Horse Racing Tips: Tanya Stevenson's Selections For The Cheltenham Festival

Tanya Stevenson's Selections For The Cheltenham Festival

• The Panel Selection 1: Fred Winter (Tuesday - 16:40) - Total Look - Win
• The Panel Selection 2: Champion Chase (Wednesday - 16:00) - Libberty Hunter - Each-Way
• The Panel Selection 3: Grand Annual (Wednesday - 16:40) - Libberty Hunter - Win
• The Panel Selection 4: Pertemps Final (Thursday - 14:20) - Jipcot - Win
• The Panel Selection 5: Stayers Hurdle (Thursday - 16:00) - Gowel Road - Eash-Way

Cheltenham is bracing itself for the impact of thousands racing enthusiasts descending on the town and there is not much longer to wait.  

Brighterdaysahead will take on Constitution Hill in the Champion Hurdle and that confirmation sent social media into a frenzy.  

The Cheltenham Festival has always been work for me in various guises, from keeping the guvnor up to date with the current prices in the early 1980s, clerking from the mid 1980s to sending the current betting shows to the betting shops in early 1990s.

I was John McCririck's runner as well as reporting in the actual betting ring for Channel 4 from the 2000s and in the last few years assisting ITV Racing.

Everyone in attendance or looking on from afar is seeking that edge, a little gem, any angle to guide towards a winner.  

Whether you are an owner, trainer, jockey or punter, a Cheltenham Festival winner is extra special. Fair play to many of you who are holding ante-post vouchers. That’s a skill of its own.  

My preference is always to wait until they are virtually at the post, watch the market mature and eek out those subtle late movements as these can tell their own tale.

Across the years, though, I have been lucky, very lucky to have been invited to sit on various Cheltenham Festival Preview Panels and this year is no exception.

Combined with a few stats, what I have taken on board from how races unfold throughout the years, what I have seen on my daily dip in to live races or watch replays here are my early thoughts.

There are plenty of bookmakers offering non-runner no bet so double-check as it gets closer to March 11. There are going to be nervy times for all as a few equine heroes will miss the meeting.

Tanya Stevenson Panel Tips 1 & 2: Libberty Hunter - Champion Chase Or Grand Annual (Wednesday)

There are plenty who are still engaged in more than one race, one of those which I like is Libberty Hunter, who has a couple of options on Wednesday. 

It’s either the Queen Mother Champion Chase or 40 minutes later in the Grand Annual. 

At this stage, I’d have a crack at the Grade 1. He is a massive price, but he can be ridden quietly, or as near as you can in a race run at a frenetic pace and then creep into the contest from three out and maybe snatch a place.  

So it’s the each-way option there.

Tanya Stevenson Panel Tip 3: Total Look - Fred Winter (Tuesday)

Total Look is my selection in Tuesday’s Fred Winter. He ran to a fair level over a mile and a half on the flat in his last performance, which saw him just go down over a length to Prairie Angel conceding 9lb.  

On hurdle debut, he really filled the eye beating Beyond Your Dreams (who he is likely to reoppose) and Wendrock. He gave weight to the pair and looked to have much more to come.

Gavin Cromwell shrewdly, in my opinion, took the decision to give Total Look a sighter of Cheltenham in a Triumph Hurdle Trial in December.

He started favourite, finished third and was totally ignored as all the focus was on the resulting dead-heat. He has since raced in hock deep heavy ground at Punchestown. 

He couldn’t have failed to catch the eye when he finished really strongly in closing stages, so much so that the stewards had a look. He has done nothing but carry welter burdens against fair opponents and his best part of the race is the end. 

Tanya Stevenson Panel Tip 4: Jipcot - Pertemps Final (Thursday)

Thursday could be a busy day and I'll confirm all my thoughts on the daily blog. Jipcot ran on quietly at Haydock last time and was detached early.

By the time he was brought into the Pertemps qualifier, the race was all but over and he expended plenty of energy to get into contention. It’s worth watching. 

Prior to that, he was caught up in the hustle and bustle of Windsor, where weaving through was nearly impossible, but he managed a third, and the fifth - Gwennie May Boy - went on to win the Grade 2 Rendlesham. 

Jipcot has multiple options at present, but seeing as though he went to the trouble of qualifying for the Pertemps, I thought it might be his aim.

Tanya Stevenson Panel Tip 5: Gowel Road - Stayers Hurdle (Thursday)

Gowel Road is one of the toughest horses in training, and he has been brilliant all season. He knows Cheltenham better than Clerk of the Course Jon Pullin as he has run there so often and he is brilliantly versatile.

I believe, as proved by the Cleeve Hurdle, he is better over three miles. The ground won't be a problem as he is proven on all surfaces.  

Plus, he has matured and strengthened up this season and all those attributes are going to serve him well in a battle against Teahupoo.

Good luck in all your studying and here is to a brilliant week.