Your top tips for the opening day of Cheltenham from Hayley O’Connor of Ladbrokes

By Hayley O'Connor

It has arrived.

The waiting, the debating - it's over. Now it's time to nail your colours to the mast and put your money on your picks for the first day of the AWESOME Cheltenham festival. All the chat at the track this morning is about Vautour running in the Ryanair Chase rather than the Gold Cup. Personally, I'm gutted, but let's not divert our attention to Friday's show piece, and stick to the task at hand: Making money. In the opener, the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, Min had been really heavily backed even before he made his Irish début well before Christmas. Then the tides started turning and he's been weak in the betting this past few days. I started to consider backing alternatives, such as Supasundae and Silver Concorde, and if the favourite wins this race and your selection comes second, you get your money back as a free bet, so I wouldn't put anyone off, however last night in bed I opened my laptop and watched Min's runs in his maiden hurdle and Moscow Flyer Hurdle. He pulls very strongly, which is a worry, but at his price, I simply can't build a big enough case to oppose him. I think he could be spectacular. The Arkle is simple, Douvan is going to win but at a terribly short price, so one to add in your multiple, but the next race, the Ultima Handicap Chase at 2.50, is wide open. I'll have a fiver on Kruzhlinin each-way. The Champion Hurdle is extremely hard to predict, and not with full confidence I am siding with Identity Thief. The Mares' Hurdle might not be the foregone conclusion the betting suggests and I'm going for an outsider to place in Stephanie Frances.   Sticking with the ladies, my money will be on Katie Walsh's mount Measureofmydreams in the 4.50 and in the last, the Novices' Handicap Chase, I'm going to be a bit less adventurous and stick with the favourite, Aloomomo. Happy Cheltenham and good luck!