Cheltenham Festival tips 2023: Friday's best bets from Racing Post experts

Day four of the Cheltenham Festival is upon us – but who do our top tipsters fancy most?

Pembroke

2.10 Cheltenham

By Paul Kealy

If Britain is to get on the board it might well be in the McCoy Contractors County Handicap Hurdle (2.10) as the four-run requirement means Willie Mullins hasn't managed to sneak a Grade 1 horse in off a very low mark this year.

Hunters Yarn may of course be the one, but he is 6lb higher than State Man a year ago and the Irish horse to beat is almost certainly Filey Bay, who was an excellent second in the Betfair Hurdle from way off the pace.

He has to be feared, but Dan Skelton has a terrific record in this and his Pembroke is one who could have got in very lightly.

The six-year-old won the second and third of his hurdles starts over 2m with any amount in hand, and he travelled like a high-class performer when second in a Ballymore trial here in January, but clearly didn't quite get home.

A strong-run 2m1f is going to be right up his alley and he's the main fancy now.

Pembroke14:10 Cheltenham

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Jky: Harry Skelton Tnr: Dan Skelton

Corbetts Cross

2.50 Cheltenham

By Kevin Morley

Best on the trends is Corbetts Cross, who progressed to land a Grade 2 at Naas on his first start for Emmet Mullins last month. It is likely his adept trainer can eke further improvement out of him.

Embassy Gardens is feared most ahead of Three Card Brag, with Dawn Rising best of those at longer odds.

Corbetts Cross14:50 Cheltenham

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Jky: Mark Walsh Tnr: Emmet Mullins

Cool Survivor

5.30 Cheltenham

By Tom Segal

Elliott has won this with strong stayers, Blow By Blow and Champagne Classic, and would have won it again but for a last-hurdle fall of Column Of Fire, who also stayed much further than two and half miles.

Cool Survivor is from a similar mould in that he finished well in the Grade 1 over 2m6f at the Dublin Racing Festival and, providing he can keep in touch coming down the hill, I doubt there will be anything finishing better.

Cool Survivor17:30 Cheltenham

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Jky: Sam Ewing Tnr: Gordon Elliott

Imagine

5.30 Cheltenham

By Conor Fennelly

I have been waiting for Imagine to step up in trip all season and he looks like he could be well handicapped off 139 in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle.

The five-year-old split Hercule Du Seuil and Three Card Brag in a Grade 3 at Navan last November in a race that was very strong on the clock, and was then a close second to Inothewayurthinkin in a slowly run race at Gowran.

Imagine turned in another promising effort on faster than ideal ground when finishing runner-up to Hunters Yarn over 2m at Navan last time. He looks to have a cracking chance on his first run in a handicap now stepped up to 2m4½f.

Imagine17:30 Cheltenham

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Jky: Ben Harvey Tnr: Gordon Elliott

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