Betfair Official Blog

Cheltenham Tipping Competition: First round to Graham

Cunningham is the only tipster in profit in our competition after day one of the Cheltenham Festival

It was a tricky day for the punters with no favourites winning and it was similarly testing for our tipsters.

A magnificent start for Graham Cunningham (first four bets were winners) was ruined somewhat by Garde Champetre who took the BGC Handicap Chase to cost him £190 in total as there win bets for Wonderkid and Heads Onthe Ground - taking a sizable chunk of the £365.75 that Tidal Bay brought in (returning 7.4 for the win and 3.05 for the place).

Nonetheless defeats for Rippling Ring and Sizing Europe early on - both Cunningham lays - helped Graham end day one up by £255.75.

Ashkazar's second place in the Fred Winter was bad news for Nick Shiambouros, he was looking for a win from David Pipe's horse in the final race.

Nick's loss there was preceded by defeats for Sublimity, Sizing Europe and Noland to see him down £230 on the day.

Wayne Bailey started well and then saw a succession of lays win and wins lose. Ouch!

A £20 win on a Khyber Kim lay was his only winner followed as they were by losses on Muirhead, the aforementioned Noland, Sizing Europe, An Accordion and Wonderkid. Wayne finishes the day £65 down.

One man cheering Noland's defeat was Simon Rowlands as it netted him £100, it's just a shame that Tidal Bay took the race as that was a £100 lay.

Osana (second in the Champion Hurdle) nearly pulled it back but £50 went there too. If New Alco and An Accordion's first and second positions were reversed Mr Rowlands would surely have been in profit. Unfortunately they weren't and he is in deficit to the tune of £170.

The tipsters' banks after day one:

Graham - £1255.75
Wayne - £910 (£25 still riding on Ruby Walsh for top jockey)
Simon - £830
Nick - £770

The competition continues tomorrow with a second set of tips from our four wise men.