a ferocious gallop, placing a premium on stamina, jumping efficiency and — crucially — positioning throughout the race. Horses who can travel comfortably in mid-division before producing a late, sustained run up the Cheltenham hill have the ideal profile.

Betting Approach: The big-field nature of this race makes it ideal for each-way betting. Target horses in the 10/1–20/1 range who have posted strong form at three miles plus on similar ground. Lighter-weighted horses who are well-handicapped relative to their actual ability — perhaps because a recent run or two has obscured their true form — are the ideal Ultima bet.

• Course-and-distance winners are a major plus
• Low weights can be advantageous — look for 10st 4lb and under
• Recent run to sharpen fitness matters more than it might at other tracks
• Trainers with strong Cheltenham handicap records: Mullins, Henderson, Pipe

The Champion Hurdle is the crown jewel of Champion Day and one of the four championship races that define Cheltenham Festival. First run in 1927, the race has produced legends of the sport — from Istabraq's back-to-back-to-back victories at the turn of the millennium to Hurricane Fly's dual triumph, and more recently the Nicky Henderson-trained talents who have made the race their own.

The Champion Hurdle is run over two miles and half a furlong on the Old Course, featuring eight hurdles and the demanding uphill finish to the line. The race rewards the very best combination of speed, jumping accuracy and jumping technique in National Hunt racing. Champions in this race are horses who can maintain a near-flat-out gallop for two miles while clearing each hurdle in full stride.

The ante-post markets for the Champion Hurdle are invariably the most heavily traded of any Cheltenham race, with prices available from September onwards. The key championship trials — the Fighting Fifth Hurdle, the Christmas Hurdle and the Unibet International Hurdle — form the traditional pathway to the race for market leaders.

Betting Approach: The Champion Hurdle has a high strike rate for market leaders, but the ante-post market is efficient and short prices require careful consideration. The best value often lies in the immediate challenger to the favourite — the horse who has run it close in the trials and whose form is underrated by the market. Consider also the each-way option at bigger prices in open renewals.

• Form in the Fighting Fifth and Christmas Hurdle is the key guide
• Irish-trained horses have dominated in recent years — track Willie Mullins closely
• The ground can be critical; mares and speed horses prefer better going
• Multiple Festival winners at the meeting travel with confidence; look for horses who have already won at the Festival
• Age profile: most champions are aged 5–8; be cautious about very young or ageing horses

The Mares' Hurdle has grown significantly in prestige since its elevation to Grade 1 status, and it now attracts the very best mares from Britain and Ireland. The race provides a dedicated championship opportunity for female hurdlers who might otherwise have to take on their male counterparts in open competition.

Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott have dominated this race from the Irish side, repeatedly sending over exceptional mares who have dominated the novice ranks and then graduated to championship company. The race is run over an extended two miles, providing a slightly more forgiving test than the Champions Hurdle itself.

Betting Approach: The Mares' Hurdle market is often dominated by one or two very short-priced favourites from Mullins' yard. Unless you are highly confident in the market leader, the best strategy is often to wait for a clear market to form and consider any value among the British-trained runners who have posted strong form in their own mares' races.

• Willie Mullins' mares have an outstanding record in this race
• Grade 1 Mares' hurdle form from the season leading up to the Festival is the key qualifier
• Stamina on a testing day can see longer-distance types produce an upset

The Festival Hunters' Chase is a unique race at Cheltenham — restricted to horses that have been hunted during the current season, it provides a thrilling contrast to the professional races either side of it. Amateur riders guide their mounts around the Old Course, producing scenes of genuine unpredictability and excitement.

Point-to-point form is the most relevant guide to this race, with horses who have excelled in the Irish points especially well-suited to the demands of the Cheltenham Old Course. The race often throws up at least one previous festival hero who has transitioned to the hunters' ranks.

Betting Approach: This race is harder to assess from a betting perspective due to the amateur riders involved. Stick to horses with strong recent point-to-point or hunters' chase form, particularly those who have won at Cheltenham or similar left-handed tracks with testing finishes.

• Recent point-to-point winners are the primary guide
• Amateur jockey experience at championship level matters
• Irish pointers with dual-purpose profiles often excel

The National Hunt Challenge Cup is the longest race of the Festival — an extraordinary four-and-a-quarter mile test of a young horse's jumping ability and stamina, ridden by amateur jockeys. It tests the very limits of what a novice chaser can achieve, and the finish up the Cheltenham hill from that distance provides a genuine spectacle.

Cheltenham's Old Course over this extreme distance is a severe test, favouring the biggest, stoutest novice chasers. Horses who have impressed over three miles plus in novice chases during the season are the obvious place to start. The Irish contingent, led by Mullins and Elliott, have dominated this race in recent years.

Betting Approach: The extreme distance makes this a more uncertain race from a betting perspective, and it is worth treating it as a value opportunity. Look for horses at 8/1 or bigger who have the stamina profile to last home and who have shown jumping ability at a high level in their prep races. Each-way betting makes good sense given the competitive fields.

• Stamina is paramount over this extreme trip
• Jumping ability under pressure over the full distance is key
• Amateur rider experience at Festival level can make a real difference
• Previous Cheltenham course form is a strong positive