Cheltenham Tips: Friday November Meeting Day 1 Best Bets
Craig Jones 
It's day one of the Cheltenham November meeting and the first of three days where I guide you through my Cheltenham tips and best bets.
I've also got the latest odds from UK betting sites for the races I cover, so you can see where the betting markets are heading for each race.
Cheltenham Tips for Friday November 14
Time to dive in, my tips are exclusive to Free Bets for every day of the November meeting, so make sure to check back and see what I fancy for Saturday and Sunday, released on the morning of each day!
Tip 1: Lord Baddesley - 1:45pm Cheltenham
To begin, I like the chances of Lord Baddesley in the veterans chase over 2m4f. The Anthony Honeyball runner was excellent last week, leading all the way to claim a facile success, and comes here under a 7lb penalty for that win.
Now, it was only a three runner race, and you can easily argue he had everything his own way, but there was no doubt in my mind that he'd also benefitted greatly from a summer wind op.
While up to a mark of 128 with the penalty, that still only puts him back to where he started last season, and second time up last season did run well off 127 in a much better race than this.
In veterans company, and on a track where we've seen front runners get away from the field before, I think he's a solid play here to go and win again.
Tip 2: Wade Out (NAP) - 2:20pm Cheltenham
The exciting Wade Out (NAP) won on chasing debut three weeks ago, and did it over a completely inadequate trip, which was plenty too short for him, he got up despite that, and I think there's plenty more to come over further.
He gets that today, up to 3m1f, and it's only going to bring out more from him. A good jumper, battle proven runner, he always looked the sort to improve for the bigger obstacles, and I think today is where he really comes to life.
Leave Of Absence sets a high standard, four runs so plenty of experience and a course winner last time out, but I think Wade Out has the potential to improve past him, and gets a 3lb advantage at the weights here too.
A tougher test, but with plenty more in his favour compared to last time, Wade Out is the pick here.
Tip 3: Libberty Hunter 2:55pm Cheltenham
Winner for the last two years in this contest, Jonbon is as good as anything over two miles in Britain, but at odds on, first time up and with plenty of rain forecast for Friday morning, I think there's value in taking him on.
My pick is Libberty Hunter, a horse who loves Cheltenham, and as far as the rain goes, the more that comes, the better, he'll handle it while it will really inconvenience many others in the field.
A faller in the Champion Chase when last seen, just as the race was hotting up, he was there but who knows how that challenge would have gone.
I'm not saying he's the best horse in this race, but if the rain comes as bad as is expected, I think it's an opportunity for him to catch the others while things are going against them.
Tip 4: King's Bucks (EW) 3:30pm Cheltenham
The last of my Cheltenham tips is Kings' Bucks each way in the novice hurdle at 3:30pm. I don't think we've seen anywhere near the best of him, but slowly, we will now he's over hurdles and up in trip.
I'm taking a chance on the fact that I don't think Henry de Bromhead would send over a complete no hoper, but there is good reason to think this horse can improve plenty on what we've seen so far.
A winning pointer over three miles, you assume staying chase races is where his future lies, over 2m5f today, at least he's got the staying part, and he has it for the first time.
Running over 2m2f in a bumper he was second last year, before being dropped to 2m for his hurdles debut, a never nearer fourth where he struggled to go the gallop.
It's a race full of potential, he's a runner that certainly has that, and for the first time under rules, he has a distance something like what he needs today, so I'll take an each way chance on him.
Cheltenham Racecard - Friday November 14
Alongside our horse racing tips for the day, here's a look at the racecard in full for Cheltenham's first day of racing on Friday.
| Time | Race |
| 1:10pm | Conditional Jockey Handicap Hurdle (2m5f) |
| 1:45pm | Veterans Handicap Chase (2m4f) |
| 2:20pm | Listed Novices' Chase (3m1f) |
| 2:55pm | Shloer Chase (Grade Two) (2m) |
| 3:30pm | Hyde Novices' Hurdle (Grade Two) (2m5f) |
| 4:00pm | Novices' Handicap Hurdle (2m1/2f) |
How to Watch Cheltenham November Meeting on TV
The Cheltenham November meeting has coverage live on ITV Racing for all three days, with additional races covered by Racing TV.
On Friday, there are four races covered live on ITV4, the 1:45pm, 2:20pm, 2:55pm and 3:30pm.
The first and last races at 1:10pm and 4:00pm will both be live on Racing TV.
More Cheltenham Tips
For more betting tips for Cheltenham this weekend, make sure you visit the pages of our resident experts Alan Kelly and Charlie McCann, who will both have selections across the three days.
