Cheltenham Festival tips for days one and two from horse racing expert Jeff Garlick

The feature race on Tuesday is the Champion Hurdle where the 2023 winner Constitution Hill will be trying to repel a duo of top Irish horses.

He is not the horse he was two years ago but could still be good enough to regain his crown.

I must admit, I do fear Brighterdaysahead, who will use her pacemaker as she did at Punchestown.

Nico De Boinville will need to keep the mare in his sights and it will be intriguing to see if Constitution Hill will be able to reel in Brighterdaysahead up the home straight.

The Irish should have a field day starting with Kopek Des Bordes in the Supreme Hurdle. I do not think he is as bomb proof as all the experts think as he is a nervous type who could find the occasion all a bit too much.

Romeo Coolio has bags of experience and could be the beneficiary if the favourite boils over.

Willie Mullins has diverted Lossiemouth from the Champion to the Mares Hurdle, but I still fancy his stable companion, Jade De Grugy.

Another Mullins’ horse, Majborough, will be a short price for the Arkle Chase but no Triumph Hurdle winner has won this race so is worth opposing with L’Eau Du Sud.

The Irish have a poor record in the Ultima Chase but I am on the Gavin Cromwell-trained Malina Girl at big prices.

The one I fear in this race is Whistle Stop Tour, who is trained by Lucinda Russell who won this race twice with Corach Rambler and who had a hat-trick at Kelso recently.

Total Look could go well at a decent price in the Fred Winter.

Transmission looks to have been laid out for the final race, the National Hunt Chase. His trainer, Neil Mulholland, is a shrewd operator.

Transmission’s last four runs have all been at Cheltenham and he was particularly impressive when winning at the November meeting.

He has four furlongs further to travel but was not stopping at the end of that competitive race.

On Wednesday, Jonbon tries to break his Cheltenham hoodoo in the Champion Chase.

He is the best two-mile chaser by a mile, though this race often throws up shocks, so I will take a chance with the two-time past winner of this race, Energumene.

He is an 11-year-old now and really needs soft conditions to have a chance here. If it stays dry, then Marine Nationale would be my idea of the winner.

The Dan Skelton-trained The New Lion is my best bet of the day in the opener, closely followed by Stumptown in the Cross Country Chase.

Dan Skelton thinks The New Lion is the best horse he has ever trained, which is high praise indeed.

I tipped Stumptown when he won at the track in December, and he simply toyed with his rivals that day.

Be Aware could be yet another winner for Skelton as he has a great record in the Coral Cup.

Gorgeous Tom has been given as a dark horse to follow at the preview evenings and will be staying on better than most in the Novice Chase.

Jazzy Mazzy is a big talking horse from Ireland in the Grand Annual and the concluding Bumper will go to Willie Mullins but good luck in picking the right one from his five runners.

He usually hands the ride on what is considered the best chance to his son Patrick, in which case Copacabana, is a tip in itself.

Garlick’s Cheltenham Goodies: Tuesday – 13:20 Kopek Des Bordes; 14:00 Le’Eau Du Sud; 14:40 Malina Girl; 15:20 Jade De Grugy; 16:00 Constitution Hill; 16:40 Total Look; 17:20 Transmission.

Wedneday – 13:20 The New Lion; 14:00 Gorgeous Tom; 14:40 Be Aware; 15:20 Stumptown; 16:00 Energumene; 16:40 Jazzy Mazzy; 17:20 Copacabana