Izzy Phillips: Cheltenham Festival Day 1

Lossiemouth - Too Good For This Lot?

Day one of the Cheltenham Festival brings some of the week's most anticipated races. From British hopes looking for redemption in the Arkle to a brilliant mare looking to cement her legacy in the Champion Hurdle, the stakes couldn't be higher. Here are my top picks and insights for two of Tuesday’s championship highlights.

14:00 Cheltenham

Arkle
Selection: Lulamba
Lulamba has really impressed me in all his starts so far. He felt unlucky to have been beaten in the Triumph at the Festival last year and he’s back this year for vengeance. Unlike Kopek Des Bordes, he is coming here match fit, with his scheduled prep all seeming to have gone to plan. I think this will be one in the Prestbury Cup for the Brits and I really want him to silence the doubters.

14:00 Cheltenham - Lulamba to win @13/8

16:00 Cheltenham

Champion Hurdle
Selection: Lossiemouth
I follow Lossiemouth wherever she goes and I’m so pleased to see her take her chance in the Champion Hurdle. We’ve had some incredible mares win and run in the Champion Hurdle over the past few years, with the likes of Annie Power and Honeysuckle. Lossiemouth feels as if she’s been good enough for a while now and I think she can win what appears to be a weak renewal of the race. I’m forgiving her last run at Leopardstown and it’s interesting to see if she will wear cheekpieces.

16:00 Cheltenham - Lossiemouth to win @2/1

(*odds accurate at the time of publishing)