The Cheltenham Festival meeting is the highlight of the year in National Hunt racing, as the best horses meet each other in their respective divisions. This year’s renewal of the meeting looks set to be a thriller, with all four Championship races having depth to them.
Here are the three best tips for the Festival, and why these horses can add their names to the roll of honor at the meeting.
Edwardstone – Queen Mother Champion Chase (+175)
Last season’s Arkle Trophy winner Edwardstone will be bidding for back-to-back success at the Cheltenham Festival when he lines up in the Queen Mother Champion Chase. Alan King’s runner has been the most consistent horse in the 2m chase division this season.
The eight-year-old is likely to be one of the most popular Cheltenham Festival tips this year as he showed at Sandown in the Grade One Tingle Creek Chase that he has improved since his novice campaign. He now tops the betting for the 2023 Queen Mother Champion Chase at 7/4.
King’s chaser had to settle for second place in the Clarence House Chase at Cheltenham on his latest outing, however, he did finish ahead of last season’s Champion Chase winner Energumene in that race. Edwardstone is the one they all must beat in March.
Delta Work – Cross Country Chase (+110)
Delta Work was the villain at the 2022 Cheltenham Festival as he denied stablemate Tiger Roll victory in the Cross Country Chase on what was the dual Grand National winners final start of his career.
Gordon Elliott’s runner is set to be one of the highest-rated runners in the Cross Country field once again. He showed his liking for the course in 2022 as, along with Tiger Roll, the pair finished 21 lengths clear of the third-placed horse.
Delta Work has already been successful this season. He got off the mark on his seasonal reappearance at Punchestown. The Irish horse then finished third on Trials Day at Cheltenham. Those two outings will ensure he heads to the Festival in peak condition as he bids to defend his crown.
Noble Yeats – Cheltenham Gold Cup (+700)
2022 Grand National winner Noble Yeats has shown this season that his success in the marathon contest at Aintree last April was no fluke. If anything, the Irish horse has improved in the latest campaign, which makes him a strong Cheltenham Gold Cup contender.
The Aintree hero has been successful twice already this season. He scored in a Listed contest at Wexford back in October. Two months later, he landed the Grade Two Many Clouds Chase.
In what is an open-looking Gold Cup field this year, Noble Yeats’ form in this division over the last 12 months is as good, if not better, than any of his rivals. He has a great chance of completing the Grand National and Gold Cup double.
The 2023 Cheltenham Festival place between March 13-17. There will be a total of 14 Grade One races across the week, with over 200,000 spectators set to visit Cheltenham Racecourse during those four days.