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Four runners for Paul on Day 1 including two in the Fred Winter
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Quebecois the best chance on Tuesday if the rain stays away
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Tutti Quanti can give a good account of himself in the Champion Hurdle
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Read our in-depth guide to the first day of the Cheltenham Festival
Cheltenham Day 1 Superboost is a Winner!
The Cheltenham Festival got off to a flyer for more than 31,000 Betfair customers who celebrated a winner with our day one Superboost!
That huge number of punters were on the Betfair Sportsbook's Superboost as Old Park Star won the Supreme Novices' Hurdle in a thrilling finish to the day's opening race.
We boosted a top four finish for Nicky Henderson's hurdler from 2/71.29 to even money.
Keep your eyes peeled for more as we will be back with another Betfair Superboost for day two at the Festival dropping later this afternoon.
Come on the Brits!
It's a big pressure week in lots of ways, but it's nice pressure, we'll have around 10 or 12 runners during the Festival so we're looking forward to it. I always say that if you have one winner at Cheltenham then that's fantastic, anything on top of that is a bonus.
Away from my own runners I'm looking forward to the Gold Cup on Friday, that's the race you like watching. It's looking like an open race, and there are so many different avenues that can win the race so I'm looking forward to that.
On the first day the Supreme Novices' Hurdle is a good race, I'm interested to see Mighty Park because there's a lot of talk about him, he's obviously quite smart.
I'm also looking forward to the Arkle which looks like being a match between Kopek Des Bordes and Lulamba. I've just got a feeling that Lulamba's got a bit more experience, he stays well which you need, last year's winner Jango Baie proved that, so that's going to be a great race, and I think Lulamba will be hard to beat. Come on the Brits!
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Cheltenham Festival Day 1 Runners
14:40 - Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (Fred Winter): Bibe Mus
We were obviously very pleased with his win at Sandown on Saturday, his first run for us, which has got him into this race. It's not ideal having to run three days later having carried 12 stone on heavy ground, but he's right as rain, he's ate up, you wouldn't notice anything untoward with him, but it's a challenge. But we bought him to run in the Fred Winter and we are.
Harry Cobden had a bit of a tight decision; it took him about an hour on Sunday morning whether to ride him or Pourquoi Pas Papa as he was obviously quite impressed with him on Saturday. But he just felt that Pourquoi Pas Papa has been trained for the race, has good form and is fresh so he's gone with him and Sam Twiston-Davies will ride Bibe Mus.
14:40 - Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (Fred Winter): Pourquoi Pas Papa
He can definitely outrun his odds as he's in good form, he keeps on improving and the stiffer track will suit him well as opposed to Haydock. He's got loads of stamina but initially I thought we'd shot ourselves in the foot going to Haydock and going up 7lbs, but if he hadn't have gone up 7lbs he wouldn't be getting in the race so it's actually worked out okay.
It's a very open and competitive race, it's all about jumping and galloping but I think he's got a chance.
15:20 - Ultima Handicap Chase: Quebecois
Last night it was good to soft, good, but they had a bit of rain on Saturday night so it's now good to soft all round which is what he ran on earlier in the season on trials day when he ran so well over two and a half miles. It looks a dry forecast between now and Tuesday evening so that should suit him.
He's won over three miles, he's a half brother to an Albert Bartlett winner and I was talking to Harry Cobden last night who was in no doubt that he'll get three miles so that's what we're doing. It's been our aim with him all season really, if the ground was soft I definitely wouldn't run him in this but it's a dry forecast so here we are.
But it's a competitive race with 22 runners so although it's going to be hard to win, I would say he's my best chance on Tuesday if it doesn't rain.
16:00 - Champion Hurdle: Tutti Quanti
I don't know the answer to whether we'd have preferred softer ground for him, I didn't know going into Newbury whether he'd act on heavy ground but he did. I don't see it being a problem, he's run on all sorts of ground, good to soft is perfect.
It's a big challenge, he's stepping up in grade, it's a good race though it's not the hottest Champion Hurdle, there have been harder ones so that's why we're taking our chance. Win, lose or draw I'm sure he'll give a good account of himself.