Wednesday wagers

There's life in the old boy yet. Not a bad start to Philippos's 2019 Cheltenham Festival week care of some placed, big-priced each-way selections: Thomas Derby (2nd, SP 28/1), Us And Them (2nd, 14/1 advised at 16/1), and even Flying Angel (5th, advised at 50/1, SP 25/1) if you found a bookmaker who paid extra places in the Ultima.

Time waits for no-one, though, so thoughts now turn to day two which is traditionally my favourite of the week. The imperious Istabraq made his Festival debut in the (then) 1997 Sun Alliance Hurdle, now the Ballymore, before subsequently going on to secure three Champion Hurdles on the spin in 1998, 1999, and 2000.

The Ballymore (1.30) typically features some cracking horses to follow in the future. Ditto, today's RSA Insurance Novices' Chase (2.10) which could easily supply us with next year's ante-post Gold Cup favourite. Last year's RSA winner, Presenting Percy, is at the top of the market for Friday's Blue Riband which promises to be a decent renewal.

Throw in the Queen Mother Champion Chase (3.30) with the brilliant Altior looking for back-to-back victories, the fiendishly competitive Coral Cup (2.50), plus the Weatherbys Champion Bumper (5.30) and all's set fair for a wonderful (and hopefully not too windy) Wednesday.

1.30
Win: Champ (3/1, generally)
Each-way: Castlebawn West (25/1, generally)

2.10
Win: Delta Work (2/1, generally), Topofthegame (7/2, generally)

2.50
Win: Brio Conti (10/1, generally)
Each-way: Apple's Shakira (16/1, generally), Joke Dancer (33/1, generally)

3.30 Queen Mother Champion Chase
Each-way: Politologue (25/1, generally)

4.10
Each-way: Fact Of The Matter (16/1, generally)

4.50
Each-way: Dogon (22/1 generally), Our Power (25/1, generally), Praeceps (25/1 generally)

5.30
Win: Envoi Allen (7/2, generally), Meticulous (8/1, generally)