OTB's Thom Malone had three winners on day one of the festival, read below for his selections for day two.
Day two of the Cheltenham Festival could be a bloodbath for bookies, with three of the shorter priced favourites of the week in action.
Unfortunately, from a tipping point of view, it is difficult to escape some short-priced favourites.
Not great confidence for Day 2
(There is no real getting away from the shorties)
130 Envoi Allen
210 Minella Indo
250 Thosedaysaregone e/w
330 Chacun Pour Soi
410 🐅 🥖
450 Galahad Quest e/w
530 Israel Champ (although Appreciate It is close to a nice price)@offtheball— Thom Malone (@thom_malone) March 10, 2020
Much like Samcro was one of the big Cheltenham tips two years ago, Envoi Allen is one of the Irish bankers of the meeting. the horse looks bombproof, it will require some miraculous improvement or accident to prevent him from winning the Ballymore Novices Hurdle.
The second race of the day is the RSA Chase where Minella Indo has taken over favouritism. The price has gone a bit on this horse but he is a course winner from last year, and the stable is bang in form with two winners on day one.
Handicaps
The first of the handicaps is the Coral cup at 2.50. There are very generous each way term,s available so make sure to use them in a race like this. Charles Byrnes has already trained three Cheltenham Festival winners and another could come in the shape of Thosedaysaregone who won at Leopardstown last time out. Charles is a maestro, at a double-figure price he looks a bet.
The feature race fo the day the Queen Mother Champion Chase looks a bang-match between Chacun Pour Soi and Defi du Seuil. with the Willie Mullins horse a bigger price and having beaten Defi when the two last met, Chacun Pour Soi should give Willie Mullins his first champion chase win.
Some performance this from Chacun Pour Soi, and he is only going to get better! Could be a seriously smart horse next year! 🏇🏼🏇🏼🏇🏼
Lovely effort from Defi Du Seuil, another cracking race at Punchestown!pic.twitter.com/57UIvc48ed— James Stevens (@JamesStevens180) May 2, 2019
This is a far from revealing suggestion but Tiger Roll should win the cross Country at 4.10. It's a race for course specialists and basket cases, Tiger ticks both boxes. It's a unique test for a unique horse, who needs to run well here just to even line up in the Aintree Grand National.
The Fred Winter/Boodles is a typically competitive affair and again avail of bookmakers generous each way concessions. Galahad Quest won the triumph trial when last seen, several winners have come out of the race since, the handicap mark looks within his compass. Trainer Nick Williams has only had three festival winners, one was in this race in 2017, this juvenile could do it again for him.
While Appreciate It will shorten if a few of the other Cheltenham tips win a horse at a bigger price is Israel Champ who has been very impressive in his last two victories. Two horses who ran behind him at Ascot have since won and connections have high hopes.
Good luck all.
