Cheltenham Festival Tuesday Tips | Jake Price

My first Cheltenham Festival tip begins with Transmission for the National Hunt Chase, especially with the drying ground in his favour. Trained by Neil Mulholland, he has run exclusively at Prestbury Park this season, notably finishing second behind Hyland before winning a handicap chase in November under the reunited Patrick Mullins. A key form boost comes from his strong finishing second behind Haiti Couleurs, with a 4lbs weight swing now in his favour.

His recent sixth-place finish in the Cleeve Hurdle served as ideal preparation. With the step up in trip to 3m6f expected to bring out further improvement, he should finish strongly in Tuesday’s final race.

Joseph O’Brien’s Beyond Your Dreams looks a strong contender for the Fred Winter, especially benefiting from first-time cheekpieces. Though modest on the flat, she gained valuable race experience with eight runs before switching to hurdles in November. After three quick hurdle starts, she was given a winter break, suggesting a targeted plan for this race. Her strong-finishing seconds at Fairyhouse and Navan, plus a maiden hurdle win in December, highlight her potential - especially with key rivals such as Total Look and Wendrock now worse off at the weights.

She will need to improve her jumping, but if she is still in touch approaching the final flight, she will certainly be seeing out her race stronger than most.

Henry’s Friend looks to have strong each/way claims in the Ultima, having finished fifth in the Coral Gold Cup before winning at Newbury off a mark of 138 in December. Last season, his tough Grade 2 Reynoldstown Chase victory left him fatigued for the National Hunt Chase, where late mistakes led to him being pulled up. This year connections have kept him fresh, giving him a 73-day break before the Festival.

With a mark of 145 still looking fair and his preference for racing prominently—a key advantage in the Ultima—he has a strong chance of delivering a big performance and hitting the frame at the very least.

*Information correct at time of writing. 18+ only. GambleAware.