Sam Turner's Cheltenham Tips: 10/1 pick Johnnywho the headline selection on day one

• Sam Turner has a trio of selections on Champion Hurdle Day

• Johnnywho and Hyland look major Ultima players

• Poniros could pounce to upset main Champion protagonists

• For the latest Betfair Racing odds click here

• Check out our Betfair Tipsters' Best Bets for the Festival

• Read our in-depth guide to the first day of the Cheltenham Festival

• Bet £10 get £10 on racing multiples every day of Cheltenham Festival

Cheltenham Day 1 Superboost Winner

The Cheltenham Festival got off to a flyer for the 31,000 backers of the Betfair Sportsbook Superboost as Old Park Star won the Supreme Novices' Hurdle. See details of the offer below and look out for more Betfair Superboosts at the Festival.

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The Betfair Sportsbook have a fantastic Superboost to commence the 2026 Cheltenham Festival in the shape of Supreme Novices' Hurdle favourite Old Park Star.

The six-year-old has never been out of the first three in all of his six career starts and he's won all three of his races for new trainer Nicky Henderson this season. He was 1/31.33 to finish in the top four in Tuesday's curtain raiser, but you can now back him at the super-boosted price of 1/12.00.

To take advantage of this generous Superboost, click on the odds in the below Bet Banner to go to the pre-loaded bet slip.

Ultima Handicap Chase, Cheltenham, 15.20 - Back Johnnywho each-way @ 10/111.00

Those with decent memories may well remember Johnnywho looming large in the closing stages of last year's Kim Muir Handicap Chase, looking for all the world like the winner under Derek O'Connor.

Unfortunately for connections, the race didn't quite pan out like that as Daily Present showed the greater resolution on the run-in to hold off one of the gambles of the meeting.

This race offers a chance of redemption for the nine-year-old, albeit the presence of two upwardly mobile rivals in near identical colours won't make it an easy assignment.

Both Iroko and the potentially smart Jagwar appeal as possible winners of this event, but I'm hoping that Johnnywho's experience of big field Festival handicaps will stand him in good stead and that a wind op and the first-time cheekpieces are the catalyst to a bold showing.

There was certainly plenty to take from his penultimate performance behind Deep Cave at Ascot where he rattled home late, and I'm inclined to forgive his latest run at Haydock as he underwent surgery shortly afterwards to remedy a breathing issue.

At his best, he is a strong traveller who could well arrive late on the scene here and with six places on offer, he could well be placed at the very worst.  

Ultima Handicap Chase, Cheltenham, 15.20 - Back Hyland each-way @ 9/110.00

Hyland is another to emerge from that Ascot handicap won by Deep Cave and he was arguably unlucky not to finish closer as an error two fences from home stopped him in his tracks.

It was to the credit of the nine-year-old that he managed to generate fresh momentum from that point to close in on the winner, shaping like a horse who is capable of scoring off his current mark.

Trainer Nicky Henderson, who won this with Beware The Bear in 2019, has been at pains to preserve a mark of 143 for a horse that was runner-up to Gold Cup aspirant The Jukebox Man in the Grade 1 Kauto Star Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day 2024.

We haven't seen the selection since his Ascot outing, and he too is equipped with the first-time headgear, a stat which has proved profitable in this race since the turn of the century.

Hyland has also won three of his five Cheltenham starts, so we are dealing with a course lover who will relish the drying ground and his claims look difficult to resist.   

Racing... Only Bettor. Listen to our Cheltenham Festival preview now.

Champion Hurdle, Cheltenham, 16.00 - Back Poniros each-way @ 14/115.00

There may not be State Man, Constitution Hill or Sir Gino in this year's Champion Hurdle, but it still appeals as a fascinating renewal, not to mention nine runners ensures it has a nice shape for betting.

Alexei, my long-term ante-post selection for this event, looks to have a nice chance of running a big race with the ground drying, but I can't help feeling that outside of the main protagonists, all of which have questions to answer, Poniros might post another huge Cheltenham performance.

The selection has only raced three times over hurdles and of course has already sprung one huge Festival surprise when upsetting the applecart in last year's Triumph Hurdle at 100/1101.00.

He picked the pocket of more fancied rivals that day and, although Lulamba turned the tables at Punchestown, Poniros is one of few in the field that we don't actually have a good read on with his ceiling as yet unconfirmed.

His run at the DRF behind Brighterdaysahead and Lossiemouth was tantamount to little more than a social outing as he was allowed to drift back mid-race before finishing off nicely as his two punch drunk rivals slugged it out to a standstill on the run in.

Given he was produced with an irrestible run in last season's Triumph, the resighting of the final hurdle so that it is further from the winning line might actually suit him and it is uncanny how many times in recent seasons that Danny Mullins has produced a rabbit from the hat on a so-called Mullins second string.

The prospect of a healthy gallop should suit both Poniros and Alexei and, with their effectiveness at the track over the minimum trip already confirmed, they make some appeal granted the make-up of the race.

Read Katie Midwinter's 1-2-3 runner guide to the Champion Hurdle here

Sam Turner's Cheltenham Multi Tip: Each-way double could pay dividends

Betfair is offering Bet £10 Get £10 on Racing Multis each day of the Cheltenham Festival, and the multi that makes the most appeal on Tuesday is an each-way double featuring Talk The Talk (Cheltenham, 13.20) and Newton Tornado (Cheltenham, 17.20).

The former did extremely well to win a Grade 1 at the Dublin Racing Festival and, but for stumbling and capsizing on his previous start, would have won twice at today's level, which is twice more than any of his rivals.

Newton Tornado should relish the rigours of the finale for a stable that won last year's renewal and enjoy a good record in the race. His win at Doncaster was achieved in a rapid time and he ought to go close to following up.

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