Rachael Blackmore Day 1 Cheltenham Runners: Quilixios can run a big race

• Hoping for a big run from Slade Steel with soft ground no issue

• Expecting a big run from Quilixios in the Arkle

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Rachael Blackmore Superboost

Rachael has a good chance on Quilixios in the Arkle Chase at 14:10 today, and if you fancy the horse to run well you can back it at the super-boosted price of 6/42.50 (from 4/61.67) to finish in the top top four.

13:30 - Slade Steel

Slade Steel runs in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle instead of in the Gallagher. Before I rode him in the Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle over two miles at the Dublin Racing Festival, I would have said that he would have been better in the longer race. But he was sharp at Leopardstown, I don't think that the two-mile trip will be an issue for him.

Obviously this is a very good race, it's a Supreme Novices' Hurdle and it's very competitive, but I think that he is bang there with his chance. He's a horse we've always held in high regard and soft ground won't be an issue for him. We're hoping for a big run.

14:10 - Quilixios

I'm really looking forward to riding Quilixios in the Arkle. We were very happy with his run at Naas last time, dropped back down to two miles. His jumping was good and he won well.

This is a very competitive Arkle, but Quilixios is a Triumph Hurdle winner, he has a touch of class and he won his only race at the track. I think that he can run a really big race.

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14:50 - Eklat De Rire

Eklat De Rire has had his issues, but he put up a much improved performance last time at Fairyhouse. Only two of us finished in the end, but his jumping was good and he kept on well.

Unfortunately he unseated me in the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase at Cheltenham three years ago when we thought that he would run a big race. He is 10 now, but the handicapper has given him a chance. He goes into the race in good form, he should enjoy the ground and I hope that he can go well.

16:10 - Telmesomethinggirl

This is very competitive again, Lossiemouth is last year's Triumph Hurdle winner and she looked impressive at Cheltenham on her return this season, but Telmesomethinggirl goes there with a live chance.

She won the Mares' Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham in 2021 and she was unlucky to be brought down at the second last flight in the Mares' Hurdle the following year when she was travelling well.

She was chasing last season, but she has improved with each of her runs this season back over hurdles. She ran really well last time in the Grade 3 Limestone Lad Hurdle at Naas, and I hope that she can run a big race.

Timeform's view on Rachael Blackmore's best chance on Tuesday

13:30 - Slade Steel

Rachael Blackmore has four rides on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival, with her strongest chance coming in the meeting's opening race, the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, aboard Slade Steel.

Slade Steel was no match for Ballyburn in the two-mile Grade 1 at the Dublin Racing Festival last month but he ran well behind this season's leading novice hurdler, impressing with his fluent jumping and how well he stuck to his task to pull clear of the third.

It's perhaps unsurprising he was strong in the finish at Leopardstown as he had previously won the Navan Novice Hurdle over two and a half miles, and his stamina could be an asset given the stiff finish and likely testing ground. He narrowly tops Timeform's ratings for the Supreme based on his effort behind Ballyburn and looks set to give a good account.

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