Happy New Year! Welcome to 2024, and a day of racing with Cheltenham as its traditional highlight.

There's also Musselburgh, Newcastle's all-weather, Exeter, Fairyhouse and Tramore. A terrific start.

A couple of winners for the ITV piece on Saturday (5/1 and 10/11), plus a few places, so we're in reasonable nick as we say farewell to 2023.

It will be Cheltenham 'proper' before we know it, then Aintree, all those spring and summer festivals (Newmarket, York, Ascot, Goodwood etc) - can't wait!

So much to look forward to. Can't say I'm a fan of winter - the sport's fabulous but the weather? Not for me. The countdown to spring, and the heralding of all those goodies listed above, is ON.

Right - time to fashion an ITV Lucky 15. This is what they're showing us today; Monday, January 1st 2024. I'll draw my four selections from the following races to be shown live on the channel this afternoon.

12:55 Cheltenham - Winchcombe Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase
13:10 Musselburgh - Hair Of The Dog Handicap Hurdle
13:30 Cheltenham - Paddy Power Handicap Chase
14:05 Cheltenham - Paddy Power New Year’s Day Handicap Chase
14:20 Musselburgh - ‘Auld Reekie’ Handicap Chase
14:40 Cheltenham - Paddy Power Handicap Hurdle
15:15 Cheltenham - Dornan Engineering Relkeel Hurdle

This is an example of how to put together a Lucky 15 - if you can improve upon my selections (of course you can), then go for it!

Prices can of course fluctuate between publishing our pieces and race-time. As a guide, a £0.50p win Lucky 15 on today's selections, at the prices, and assuming all four were successful, would return around £188 for your total £7.50 stake.

Popular legend confirms that Fred, 'The Bonus King,' invented the 'Lucky' series of bets and their bonuses. Want the lowdown - all the ins and outs? My colleague Adam has set out all you need to know with this handy guide - take a look by clicking here.

12.55 Cheltenham - Petit Tonnere @ 11/4

A small but select field of novices, with little separating four of the five runners in the market.

Petit Tonnere is a Jonjo O'Neill Snr and Jr conveyance, owned by JP McManus. Those glistening green and gold silks plotting their way around the greatest National Hunt course in the world for me is just perfect.

The 6-yr-old French-bred gelding has performed with credit in his two novice chases to date - one here, and latterly in a Grade One no less at Sandown, the Henry VIII. An occasional jump to his left there didn't help and should that happen today it will be far less important on this left-hand track.

The ground was heavy that day, he didn't quite get to land a blow, and though Sandown's a stiff test he gets the famous hill here AND a furlong further in which to organise himself.

I respect greatly Matata for the Twiston-Davies stable, but wouldn't swop Petit Tonnere, which I believe in English means 'Little Thunder.' Let's hope for an appropriately electric start to our afternoon.

13.10 Musselburgh - In This World @ 9/4

Harry and Dan Skelton are raiding Musselburgh this afternoon and I'm taking the massive hint that such a trip wouldn't be entertained, especially not on a Cheltenham day, without very bright hopes of success.

In This World was a staying-on fifth at jumping HQ last time 17 days ago and gets another three furlongs this afternoon, which could suit very nicely. It seems he's had his issues but that last run advertised his well-being, and the In This World syndicate will doubtless be out in full force to cheer him on today.

Class 2 handicap here, up from a 3, but he's lightly-raced with surely more to come.

13.30 Cheltenham - Cloudy Glen @ 3/1

If in doubt, when the mud's flying, who you gonna call? Venetia!

31% strike-rate in the last 14 days for Ms Williams, and her chasers seem to thrive like few others under these deep ground conditions. Cloudy Glen has earned topweight of 11st 12lb here but none of the small 5-runner field gets more than 10lb - only one of them in fact, currently the outsider in the betting.

Decent reappearing efforts in two big chases here and at Newbury should have put him spot-on for this, and though 11 years young, this looks right up his street to me.

14.20 Musselburgh - Frere D'Armes @ 7/4

We're on the Skelton bandwagon once again - and Frere D'Armes has in my view an outstanding chance. It's my nap of the afternoon.

The 7-yr-old gelding ran a blinder at Ascot 37 days ago when getting to within half-a-length of the brilliant Boothill in a £65,000-to-the-winner chase. He gets an extra 3.5 furlongs here which looks to be a bonus.

He raced off 133 at Ascot - and is up just a pound today. That last run is up there with anything achieved in the past, and he's won before at venues of the calibre of Newbury and Kempton. I like his prospects a lot.

Have a wonderful afternoon of sport - and good luck!

Lucky 15 tips, from Betfred Insights.