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Get your Cheltenham off to an early flyer with Systemlays UK!

The first day of Cheltenham Festival 2009 sees some great events! Below you’ll be able to find Ratings, Form and our tips and advice for every horse entered in the following events (just click the race name to jump straight to it!):

• 1.30 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle 2m 1/2f
• 2.05 Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy Steeple Chase 2m
• 2.40 William Hill Trophy Handicap Steeple Chase 3m 1/2f
• 3.20 Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy 2m 1/2f
• 4.00 Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Steeple Chase 3m 7f
• 4.40 David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle Race 2m 4f

1.30pm Supreme Novices’ Hurdle 2m 1/2f (channel 4)

The Supreme Novices is a great race to get Cheltenham Festival’s kicked off, and it marks the point when all of that adreneline and bluster finally has a focal point!

The Irish often strike in this race and get an early blow in for their camp.

This year, Willie Mullins sends the short priced favourite Cousin Vinnie – will he get the Men in Green off to a flyer? Only one way to find out…

Supreme Novices Runners, Ratings & Form

Below are the entries for the Supreme Novices Hurdle, which will be arranged into order of our Systemlays UK ratings once we have compiled them. The best price is collected at the time of writing, and updated if there is a major change: please leave a comment (at the bottom of this page) if you notice any huge discrepencies.

Supreme Novices Hurdle Tips & Ratings Summary

Paul Carberry’s mount, GO NATIVE, comes out top of the pile for us – and will look to get the Irish party started for Noel Meade here. At around 10/1, this looks to be a solid each-way bet, and there’s really no-one better at coaxing a horse round Chaltenham than Paul Carberry. The short-ish favourite Cousin Vinny comes out considerably lower according to the times he has recorded to date; while we wouldn’t write him off (there not being enough data to do so, plus he doesn’t meet our lay criteria), we certainly couldn’t back at this price. Paddy Power have an interesting money back special if you are worried about Cousin Vinny – money back if Vinny wins.

The top five in our ratings, the other four being Medermit, Kangaroo Court, Golan Way and Kempes, are all tightly ranked and make solid each-way propositions too at these prices, they are worthy of consideration for Placepot perms etc.

If you want to bet in this race, we’d suggest each way money on Go Native, but the field are too closely matched for us to nap anything here.

2.05 Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy Steeple Chase 2m (channel 4)

The Arkle Chase is another great race named after one of the best – Arkle. We’ll get straight into the runners, ratings, form and prices here, again ordered by Systemlays UK ratings.

Arkle Chase Runners, Ratings & Form

Arkle Chase Tips & Ratings Summary

Tony McCoy doesn’t have the best record at the Cheltenham Festival, but if that alone stops you from backing his mounts make sure you don’t walk under any ladders or break any mirrors soon, because you’ll be worried about bad luck. For everyone else, CALGARY BAY looks to be a solid each-way chance to lift the Arkle Chase.

Based on his run at Ascot in January, Banjo Bere is highly rated too, and 33/1 looks to be a really tempting price there. Indeed, if reproducing the best form, this should run Calgary Bay close – both could well make the frame.

Watch out for the unaturally low rating on Original too – we’ve only got one valid race to take a rating from, so the horse is an unknown quantity according to our stats.

Tha favourite, Tatenan, has something to find according to our ratings, but Ruby Walsh doesn’t seem to make bad choices often at Cheltenham, and times only count for so much with chasers (usually because of the (lack of) opposition) so this is another favourite we expect to be overturned but which we cannot advise as a good lay bet. Make up your own mind with this favourite.

2.40 William Hill Trophy Handicap Steeple Chase 3m 1/2f (Channel 4)

Another chase here, with the William Hill chase, where we see Grand National winners line up against hardened handicap chasers – Systemlays UK are handicap specialists, so hopefully, we’ll be able to pull out the winner for you below.

William Hill Trophy Runners, Ratings and Form:

William Hill Trophy Tips & Ratings Summary

Two horses stand out in this ultra-competitive handicap: WICHITA LINEMAN and NENUPHAR COLLONGES are proud of the field based upon our time:weight:form computerised ratings. Slight preference is for the former, though that really is no margin, so the two should be dutched, each-way (four places plus here!), and also might be worth considering for a Tote Exacta or a reverse forecast. Obviously, there is a lot to upset that forecast, so stakes should be low, but the prices on such bets are often great – so a couple of quid could make your Festival on day one!

Comply or Die would be higher in our ratings, but winning the National means your Official Handicap Mark puts you bang up there in the weights – giving hatfulls of weight to Reveillez, Wichita Lineman and Nenuphar Collonges looks to be a tall order.

With 6/1 the field, you should be able to find some value in this event.

3.20 Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy 2m 1/2f (Channel 4)

The Champion Hurdle is perhaps one of our favourite races of the year, with all the big speed merchants coming out for this event year after year.

Champion Hurdle Runners, Form & Ratings

Champion Hurdle Tips & Ratings Review

Forget what you heard! Champion Hurdle 2009 is far more open than the bookmakers, and many commentators, would have you believe. Yes, Binocular is a great horse, and should go very close, however, this is one of the closest Chamion Hurdles I can remember rating up – when Istabraq was in his pomp, he was 20-30 points clear, so that should give you an idea!

The top five all posses real each-way chances and, at the prices available, are surely a more tempting prospect than the 13/8 favourite.

SNAP TIE at 40/1 would be some touch to land in the Champion Hurdle, but low stakes each way on that and Katchit, Punjabi, Ebaziyan and Sublimity may well pay dividends if you must bet on this very close event. Its a watching brief for us – watch and enjoy!

There are, though, several horses who appear past their best based on our ratings, who can readily be discounted: such as Harchibald and Hardy Eustace. The heart says yes, but the head will tell you – the years would have to literally roll back.

Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Steeple Chase 3m 7f (Channel 4)

This handicap is over the now traditional Cross Country course which is a little special extra that we’ve grown used to since its introduction in 2005 – it does mean a little extra effort for us, though, because of its unique nature.

Cross Country Handicap Runners, Form & Ratings

Cross Country Handicap Tips & Ratings Summary

This is a race for distance specialists who can jump – two things which speed ratings are not traditionally associated with finding. However, it pays to look objectively, as we always do, and judge the horses on what they have achieved on course. Our ratings suggest that He’s The Gaffer, Drombeag and Heads onthe Ground should all do well here if repeating their recent best efforts: as a result the three are suggested as tentative each-way bets.

Because of the unique nature of this race, and the lack of a stand out horse at these weights, we suggest this as another ‘no-bet or low-bet’ race: if you must bet, then have one of the long-priced well weighted horses we suggest, and you might well get a few quid back! Feel free to leave your comments and tips in the comments section below – these races are great fun, but we don’t view this year’s as a good betting opportunity.

4.40 David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle Race 2m 4f (Racing UK)

The ‘lucky last’ of Cheltenham Festival 2009 day one is, as always, the mares hurdle. These trappy affairs often spring a first three packed with double figure prices, so the punter in all of us will want to play even if a lot of the public are rushing home to beat the queues; and half the country is watching ‘Deal or No Deal’ on Channel 4 as if nothing important is happening.

Mares Hurdles Runners, Form & Ratings

Mares Hurdle Tips & Ratings Summary

If Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh are still looking for a winner by the sixth, this represents their best chance of the day, as we put QUEVEGA well ahead in this mares hurdle race. This looks to be the bet of the day – though at the price its looking likely a win only bet will be the order of the day.

Those who don’t like betting to win in fields of 20+ at 2 and a half to 1 can consider the following three in our ratings as solid each way bets (if you back one, you must back all because they are split by just one point in our ratings!): Chomba Womba (13/2) Helens Vision (40/1) and Pagan Starprincess (50/1) may well get good place money should they finish in the frame. Check payout places before betting – you could find 4 (or more) places with some bookies.

Also consider a combination Exacta or Trifecta - both with Totesport – (or both) for low stakes (each is 6 bets, so 6 times your stake – e.g. 50p stake would be £3 in total for the bet) on these four to try for some really long odds.

Whatever bets you follow us in with, or if you choose your own selections entirely, all the best of luck for the opening day of Cheltenham Festival 2009 – and heres to some great racing, win lose or draw!