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Expert analysis by Emmet Kennedy, Host of The Final Furlong Podcast
In association with 1xBet Ireland

In this 1xBet review, we will analyse the storylines of key races and identify the top favourites. We will also take a detailed look at statistics to help you choose the most attractive markets for your predictions.

Cheltenham Trials Day: Why It Matters

Cheltenham Trials Day offers punters and Festival-watchers a vital opportunity to assess how leading contenders handle the Cheltenham New Course, a markedly different test to the Old Course used earlier in the season.

Several Grade races on the card have a strong record of producing Festival winners, particularly in the juvenile and championship divisions. This year’s Trials Day looks no exception, with multiple unbeaten horses, proven Grade 1 performers, and Festival handicappers all on show.

JCB Triumph Trial (Juvenile Hurdle)

Potential Festival Clues on the New Course

The JCB Triumph Trial is often a key stepping stone towards the Triumph Hurdle, and this year’s renewal brings together three unbeaten horses at the head of the market:

• Maestro Conti – an emphatic wide-margin winner at Kempton

• Minella Yoga – tough and battle-hardened after success at Newbury

• Manlaga – visually striking winner at Auteuil

With the “big three” English trainers all represented, this contest could easily reveal the leading British-trained Triumph Hurdle contender.

However, if the market leaders falter, there is scope for an upset. Harry Derham’s runner brings valuable experience, with five hurdle starts and seven on the Flat, including two runs at Cheltenham. That course knowledge could be crucial on a track where positioning and rhythm matter.

Exchange Handicap Chase (2m4½f)

Festival Plate Form on Offer

This contest traditionally feeds directly into the Festival Plate, and several familiar names line up.

• Jagwar – last year’s Festival winner, but now 10 lb higher and needing to sharpen his jumping after a scrappy seasonal return

• Booster Bob – arrives in form after back-to-back Newbury wins, though he is up another 9 lb and drops back in trip

A more appealing proposition may be the admirable Triple Trade:

• Winner twice already this season

• Still 4 lb below his highest winning mark

• Yet to try an intermediate trip on Cheltenham’s New Course

While his Cheltenham wins have come on the Old Course, solid placed efforts on the New Course suggest this could be the missing piece.

Cotswold Chase

Grey Dawning Sets the Standard

Grey Dawning looks a short but solid favourite and is likely to justify that position.

• Ran to an RPR of 160+ on six of his last seven starts

• Betfair Chase victory confirmed him as a top staying chaser

L’Homme Presse shaped better than the bare result on seasonal debut under top weight, racing lazily before staying on strongly. Dropping back slightly in trip may help, though his best days may now come over longer distances.

Spillane’s Tower has the raw ability to make this competitive but needs to bounce back from two underwhelming hurdle runs.

Verdict: Grey Dawning’s consistency at this level should be decisive.

International Hurdle

Champion Hurdle Picture Comes into Focus

This is arguably the race of the day, featuring the top two in the Champion Hurdle betting, alongside last season’s Triumph Hurdle winner.

• Sir Gino – unbeaten, four Grade 1 wins on the bounce

  • Beat Golden Ace by six lengths in the Christmas Hurdle

  • Trainer confident he would improve for that run

• The New Lion – Turner’s Novices’ Hurdle winner

  • Would likely be unbeaten but for a late fall in the Fighting Fifth

  • Needs to prove he has recovered mentally from that spill

• Poniros – intriguing wildcard

  • Faces older horses for the first time

  • Willie Mullins factor demands respect

Sir Gino sets a very high bar here and rightly heads the market.

Cleeve Hurdle

Stayers’ Hurdle Form on the Line

Impose Toi looks to cement his position as a serious Stayers’ Hurdle contender.

• Winner of the Long Distance Hurdle and Long Walk Hurdle

• Festival second and top-weight handicap winner suggest Cheltenham suits

This is his first run on the New Course, which introduces a small unknown.

Strong Leader has twice chased him home but remains winless at Cheltenham after four attempts, which tempers enthusiasm.

Theleme is interesting from France but returns from 805 days off, making him one to monitor rather than support.

A potential value angle is Nurse Susan:

• Improved markedly for a step up in trip at Sandown

• Receives 9 lb from the favourite

• Trained by Dan Skelton, currently operating at a 22% strike rate with a 67% runners-to-form figure

Final Thoughts

Cheltenham Trials Day once again offers critical Festival evidence, particularly on the New Course.

• Sir Gino looks the most likely Champion Hurdle winner on what we have seen

• Grey Dawning sets the benchmark among staying chasers

• Impose Toi continues to progress as a Stayers’ Hurdle contender

• Nurse Susan may offer value if improving again for the step up in distance

For punters, this is a day where track position, experience, and course suitability can be more revealing than raw ratings alone.

1xBet Insight

Cheltenham Trials Day regularly shapes the Festival betting markets, and identifying horses proven on the New Course can be a decisive edge. With competitive odds, enhanced markets, and in-play betting across all Trials Day races, 1xBet Ireland offers punters the tools to turn expert analysis into informed bets.

The analytical piece was prepared by Emmet Kennedy — Presenter, Producer, and Owner of The Final Furlong Podcast, Broadcaster with TalkSPORT, and Broadcast Consultant —  with the support of 1xBet horse racing.

1XBET AND TERMINUS PLATFORM IRELAND LIMITED DO NOT SPONSOR ANY OF THE EVENTS ABOVE AND HAVE NO PARTNERSHIP WITH ASSOCIATED SPORTS LEAGUES AND/OR ASSOCIATIONS.