CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL DAY ONE TIPS AND PREVIEW: ARKLE TROPHY

The softening conditions at the Cheltenham Racecourse are throwing a real monkey wrench into the plans of Cheltenham punters all over the place as Kalahari King and I'msingingtheblues were expected to compete, but that was dependent on firm ground. The softening conditions open things up significantly for both Calgary Bay and Tatenen and I think this one will be another chapter in the ongoing duel that we'll see in most of the major Cheltenham Festival races- the battle between A P McCoy and Ruby Walsh.Deposit between £10 and £100, make a win single bet and Blue Square will credit your account with a matched FREE BET up to £100!Calgary Bay brings my most important qualification to the fore and that is a winning track record at Cheltenham. His two career wins have both come at Cheltenham, conveniently with A P McCoy on top both times, and I expect a result here. His price is very much competitive at 6/1. He represents a very good opportunity for the Irish punters to secure an away victory- he is one of the most under-rated horses at the entire festival. At 6 years-old, he's in prime condition and this could be a career-defining victory for Calgary Bay. Tatenen also fulfills my criteria for a possible victory, having won at Cheltenham with Sam Thomas piloting back in November during the Independent Newspaper Novices Chase. This isn't one of Paul Nicholls most famous horses, but he's a competent jumper with an expert on top coming out of arguably the best yard in English racing. At the moment, Tatenen is ahead of Calgary Bay with a price around 4/1. Both of these horses are excellent shouts for an each-way bet, but I can see a very nice-looking forecast bet with these two shaping up. I'msingingtheblues or Kalahari King will complete your tri-cast. Recommendation: Calgary Bay E/W @ 6/1Tatenen E/W @ 4/1Forecast Calgary Bay/Tatenen 6/1 x 4/1