Cheltenham Day 2 Tips: Wednesday's Racing Post selections

The second day of the Cheltenham Festival takes place on Wednesday and the feature race is the Queen Mother Champion Chase, where Jonbon is set to go off as the favourite.

Racing Post expert tipster Graeme Rodway has provided his five Cheltenham bets for Day Two.

Check out more Cheltenham tips and our tipsters' Cheltenham Festival NAPs here.

Cheltenham Day 2 Betting Tips and Odds

14:00 Cheltenham - Gorgeous Tom @ 10/1
14:40 Cheltenham - Comfort Zone @ 8/1
15:20 Cheltenham - Latenightpass @ 14/1
16:00 Cheltenham - Libberty Hunter @ 33/1
16:40 Cheltenham - Fringill Dike @ 50/1

Brown Advisory Novices' Chase Tip

14:00 Cheltenham - Gorgeous Tom @ 10/1

Ballyburn is a red-hot favourite for the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase (14:00), but he has yet to prove that he stays three miles and is a short price for a horse who can take quite a keen hold. 

He might run his race too early in the event and the better bet is Gorgeous Tom, who is another with stamina to prove but has been placed in an Irish point over three miles, and he shaped like he would improve for a greater test when fourth in the Drinmore at Fairyhouse last time. That was over 2m4f.

Gorgeous Tom did all of his best work in the closing stages to finish only a length behind winner Croke Park, who gave Ballyburn a fright at Leopardstown last month. The selection finished only fourth in a bunch finish, but would certainly have won over further and this test looks certain to suit him.

Henry de Bromhead brings his runner back off a long break and he may have improved in the interim, so there is a chance that Gorgeous Tom can spring a surprise. 

Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle Tip

14:40 Cheltenham - Comfort Zone @ 8/1

The following 2m5f handicap hurdle (14:40) is always one of the most competitive races of the week and the one to back is Comfort Zone, who finished an eyecatching third at Leopardstown last month. 

The Joseph O'Brien-trained gelding didn't get a clear run that day and was short of room at a crucial stage, but kept on powerfully when getting through to be nearest at the finish behind Al Gasparo.

Comfort Zone has done most of his racing over shorter trips, but his other run over this sort of distance resulted in a two-length third behind Stayers' Hurdle hope The Wallpark at Galway in August.

The selection is a course winner who will appreciate coming back here and still looks unexposed, so expect to see more from him with the ground conditions looking sure to suit.

Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase Tip

15:20 Cheltenham - Latenightpass @ 14/1

The Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase (15:20) is always a tough one to work out, but Latenightpass rarely runs a bad race at this course and makes plenty of appeal against rivals from bigger stables.

The Tom Ellis-trained 12-year-old has proved more than a match for many of these rivals over the cross-country course at this track before. He was a course-and-distance winner in December 2023 and finished bang there in the same race last year when third behind Stumptown and Mister Coffey.

Latenightpass is closely matched with that pair on these revised terms, but is a much bigger price than them both and should reward each-way support. He has finished outside of the first three at Cheltenham only once in five starts.

Queen Mother Champion Chase Tip

16:00 Cheltenham - Libberty Hunter @ 33/1

Another horse who loves Cheltenham is Libberty Hunter and he looks overpriced to land the Queen Mother Champion Chase (16:00) and lower the colours of the outstanding two-miler Jonbon.

Jonbon has suffered all three of his career defeats at Cheltenham and simply doesn't look quite the same force around here. However, Libberty Hunter is the opposite in that he has recorded form figures reading 121 at the track, and probably should have won last season's Grand Annual here.

He will need to take a massive step forward because he was beaten by Master Chewy at Newbury last month when receiving weight, but that wasn't at this most favourite of venues and the return to Cheltenham might do the trick.

If eight runners line up he is a corking each-way bet with three places.

Grand Annual Challenge Cup Tip

16:40 Cheltenham - Fringill Dike @ 50/1

The Debenhams Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase (16:40) could go to another huge outside because Fringill Dike has a chance at a massive 50/1.

He loves good ground and conditions should be riding at their fastest on the Old course towards the end of racing on Wednesday because any water that might have gone on will have dried out.

Fringill Dike is only 1lb higher than when last winning by 27 lengths at Newton Abbot in August and, while that form is a long way off what will be needed, he is capable of an even better performance.

His impressive 5-5 record at Hexham is another positive because that is an undulating left-handed track with an uphill finish just like Cheltenham, so it's worth having an each-way bet on him.

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.

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