Cheltenham Festival tips 2023: Supreme Novices Hurdle and Champion Hurdle among day one attractions

The wait is nearly over!

And our tipster, Bob Cross, is here to give you the inside track on the Cheltenham Festival for day one...

With over 200,000 fans expected through the gates this week, The Cheltenham Festival can lay claim to the greatest show on turf.

Racing fans throughout the world will be gathering round televisions, radios or (these days!) mobile phones as they cheer on their favourite equine athletes against the best of the best.

The ground looks like coming up soft for day one and that does play its part in our selections.

Day one starts off at 1.30 with the Supreme Novices Hurdle.

I am siding with Facile Vega. He did run a stinker last time out at Leopardstown in February but, apart from that hiccup, has been unbeatable. Trainer Willie Mullins has trained a record five winners of this event and I expect that to increase by one at the end of the race.

Our each-way selection is Chasing Fire who has done nothing wrong since winning a point-to-point in October 2021. It is a big step up in class from what he has been beating but he deserves his chance at this level.

The Arkle Novices Chase is off at 2.10 and, if the market is to be believed, this is a two horse race – now where have we heard that before?

Jonbon is the pick. Only the exceptional Constitution Hill has ever finished in front of him – which is good form in my book.

Our each way selection is San Roi who unseated his rider last time out but has a lot of ability.

They are under starter's orders at 2.50 for the Ultima Handicap Chase and we have a very live Scottish interest.

Trained by Lucinda Russell, Corach Rambler, had more horses in front than behind when arriving at the third last fence a year ago in this corresponding race. However his