Cheltenham Festival tips: Day one best bets from UK's best horse racing brains

It’s the moment every racing fan has been waiting for — the Cheltenham Festival is here! The Guinness is flowing, the Irish are ready, and the buzz is unstoppable.

As we prepare for the Greatest Show on Turf, punters are eager to get a profitable start. The opening day features an exciting match-up between Constitution Hill and Brighterdaysahead, setting the stage for a week of intense competition.

We’ve compiled expert advice from some of the top names in the sport to give you a leg up on your selections. Let’s get your festival started on the right note! The tipsters we have compiled are...

• Daily Mirror’s Newsboy - courtesy of Mirror Racing
• Legendary jockey Ruby Walsh - courtesy of his Paddy Power blog
• Top tipster Steve James - courtesy of his Value Scope column
• Broadcast supremo Nick Luck - courtesy of his William Hill blog
• ITV’s Matt Chapman - courtesy of his Paddy Power blog
• Renowned analyst Kevin Blake - courtesy of his Betfair blog

We’ve cut out the fluff and given you solely the horse that each tipster thinks is the horse to back - along with their odds at time of writing. It’s up to you if you think you should back them each way or not…

1.20: Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1 )

• Newsboy: Romeo Coolio 13/2
• Ruby Walsh: Kopek Des Bordes 10/11
• Nick Luck: Workahead 9/2
• Matt Chapman: Romeo Coolio 13/2

2.00: My Pension Expert Arkle Novices’ Chase (Grade 1)

• Newsboy: L’eau Du Sud 7/2
• Ruby Walsh: Majborough 8/15
• Nick Luck: Majborough 8/15
• Matt Chapman: Jango Baie 15/2

2.40: Ultima Handicap Chase (Grade 3)

• Newsboy: Malina Girl 12/1
• Ruby Walsh: Whistle Stop Tour 10/1
• Steve Jones: Malina Girl 12/1
• Nick Luck: Myretown 11/1 and Trelawne 22/1
• Matt Chapman: Henry’s Friend 9/1 and Happygolucky 22/1
• Kevin Blake: Crebilly 8/1

3.20: Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle (Grade 1)

• Newsboy: Jade De Grugy 5/1
• Ruby Walsh: Lossiemouth 8/11
• Steve Jones: Joyeuse 11/1
• Nick Luck: Joyeuse 11/1
• Matt Chapman: Lossiemouth 8/11

4.00: Unibet Champion Hurdle (Grade 1)

• Newsboy: Constitution Hill 4/7
• Ruby Walsh: Brighterdaysahead 2/1
• Nick Luck: Constitution Hill 4/7
• Matt Chapman: Constitution Hill 4/7

4.40: Boodles Fred Winter Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3)

• Newsboy: Teriferma 20/1
• Ruby Walsh: Beyond Your Dreams 6/1
• Steve Jones: Mister Cessna 40/1
• Nick Luck: Quantock Hills 12/1
• Matt Chapman: Hot Fuss 9/1
• Kevin Blake: Beyond Your Dreams 6/1

5.20: National Hunt Chase

• Newsboy: Hasthing 12/1
• Ruby Walsh: Resplendent Grey 7/1
• Steve Jones: Hasthing 12/1
• Nick Luck: Will Do 10/1
• Matt Chapman: Transmission 9/2
• Kevin Blake: Hasthing 12/1