Three horses to consider for Day 2 at the Cheltenham Festival

This year’s Cheltenham Festival got off to a good start for many yesterday as plenty of favourites obliged.

The punters certainly got one over the bookies on Tuesday, so the latter will be hoping for a change in fortune today.

With this in mind, here are three horses at decent prices who could outrun their odds.

Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase – Monty’s Star 5/1

According to the Willie Mullins camp, Fact To File is the next best thing. His performance at the Dublin Racing Festival certainly showed he had ability, but Monty’s Star also deserves respect.

Trained by Henry de Bromhead, who is a master at peaking his horses for Cheltenham, the seven-year-old is a half-brother to Monalee who finished fourth in the 2020 Cheltenham Gold Cup.

By Walk In The Park, he won on heavy ground on his last start – which shows he should handle the deplorable Prestbury Park conditions – and his third to Corbetts Cross over an insufficient trip two starts ago is a really good piece of form.

He jumps supremely well and has a lot of things going for him, so he could give Fact To File something to think about.

Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase – Hardy Du Seuil 10/1

The quality of horses that Jamie Snowden has gotten his hands on over the last few seasons has continued to grow, as shown by his Cheltenham Festival success with You Wear It Well last season.

He has a small and select team this year, but Hardy Du Seuil could be one hit the frame.

Snowden highlighted the seven-year-old as a dark horse to follow at Cheltenham this year and the soft conditions should be in his favour.

Having been campaigned over hurdles last season, he ran into Iroko (the 2023 Martin Pipe winner) in a Wetherby handicap hurdle and also beat Iceo and Djelo at Sandown in early January; Iceo went on to win the Imperial Cup and Djelo is a subsequent Grade 2-winning novice chaser.

Having had a nice run to blow off the cobwebs at Sandown in February, a mark of 132 looks very lenient for a horse of his improving nature.

Weatherbys Champion Bumper – Quebecois 33/1

This year’s Champion Bumper is one of the most open renewals of the contest we have seen in recent memory as Jalon D’Oudairies heads the market at 4/1.

Plenty in here could improve massively on the day, though one horse who should be looked at is Quebecois.

Both trainer Paul Nicholls and the head lad at Manor Farm Stables, Clifford Baker, have a soft spot for the horse and you can see why.

The five-year-old bolted up at Exeter on soft ground in December and connections have decided to keep him fresh for this race, so there should be no excuses about the conditions.

At his pre-Cheltenham media morning, Nicholls said he is a “seriously nice horse” and they can’t wait to go novice hurdling with him next season, so if he handles the occasion of a Champion Bumper, he could outrun his odds.