2020 Cheltenham Day 2 Tips by Dave Stevos
2020 Cheltenham Day 2 Preview
Day 1 didn’t go to plan for us at Cheltenham. Soviet Pimpernel was a bit keen, didn’t jump well and faded badly. Esprit Du Large was on the retreat too when falling in the Arkle. Soupy Soups got tired on the ground, but at least we got a 25/1 place with Big River who ran a blinder. Ballyandy wasn’t good enough and Lord Schnitzel got hampered just as he was creeping into it. Ocean Cove had a rough trip too and retreated after suffering interference on the final circuit. Dave Stevos fancies a few to go well at big prices on Wednesday. Check out his 2020 Cheltenham Day 2 tips below…
1.30: Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
A field of just 12 will go to post for this year’s Ballymore Hurdle. Gordon Elliott gave Envoi Allen’s ante post backers a fright at the Betfair preview earlier this week when he said he might run in the Supreme. However, that plan was shelved and he lines up here instead. Envoi Allen is the hype horse of 2020 and so far it looks fully justified. He has speed, stamina and his unbeaten run includes a Champion Bumper win here. He wouldn’t want very soft ground but apart from that he looks like banker of the week material.
Sporting John, The Big Getaway and The Big Breakaway are his three main market rivals. They only have form in Novice and Maiden Hurdles though, unlike the multiple Grade 1 winning favourite. One horse that has been completely overlooked is Decor Irlandais. This 7yo has charted an unconventional route to the festival but he deserves his place in this field. He is rated 143, just 6lb less than Sporting John, and I think that mark could underestimate his ability.
Decor Irlandais is the oldest horse in the field at 7yo and he has a lot more experience than a lot of these over fences. He showed a glimpse of ability in two bumper runs back in 2018 but he returned to P2Ps soon after. A couple of falls were followed by 3 wins and a 2nd from 5 runs in that discipline. He returned to rules action with two facile wins at Cartmel in maiden and novice company. His run behind Mossy Fen in the Grade 2 Leamington last time was a cracker and he could turn that form around. Odds of 80/1 look huge and at that price he has to be worth a small each way investment.
2020 Cheltenham Day 2 Tips: Decor Irlandais e/w @ 80/1
2020 Cheltenham Day 2 – 2.10: RSA Novices’ Chase (Grade 1)
Minella Indo heads the betting for this year’s RSA Chase and 10 go to post. This son of Beat Hollow won the Albert Bartlett at 50s last year and his subsequent form showed that was no fluke. He shaped very nicely when beating a subsequent Grade 2 winner in January at Navan (24f sft/hvy) and the return to slightly better ground here should be in his favour. With a clear round he should be bang there at the finish and 7/2 looks a big price.
The reason he is 7/2 is because of the presence of Champ. This horse has been hyped for a long time and the jury is still out. He was beaten at the festival over 21f last year before winning nicely at Aintree (24f sft). He didn’t jump well on his first two chase starts but his engine got him out of trouble. However, he took a fall last time here and after that he is very hard to fancy for this. Allaho looks the biggest threat to Minella Indo but he has finished behind him the last two times they met.
Copperhead’s wide margin win at Ascot last time was impressive but what did he beat? He has improved rapidly this season but this represents a massive step up in class. At the prices it could be worth chancing Easy Game. He has looked an out and out stayer over shorter trips, including when beating Allaho at Leopardstown. Easy Game pulled well clear of the rest when finishing 2nd to the mighty Faugheen at the same track last time. He flopped at the festival last year but he looks worth giving another chance to. At odds of 10/1 (4 places) Easy Game is the e/w selection.
2020 Cheltenham Day 2 Tips: Easy Game e/w @ 10/1 (4 Places Skybet)
2.50: Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3)
A maximum field of 26 go to post for this year’s Coral Cup. I am backing Honest Vic each way in this. He is a horse that first caught my eye last season. Trained by Henry Daly, Honest Vic will have the assistance of the Champion Jockey Richard Johnson in the saddle. I tipped him at huge odds when he was 2nd at Ascot in February last year. His form tailed off after that run but this season he has started to fulfil his potential. He is 2/3 this term, his last win coming at Kempton in December off 132 (21f sft).
He has run well on his two previous visits to Cheltenham, finishing 5th on both occasions. Honest Vic is a better horse now than when he last ran over C&D in April last year. The fact that Daly has declined to claim weight off his back suggests he thinks there could still be more improvement to come. He goes well fresh, trip and track will suit and the ground looks perfect too. At odds of 33/1 Honest Vic is worth backing each way with 6 places available.
2020 Cheltenham Day 2 Tips: Honest Vic e/w @ 33/1 NB (6 Places)
2020 Cheltenham Day 2 – 3.30: Champion Chase (Grade 1)
Only 6 will go to post in this 2 mile Grade 1, a disappointing turn out for each way backers. The late withdrawal of the champ Altior has taken a lot of gloss off the race too. He trotted up lame over the weekend and the race comes too soon. I really fancied him for this and he was originally my NAP of the day. However, with him gone this now essentially looks a match between Defi Du Seuil and Chacun Pour Soi.
Defi Du Seuil is a horse that is impossible to dislike. He goes on all sorts of ground and he won very impressively on heavy last time at Ascot. His festival performance last year was top notch and it was possibly one race too many for him when getting beat by Chacun Pour Soi at Punchestown. Plenty of pundits have put a lot of stock in that Punchestown form but I am not convinced. Defi Du Seuil will be fresher here, the ground is in his favour and he is a track specialist.
Ground Concern For Chacun?
Chacun Pour Soi, on the other hand, has never run here before. He won his prep run at Leopardstown last month, beating Min by 4L. However, he has won just once from five attempts on proper soft ground and that was in France. Both his Irish wins came on yielding ground and at the prices I’d rather be on another one for the forecast.
Politologue found just Altior too good in this last season and he is a multiple soft ground winner. He disappointed in the Tingle Creek but Paul Nicholls will have him primed for this race. Dynamite Dollars went well for a long way on his comeback but he might prefer better ground. Bun Doran is a horse I rate very highly but again, he is one that would like the ground to dry out. Given the ground conditions, Politologue looks the most likely to chase Defi Du Seuil home. A small reverse forecast is advised.
2020 Cheltenham Day 2 Tips: Defi Du Seuil/Politologue Reverse Forecast
4.10: X-Country Chase (Class 2)
Never a race I like to bet on. Tiger Roll is the horse that everyone wants to win and on form, he should. He loves this quirky course and hopefully he can add another festival win to his CV. The French raider Easysland looks the biggest threat but he would be getting 19lb from Tiger Roll in a handicap. On those terms it is impossible to see past Tiger Roll but at near odds on he is not a bet for me. Not a race I’ll be getting involved in.
2020 Cheltenham Day 2 Tips: No Bet
4.50: Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 3)
A field of 22 4yo hurdlers will go to post in this very tricky handicap hurdle. The form is very hard to weigh up with these young horses so I am going to chance one for small stakes at big odds. The one I like at a decent price is Theatre Of War for Gavin Cromwell and Jonathan Moore. He ran a blinder when last sighted at Leopardstown at Xmas, just failing to get up in a 3yo maiden. He had both Saint D’oroux (4L) and Tronador (3L) behind him that day and he was conceding 7lb to the latter horse.
The handicapper has awarded Theatre Of War a mark of 130 for his handicap debut. He only has to concede 1lb to Tronador and he gets 3lb from Saint D’oroux so he is weighted to confirm that Leopardstown form with those two horses. His trainer Gavin Cromwell knows the time of day and he won the Champion Hurdle last year so he knows how to ready one for the festival. At odds of 16/1 with 5 places available, Theatre Of War is the each way NAP of the day.
2020 Cheltenham Day 2 Tips: Theatre Of War e/w @ 20/1 5 Places NAP
5.30: Champion Hurdle (Grade 1)
If I could get rid of just one race during the Cheltenham Festival, this would be it. I don’t think I have ever backed the winner and in the past couple of seasons I haven’t even bothered having a bet. To be honest, this year’s race doesn’t inspire me either. Appreciate It is the hot favourite but 2/1 is very short about any horse in a race of this nature. The form is very tough to weigh up and for me this is a race to just watch. No Bet.
