‘I fell in love with him’ – Davy Russell gives his Cheltenham Festival best bet

The final declarations for Day 1 of the Cheltenham Festival are now in, which means we’re just 48 hours away from kick off. Davy Russell is a man that has ridden plenty of winners at the Festival and he’s certainly a shrewd judge. With that in mind, the fact that he has given his best bet of the entire meeting is of major interest and it could be worth taking note. Why not check out our free tips page for daily content across British and Irish racing.

‘I’d say he’s a fair horse’

Russell has a long association with the Gordon Elliot yard and it’s one of his bumper runners that has caught Russell’s eye. Romeo Coolio is the horse in question and Russell was very enthusiastic in his praise of him. He said “I fell in love with him the day he won his point-to-point at Belclare for Donnchadh Doyle and I know all the lads in Gordon’s love him too. He probably ran in a bumper at Fairyhouse that he shouldn’t have run in, but he still won it. I’d say he’s a fair horse.” That’s high praise indeed and he’s got to be worth keeping an eye on.

One outsider to watch

Another one for Gordon Elliott, Russell picked out Saint Felicien as one to watch. He added: “I fancy Saint Felicien wherever he shows up. You can get 14-1 for both the Grand Annual and the Plate, and I’d say it will all depend on the ground as regards which one he shows up in. He has a similar sort of profile to Chosen Mate, who I won the Grand Annual on back in 2020.”

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