There’s a stunning opening day at the Cheltenham Festival on Tuesday 10 March, as seven competitive races take place on day one of the jumps showpiece. Andrew Mount looks to kick off the festival on a positive note and picks out his best bets for the day.
Check out Andrew’s Cheltenham Festival Day 1 tips below, which include some big-priced fancies including a 20/1 outsider in the Champion Hurdle.
Cheltenham Festival Day 1 Tips (Tuesday 10 March 2026)
Seven spectacular races take place on day 1 of the Cheltenham Festival, with the action getting under way at 1.20pm with the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. The Arkle, Champion Hurdle and Fred Winter are just three other feature events on Tuesday. Check out Andrew’s top Cheltenham tips for the day here.
1.20 Cheltenham – Supreme Novices’ Hurdle – Talk The Talk (1pt win – 5/1 Coral, Ladbrokes)
Plenty of the market principals in the Supreme made the running last time out (e.g. Old Park Star, Mighty Park and Sober Glory) and I’d rather play Talk The Talk, a classy hold-up performer in the hope/expectation that the front-runners get racing too soon. Joseph O’Brien’s five-year-old impressed me when scoring in maiden hurdle company at Limerick back in October as he raced in the ‘swamp’ on the inside rail and his Dublin Racing Festival verdict over Ballyfad in the Grade 1 Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle took his record over obstacles to 11F1 (3-4), with the defeat most unlucky – he stumbled and fell just after the last flight when in the lead.
3.20 Cheltenham – Ultima Handicap Chase – Myretown (1pt win – 10/1 generally) & Resplendent Grey (0.5pt e/w – 20/1 Ladbrokes, five places, 16/1 Sky Bet seven places)
Last year’s winner Myretown (13-2 from 16-1) was tipped as a winner bet in this column and I’m going in again despite his disappointing season to date. The Lucinda Russell and Michael Scudamore-trained nine-year-old fell when favourite in Panic Attack’s Coral Gold Cup and I’m happy to forgive January’s three and-a-half length Haydock fourth as his yard was out of sorts at the time, sending out just one winner from 65 runners that month. The trip was blamed for him pulling up in the 3m4.5f Grand National trial at Haydock last month but his yard was still quiet whereas they’ve hit form with a vengeance in recent days. If we throw out his point-to-point, bumper, hurdle and chase debut his record becomes 1F11F11F4P (5-10) and we’ve seen plenty of repeat winners in this contest.
Olly Murphy had two placed runners from three Cheltenham festival handicappers last season, including Resplendent Grey who scraped fourth of 18 when we were on each-way in the National Hunt Challenge Cup. He failed to live up to market expectations in the Coral Gold Cup, trailing home 27 lengths behind Panic Attack in 11th place but bounced back to finish second to Protektorat at Windsor and has finished in the top four in 17 of his 19 starts, including when placed behind Haiti Couleurs at this meeting 12 months ago. The eight-year-old grey is two from two in first-time headgear (hood/cheekpieces) and gets first0-time blinkers today.
4.00 Cheltenham – Champion Hurdle – Alexei (0.5pt e/w – 20/1 generally)
Alexei can take a grip in his races but the faster they go the better he runs and he caught the eye on his comeback when runner-up to Celtic Dino at Chepstow, doing best of those to come from off the pace. Joe Tizzard’s six-year-old is three from four since, winning by three lengths when heavily backed at Ascot, bolting up in the Greatwood on his only previous visit to Cheltenham and clocking a career-best speed figure when accounting for Rubaud in the Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton last time out. December’s Ascot third can be excused as they didn’t go fast enough for him and he may have been feeling the effects of three big runs in a five-week period.
5.20 Cheltenham – Newton Tornado – National Hunt Novices’ Handicap Chase (1pt win – 9/2 generally) & One Big Bang (0.5pt e/w 11/1 bet365, Betfred, William Hill)
Emmet Mullins’ Backmersackme currently heads the betting at around 4-1 for the 3m6f novices’ handicap chase – the final race on day one of the Cheltenham Festival – but he may have been flattered by his 2m5.5f win at the Dublin Racing Festival, as his patient running style was strongly favoured (the winner, runner-up and fourth all came from the rear). The trip is also unknown territory (albeit it is for most of the runners) and he’s 0-5 in Britain. Take him on with the Rebecca Curtis-trained Newton Tornado, who impressed on the clock when scoring by six and a half lengths in a 3m novices’ handicap chase from Chasingouttheblues at Doncaster in late January with a further nine and a half lengths back to the third, Nicky Hendesron’s Noble Park. That pair both scored at the next time of asking and the form has a very solid look to it. His trainer won this race 12 months ago with Gold Cup prospect Haiti Couleurs and her full record at the Cheltenham festival stands at six winners from 59 runners for a profit of £29.88 to a £1 level stake at SP (+£102.28 at Betfair SP after 2% commission). Point winner Newton Tornado was beaten on his hurdle/chase debuts but aside from those runs, his record under Rules reads 222211P1 (3-8), with the non-completion on account of an early mistake at Newbury on his penultimate start. The seven-year-old is two from two over 3m or further and could have more improvement to come over this marathon trip.
One Big Bang looks a spot of each-way value after his eye-catching third at Doncaster over a woefully inadequate 2m3f last time, form boosted by a subsequent win from the runner-up. The small field/steady pace didn’t play to his strengths wither that day and he looks the type to improve for a marathon test. James Owen’s eight-year-old has form figures in the spring for his current yard of 1153 (2-4), with the fifth place in the Pertemps Final at his meeting last year and the third place at the Punchestown Festival.
Andrew Mount’s Best Bets Today
1.20 Cheltenham – Talk The Talk (1pt win – 5/1 Coral, Ladbrokes)
3.20 Cheltenham – Myretown (1pt win – 10/1 generally) & Resplendent Grey (0.5pt e/w – 20/1 Ladbrokes, five places, 16/1 Sky Bet seven places)
4.00 Cheltenham – Alexei (0.5pt e/w – 20/1 generally)
5.20 Cheltenham – Newton Tornado (1pt win – 9/2 generally) & One Big Bang (0.5pt e/w 11/1 bet365, Betfred, William Hill
Andrew Mount’s Horse Racing Tips – Cheltenham Festival Day 1 – Tuesday 10 March
Today’s Meetings & Start Times
- Cheltenham – first race 13:20
FAQs: Today’s Racing Tips
What are today’s racing tips?
Andrew Mount provides his best bets at Cheltenham on day 1 of the Festival.
Who is Andrew Mount?
Andrew Mount is a leading horse racing adviser, expert pundit and journalist, contributing regularly to the Racing Post, Racing & Football Outlook, Racing Post Weekender and William Hill radio as well as providing a daily tipping column for the GG.co.uk website for more than 20 years. Follow him on X: @TrendHorses
When were today’s Cheltenham Festival Day 1 tips published?
Today’s tips were published at 3.05pm on Sunday 8 March 2026.
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