Day 1 - Tuesday Day 1 – Tuesday 10th March 2020 Time Race Grade Length Tip 1:30pm Supreme Novices' Hurdle Grade 1 2m½f Fiddlerontheroof EW 2:10pm Arkle Chase Grade 1 2m Esprit Du Large EW 2:50pm Ultima Handicap Chase Grade 3 3m1f Discorama 3:30pm Champion Hurdle Grade 1 2m½f Darver Star EW 4:10pm Mares' Hurdle Grade 1 2m4f Benie Des Dieux 4:50pm Northern Trust H'cap Chase Listed 2m4f Espoir De Guye EW 5:30pm National Hunt Cup Grade 2 3m6f Springfield Fox EW As ever the meeting kicks off with one of the most anticipated moments in the National Hunt game, as the famous Cheltenham roar greets the start of the opening Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. That opener is just one of four Grade 1 contests on Day 1, headlined by the Champion Hurdle, which looks to be a wide-open affair in 2020. With quality handicapping action, the big race of the week for the mares, and one of the classiest novice chases of the season also on offer, it doesn’t take long to remember exactly why this is the most spectacular meeting of the year. But which horses are going to win on Day 1? 1:30pm – Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m½f Fiddlerontheroof each way at 7/1 with Ladbrokes Owner Mrs J Donnelly looks to boast a mightily strong hand in the opener, with her duo of Shiskin and Asterion Forlonge currently vying for favouritism in the Supreme. Hailing from the yards of three-time winner Nicky Henderson and six-time champ, Willie Mullins respectively, it is not hard to see why this duo have gravitated towards the head of the market. Both Shiskin and Asterion Forlonge arrive on the back of seriously impressive wins last time out, but of the two we would just favour the Irish challenger. Whilst Shiskin did it easily when scoring by 11 lengths at Huntingdon, that effort did come down at Listed level. Asterion Forlonge in contrast was last sighted destroying a Grade 1 field in the Chanelle Pharma Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown. Expected to stay further in time, the soft ground will be to the advantage of this likeable grey and he looks solid to go well. At a shade over double the price of the top two in the market though, the bet in the race for us is an each way punt on the Colin Tizzard-trained six year old, Fiddlerontheroof. Having shown smart form on ground likely quicker than ideal earlier in the season – when not beaten far by the talented duo of Edwardstone and Thyme Hill – this son of Stowaway has taken a big step forward in his two most recent starts on heavy and soft going. We loved the way he powered clear in the straight to land the Grade 1 Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown last time out – putting six lengths between himself and the field by the line – and with the strong pace of this race likely to suit, he is the one we want on our side when push comes to shove coming up the hill. 2:10pm – Racing Post Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase (Grade 1), 2m Esprit Du Large each way at 14/1 with bet365 The Irish have won four of the past five renewals of the Arkle Chase, and they look like being tough to beat in 2020 with the top three in the market all hailing from yards on the other side of the Irish Sea. It is the Henry De Bromhead-trained Notebook who is the one to beat on form having mastered second favourite Fakir D’oudairies and third favourite Cash Back already this season. We do see Fakir D’oudairies improving for a more forceful ride, but he is seven pounds worse off with Notebook for a one and a half length defeat, which makes life tough. Cash Back only has three quarters of a length to make up with the jolly, and hailing from the yard of Willie Mullins, it wouldn’t be the biggest surprise should he find the required improvement on the big day. Overall though, we find it tough to split the top three, and prefer to side with one at a bigger price. The one to be on at double figure odds is the Evan Williams-trained Esprit Du Large. Already a winner in Grade 1 company having scored in good style in Sandown’s Henry VIII Novices Chase back in December, he will arrive here a fresh horse having not been sighted at the track since, and may well have improved at home in the interim. The Williams yard is going well this season, and this one would likely be a few points shorter if hailing from one of the British or Irish training powerhouses. 2:50pm – Ultima Handicap Chase (Grade 3), 3m1f Discorama at 9/1 with Coral The Kim Bailey-trained Vinndication heads the betting for the opening handicap of the meeting, and it is easy to see why on the back of a strong staying performance at Ascot last time out – on what was his first start since a wind operation. He is up eight pounds for that, but was by no means flattered by the five-length winning margin and boasts strong form claims. He did however disappoint slightly in the JLT here last season in his only previous Festival start, which is just enough to put us off at a single figure price. Kildisart actually finished ahead of Vinndication in last season’s JLT Novices’ Chase and looks solid to go well over the additional distance of this race. The current soft ground may just be against the Ben Pauling runner though. Paul Nolan’s Discorama hasn’t shown much in three starts this season, but the latest of those runs did come back in December, and we wouldn’t be at all surprised were he to prove to be an entirely different proposition here. This son of Saddler Maker has lined up at two previous Cheltenham Festivals, and has run an excellent race to finish second on both occasions; firstly when no match for Blow By Blow in the 2018 Martin Pipe Conditional jockeys race, and latterly when just giving best close home in last season’s National Hunt Chase. He gets in off the same mark of 148 here, and with the possibility of improvement for a recent wind operation, he is fancied to at least make the frame once again. 3:30pm – Unibet Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy (Grade 1), 2m½f Darver Star each way at 12/1 with BetVictor Of the championship races at this year’s festival, the Champion Hurdle looks the toughest to unravel, with a decent case to be made for any number of these in what – on paper at least – doesn’t look to be the strongest renewal. Nicky Henderson’s Epatante heads the betting on the back of impressive successes in a Listed event at Newbury, and in the Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle at Kempton. In possession of an excellent turn of foot, she may prove tough to repel if close enough turning for home. She was however well beaten in the Mares’ Hurdle at last year’s Festival, which is enough to make us look elsewhere. Another of the Henderson runners, Pentland Hills, does have Festival form having landed the Triumph Hurdle last season, but needs to step up massively on what he has shown in the current campaign. Side instead with the rapidly improving Darver Star from the yard of last year’s winning trainer, Gavin Cromwell. Rated just 104 at this time last year, a consistent run of form, including five wins, now sees him all the way up to 158. An excellent second to the unbeaten Honeysuckle in the Irish version of this race last time out, he was clawing the ground back all the way to the line that day, and the stiff finish up the hill on soft ground may well suit him ideally. 4:10pm – Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle (Grade 1), 2m4f Benie Des Dieux to win at 8/11 with bet365 The aforementioned Honeysuckle lines up in our next contest, and must have a big chance in what is the showpiece event of the week for the mares. Unbeaten in seven career starts – including three wins in Grade 1 company – she landed the Irish Champion Hurdle last time out, but heads here instead of taking her shot at the big one. The Henry De Bromhead runner will most likely make a bold bid, but we fancy this may be the race in which her winning run comes to an end. Defending champ Roksana makes just about the most appeal at an each way price, but for us the one that they all have to beat is the Willie Mullins-trained Benie Des Dieux. The winner of this race in 2018, she appeared certain to successfully defend her crown 12 months ago, only to come to grief at the final fence. A winner of all eight completed starts since joining Mullins in December 2016, she warmed up for this with a 21-length demolition job in the Galmoy Hurdle at Gowran Park. Touted as a potential Stayers’ Hurdle contender on the back of that romp, she heads here instead – in what would look a significantly weaker race than the Stayers’ – and provided she is able to avoid any mishaps this time around, she looks like being tough to beat. 4:50pm – Northern Trust Company Novices’ Handicap Chase (Listed), 2m4f Espoir De Guye each way at 12/1 with bet365 We return to handicapping action for the penultimate race on the opening day, in a contest in which youth has been favoured of late, with eight of the past nine to have come home in front being seven years old or younger. Those towards the head of the handicap have also tended to struggle in this, with eight of the past 10 being saddled with 11st8lb or less on the day. Of those to meet each of the above criteria, the one we like best is the Venetia Williams-trained Espoir De Guye. Having just his fourth chase start here, this six year old gelding arrives in the form of his life having hacked up by 10 lengths when last sighted at Ascot in December. He does get a whopping 14 pound rise in the handicap for that, but did it oh so easily from the useful Paul Nicholls runner, My Way that day, and looks likely to be ideally suited by the probable soft ground. 5:30pm – National Hunt Challenge Cup Amateur Riders’ Novices’ Chase (Grade 2), 3m6f Springfield Fox each way at 8/1 with bet365 The closing race on the opening day has experienced a few changes since the 2019 renewal of the race which saw only four horses complete the contest. The most significant of these alterations concerns the reduction in the race’s distance to 3m6f. That still makes the event the joint longest contest of the meeting though, and with the ground riding as it is, it would be no surprise to see this turn into a real slog once again. The Willie Mullins-trained Carefully Selected is the clear market leader, and certainly looks the type to be well suited by the demands of this contest. At around the 6/4 mark though he is a little on the short side for our liking, considering he can throw in the odd jumping error, and is yet to race over this far. We prefer an each way punt in the finale, and the one to carry out cash will be the Tom George runner, Springfield Fox. A perfect three from three in Point to Point’s, this one has improved with every start under rules, and really impressed us with his staying power when cruising home six lengths to the good in a heavy ground three mile contest at Exeter last time out. This is a big step in class, but his run style suggests the additional distance may well bring out more, and we like his chances of at least making the frame.

Day 2 - Wednesday Day 2 – Wednesday 11th March 2020 Time Race Grade Length Tip 1:30pm Ballymore Novices' Hurdle Grade 1 2m5f Sporting John 2:10pm RSA Novices' Chase Grade 1 3m½f Easy Game EW 2:50pm Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle Grade 3 2m5f Eglantine Du Seuil EW 3:30pm Queen Mother Champion Chase Grade 1 2m Defi Du Seuil 4:10pm Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase Class 2 3m6f Tiger Roll 4:50pm Boodles Juvenile Hurdle Grade 3 2m½f Saint D’oroux EW 5:30pm Champion Bumper Grade 1 2m½f Appreciate It Each of the four days of this excellent Cheltenham Festival meeting has its own unique selling points, but Wednesday is perhaps the day when the sights in the stands gives the action on the track the biggest run for its money, as the fairer sex pull out all the stops on Ladies Day. It is the racing which still takes centre stage of course, with four top level Grade 1 events on offer, spearheaded by the Queen Mother Champion Chase, which this year looks to have the potential to be one of the races of the meeting. Read on for our take on each of the Day Two contests. 1:30pm – Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1), 2m5f Sporting John to win at 7/2 with Betfair12.9411. Gordon Elliott’s Envoi Allen is the obvious one in the opener, and for many is the Irish-trained banker of the entire meeting. Unbeaten in seven career starts headed into this race, he also boasts course form, having come home three quarters of a length to the good in the Champion Bumper on this day last year. A winner of two Grade 1 Novice events over in Ireland this season, all ground seems to come alike to this one, and it’s hard to knock his claims. He is a short price though in a field packed with likely improvers, and considering he will be running over this 2m5f trip for the first time it might be risky to back him with too much confidence. Whilst he did score comfortably enough over 2m4f in the Lawlor’s Of Naas Novice Hurdle last time out, he didn’t look to be crying out for an additional furlong. At the prices, we will take him on. The aptly named giant of a horse, The Big Getaway, could prove very dangerous for Willie Mullins if able to dominate from the front, whilst the similarly named The Big Breakaway also makes plenty of appeal for Colin Tizzard following an unbeaten start to his career. The one we like best of all though is the Philip Hobbs runner, Sporting John. Going in the green and gold of JP McManus, this one is a perfect three from three over hurdles, with the form of his novice win at Exeter earlier in the season working out particularly well. Like a few of these he is up in trip, but looked to be well within himself when powering clear over 2m3½f at Ascot last time out, and looks to have the class to take this. 2:10pm – RSA Insurance Novices’ Chase (Grade 1), 3m½f Easy Game each way at 11/1 with BetVictor This race has historically proven to be a pretty good pointer towards future Gold Cup success, and if there is one horse in this year’s line up with the class to contest the Festival’s Blue Riband event in years to come, then it would look to be the Nicky Henderson-trained Champ. Impressive in landing each of his first two starts over fences, he then blotted his copybook when coming to grief at the second last flight at this track last time out. In truth that was a rare error, as he does jump well in the main, but the fact that it came at this track does pose a slight question mark, and is just enough to put us off at a short price. Colin Tizzard’s Copperhead is the big improver in the field and can go well, whilst 2019 Albert Bartlett first and third Minella Indo and Allaho also make the shortlist. The one for us at a double figure price though is the Willie Mullins second string, Easy Game. This one beat Allaho two starts back but is available at more than double the price of that runner here. Arriving on the back of an excellent effort when only going down narrowly to Faugheen over 2m5f last time out, he is up in trip, but the manner in which he has been finishing his races suggests the additional distance may well suit. 2:50pm – Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3), 2m5f Eglantine Du Seuil each way at 20/1 with Coral Just about the most competitive handicap contest of the week comes up next, with the 2020 edition of the Coral Cup looking as fiendishly difficult to solve as ever. With no winning favourites in the past 10 years, and nine of the winners over that period returning a double figure SP, this looks an ideal race for an each way punt: particularly with sponsors Coral amongst the firms paying out on the first six. JP McManus looks to boast a mightily strong hand here, with each of Birchdale, Alfa Mix, Dame De Compagnie and Top Moon looking to have the potential to go very well. Top Moon in particular looks solid each way value for Joseph O’Brien, with this step up in trip expected to suit, but we just prefer another. With seven of the final 26 runner field hailing from his yard, Willie Mullins certainly boasts strength in numbers. There’s quality as well as quantity amongst that septet though, and whilst we wouldn’t be surprised should the totally unexposed Franco De Port attract the cash on the day, the one we want on our side is a mare who has been there and got the T-shirt when it comes to the Cheltenham Festival. Eglantine Du Seuil travelled like a dream in the mares’ novice event here last season before showing excellent speed inside the final furlong to get up by a short head at rewarding odds of 50/1. She’s not quite so big a price for this, but really caught our eye when putting in her best effort in some time when fourth at Leopardstown last time out. That run suggested she may well be coming to hand at just the right time for this, and she can hit the frame with the excellent Rachael Blackmore in the saddle. 3:30pm – Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1), 2m Defi Du Seuil to win at 5/4 with Ladbrokes The late withdrawal of Altior – the winner of the last two renewals of this race – has blown this race wide open for the six runners who remain in the field. The Day 2 feature will clearly not have the biggest field of the week, but anything the race lacks in terms of numbers, it certainly makes up in quality, at least towards to the top of the market. With Altior missing out, it looks as though it could turn into a straight head-to-head between the top two in the betting: Defi Du Seuil and Chacun Pour Soi. Currently heading the betting is the star of the Philip Hobbs yard, Defi Du Seuil. Already a dual Cheltenham Festival scorer having landed the 2017 Triumph Hurdle and 2019 JLT Novices’ Chase, this JP McManus-owned seven year old would appear to be arriving at the race in the form of his life. A perfect three from three this season, the manner in which he quickened to slam Un De Sceaux last time out in the Clarence House Chase was seriously impressive, whilst his ability to stay further is also a big factor in his favour. Leading the charge for Ireland is the Willie Mullins-trained, Chacun Pour Soi. Long touted as a potential candidate for this, that assessment looked to be in a little doubt when he was disappointingly turned over at odds-on in his seasonal return. That seems to have been no more than a blip though, as he bounced right back to form when seeing off stablemate Min in a Grade 1 at Leopardstown last time out. It is his effort in the Ryanair Novice Chase at the Punchestown Festival last season which really catches the eye though; a race in which he travelled beautifully before powering right away from non-other than Defi Du Seuil after the final flight. If in anything like that kind of form, he rates a huge threat. When all is said and done though, in the absence of Altior, we have to side with the new favourite, Defi Du Seuil. His aforementioned wins at the Festival, especially last year’s JLT success, will clearly stand him in good stead and we think he’ll take the race in his stride. Clearly Chacun Pour Soi cannot be wholly discounted, but for us, Defi just has the edge in this one. 4:10pm – Glenfarclas Chase (Class 2), 3m6f Tiger Roll to win at Evens with BetVictor Something a little different up next, with the unique spectacle that is the Cross Country Chase. Featuring all manner of unusual obstacles and banks to negotiate, there are only certain runners who can cope with the demands of this event, and as such, previous form over the fences can be worth its weight in gold. It therefore isn’t too surprising to see that the current first three in the betting market all have a previous win over the course and distance to their name. Easysland impressed when scoring by seven lengths here in December and has attracted plenty of support in the lead up to the race, whilst Urgent De Gregaine has been placed in each of the past two editions and looks likely to run his usual solid race. Former Gold Cup contender, Might Bite, and French raider, Diesel D’Allier, look interesting amongst those at bigger prices, but this may well prove to be about just the one horse. Gordon Elliott’s Tiger Roll will now forever be remembered as a dual Grand National winner, but it shouldn’t be forgotten just how much he likes it at the Cheltenham Festival. Already successful four times at this meeting, the two most recent of those wins have come in this very race, including when demolishing the opposition by 22-lengths 12 months ago. He hasn’t had quite so smooth a prep this time around due to a couple of niggly issues, but all is reportedly well now, and he had so much in hand last year that he won’t need to be quite at his peak in order to take this. 4:50pm – Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3), 2m½f Saint D’oroux each way at 18/1 with Ladbrokes This handicap contest restricted to the four year olds has been one of the toughest contests of the meeting to call in recent times, with the past 10 years seeing winners at 25/1 twice, 33/1 three times and 40/1. There have also been two winning favourites over this period, but overall it may be best to take an each way approach here, particularly with a number of firms offering five places. There are plenty of likeable sorts amongst the entries, including Thyme White and Palladium from the yards of Paul Nicholls and Nicky Henderson. Both arrive on the back of solid wins and can go close at a double figure price for their powerful yards. Overall though we just prefer the claims of Gordon Elliott’s Saint D’oroux. Elliott has won two of the past seven editions of this event, and would look to have the right ammunition once again in this Simon Munir and Isaac Souede-owned runner. Steadily progressive in each outing this season, he finally broke his duck last time out at Gowran Park, and broke it in some style too – sauntering clear by 24 lengths with Davy Russell barely moving a muscle throughout. One of the more attractively bred runners in the field, he looks nicely priced to hit the frame. 5:30pm – Weatherbys Champion Bumper (Grade 1), 2m½f Appreciate It to win at 7/4 with Ladbrokes The Irish have dominated the only flat race of the meeting of late, having registered six wins in the past eight years, including each of the last three editions. Despite a strong dual attack from David Pipe, with Panic Attack and Israel Champ, in addition to Alan King’s The Glancing Queen, who bids to improve on a slightly unlucky fifth in 2019, we fancy that this prize may be heading across the Irish Sea once again. Both Gordon Elliott and Willie Mullins are strongly represented in the race, and whilst the Elliott trio of Queens Brook, Eskylane and Darling Daughter are greatly respected, we suspect that the Willie Mullins-trained Appreciate It may prove to be very tough to beat. A winner of each of his last two starts, including when storming to a seven length success last time out at Leopardstown, in what looked to be just about the strongest bumper of the season to date, he looks worth backing to hand Mullins a remarkable 10th success in the race.

Day 3 - Thursday Day 3 – Thursday 12th March 2020 Time Race Grade Length Tip 1:30pm Marsh Novices' Chase Grade 1 2m4f Itchy Feet 2:10pm Pertemps Final Hurdle Grade 3 3m Sunset Showdown EW 2:50pm Ryanair Chase Grade 1 2m4½f Shattered Love EW 3:30pm Stayers' Hurdle Grade 1 3m Paisley Park 4:10pm Stable Plate Grade 3 2m4½f Blazer EW 4:50pm Mares' Novices' Hurdle Grade 2 2m1f Dolcita 5:30pm Kim Muir Chase Class 2 3m2f Deise Alba EW The greatest show on turf continues apace on Day 3 of the 2020 Cheltenham Festival as the track lays on it’s very own St. Patrick’s Day. That’s only right really considering how much our Irish cousins contribute to the meeting year after year - both on and off the track. This was just about the most emotion-drenched day of the meeting in 2019 thanks to the successes of Frodon and Paisley Park, and with those two both returning to defend their crowns in the feature contests of the Ryanair Chase and the Stayers’ Hurdle, we may well be in for more of the same in 2020. Here’s where our cash is going on the Thursday at Prestbury Park as we look to build on an enjoyable two days of racing thus far. 1:30pm – Marsh Novices’ Chase (Grade 1), 2m4f Itchy Feet to win at 7/2 with bet365 We have potentially one of the stories of the week in the opening contest on Day 3, as the Willie Mullins-trained Faugheen bids for a third Cheltenham Festival success at the grand old age of 12. There were plenty of calls for this former Champion Hurdler to be retired last year, but a belated switch to fences seems to have reinvigorated this Rich Ricci-owned runner, and on the back of successive Grade 1 wins back home in Ireland, he arrives here with leading claims. He’d be one of the most popular winners of the entire week if he can do it but this is a really competitive renewal. Another for our shortlist – and possibly the best each way value in the race – is another of the Mullins runners – Melon. This one is yet to get his head in front at Prestbury Park, but has never run a bad race at this venue – boasting overall form figures of 2322, including two runner-up finishes in the Champion Hurdle. He does need to step up on what he has shown over fences to date, but it would be no surprise to see him do so. The one for us though is Olly Murphy’s Itchy Feet. Third in what looked a typically strong Supreme Novices Hurdle at this meeting 12 months ago, the early evidence suggests that he may well scale even greater heights metaphorically speaking over the larger obstacles. It was certainly hard not have been impressed with his victory in the Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase last time out – a race in which he was cantering all over the field from a long way out, and ultimately won with a good bit to spare, despite making a bit of a hash of the second last. He looked all class that day, and is fancied to hand Murphy the biggest success of his career to date. 2:10pm – Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3), 3m Sunset Showdown each way at 33/1 with Ladbrokes We have a really cracking staying contest up next in a race which has been dominated by well-handicapped Irish contenders in recent years, with Gordon Elliott and Pat Kelly sharing the last four editions of the race between them. Pat Kelly doesn’t hold an entry this year, but Gordon Elliott looks to hold a very strong hand, with the top two in the market both hailing from his yard as he looks to put more Festival winners on the board. It is the 2018 Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate winner, The Storyteller who leads the way in the market having posted an ideal prep for this when staying on from off the pace to take sixth spot at Leopardstown last time out. He is 7lbs higher than for that run here, but that still puts him 12lbs below his peak chase mark, suggesting he may still be well in over these smaller obstacles. Also going for the Elliott yard is the 2019 winner of this, Sire Du Berlais. 7lbs higher than last year, he looks to be coming to the boil nicely and will likely make a bold bid to defend his crown. We are finding it tough to split the Elliott duo, and with both trading at a short price, we just prefer an each way punt in the race at longer odds. Going in the same JP McManus colours as Sire Du Berlais, the one who we fancy may be a touch overpriced is the Rebecca Curtis-trained Sunset Showdown. This one was given a trial over this course and distance when only going down narrowly to Tobefair – who finished a neck second in this race last year – and gets in off just a 2lb higher mark here. Considering that was his first run in 192 days, that effort can be upgraded somewhat, and any improvement for a recent wind-op would look to give him solid claims of at least hitting the frame. He did flop last time out over an inadequate trip at Uttoxeter, but that was likely no more than a tune up for this, and he looks worth chancing at a big double figure price. 2:50pm – Ryanair Chase (Grade 1), 2m4½f Shattered Love each way at 33/1 with BetVictor We’re sticking with a long odds each way bet in the next race of the day. This looks like being a really fascinating renewal of the Ryanair Chase this year, with the tough, tenacious, popular and talented, Frodon, likely to make a bold defence of his crown under the equally popular Bryony Frost. Below par in his first two starts this season, he re-entered the winner’s enclosure last time out at Kempton. That effort was certainly encouraging considering the Kempton track doesn’t really play to his strengths, and he looks solid to go well. Frodon has some stiff competition in the shape of two well-fancied Irish raiders. Last year’s 16-length Close Brothers Novice Handicap winner, A Plus Tard heads the betting, and if the form of his win over Chacun Pour Soi last time out is to be taken at face value then he may well be the one to beat. The Willie Mullins runner Min meanwhile is four from five at this trip – including three Grade 1 wins – and has excellent previous form at the Festival, having finished second to Altior in both the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and Queen Mother Champion Chase – no disgrace at all in that. Consistent and classy, he will be the choice of many. It looks very tough to choose between the first three in the market to our eyes, and at the prices we can’t resist an each way punt on the Gordon Elliott-trained mare, Shattered Love. Deemed good enough to contest last season’s Gold Cup (finished ninth), her only previous start over this course and distance came in the JLT Novices’ Chase in 2018, and resulted in a seven length success, with the likes of Kemboy, Finian’s Oscar and West Approach left trailing in her wake. She is admittedly far from consistent, but posted her best effort in some time when second to the talented Chris’s Dream last time out at Gowran Park, suggesting she may be coming back to her best just in time for this. Frankly, odds of 33/1 are just far too big and if things go her way she can definitely make the frame. 3:30pm – Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle (Grade 1), 3m Paisley Park to win at 4/6 with Betfair The big event for the top stamina laden hurdlers in training up next, in what looks set to be an intriguing renewal in 2020. We have a short odds-on favourites, one of the most fancied horses of the entire meeting, but even so this race has lots to pique the interest of fans of racing. Leading the charge for Ireland is the 2018 winner of this, Penhill, from the yard of Willie Mullins. Also boasting a victory in the Albert Bartlett Hurdle at this meeting in 2017, he does seem to thrive at Cheltenham at this time of year, and can’t be dismissed. Whilst his form this season needs stepping up on, perhaps the return to his favourite track can see him put his best foot forward once again. With wonder mare Apple’s Jade, and 2019 JLT winner City Island also going to post, the Irish can be expected to make a bold bid. The market would however suggest that this may be fought out by the home team, with the top three in the betting all hailing from British yards. Summerville Boy has a win in the 2018 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle to his name, and again ran well at the track when second in the Cleeve Hurdle last time out. He is expected to go well, as is the late gate crasher, Emitom, from the yard of Warren Greatrex, who announced himself as a contender for this when taking a huge step forward to land the Grade 2 Rendlesham Hurdle at Haydock last time out. Overall though it’s tough to see past the favourite, and current defending champion in this race - Emma Lavelle’s Paisley Park. This one provided one of the moments of the meeting last season when coming with an irresistible late surge to win going away by 2¾l for much-liked owner and Prince fan Andrew Gemmell, who has been blind since birth. That marked Paisley Park out as the king of the hill in the staying hurdle division, and there has been nothing in his two runs so far this season to suggest that he is yet ready to relinquish his crown. A winner over course and distance last time out in the Cleeve Hurdle, he is now unbeaten in his last seven starts, is fully 12lbs clear of the field on official ratings, and the one they all have to beat – or at least try and get close to. 4:10pm – Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate Handicap Chase (Grade 3), 2m4½f Blazer each way at 16/1 with Ladbrokes We have another of the festival’s fiendishly difficult handicap puzzles to solve in race five, with a maximum field of 24 set to go to post for this chase affair. Any positive trends which help whittle down the list of runners are always welcome in a contest such as this, and thankfully we do have a couple in evidence here concerning the age of, and weight carried by the winner. All bar one of the past 10 winners have been younger than 10 years of age, and nine of 10 have been saddled with less than 11st on the day. Those are two trends we don’t intend to ignore and immediately whittle things down a little. Of those that fit the bill this time around, Charmant makes some appeal at a really big price for the relatively small James Ewart operation, but narrow preference is for the Willie Mullins runner, Blazer. A versatile sort in terms of both trip and going, he bombed out on his seasonal return at Fairyhouse, but took a huge step forward when filling fourth spot in a competitive event at Leopardstown last time out. That suggests he is coming to hand at the right time of year and, only 2lbs higher than when runner up in the 2016 Coral Cup at this meeting, he is fancied to go well. 4:50pm – Daylesford Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2), 2m1f Dolcita to win at 7/1 with bet365 Having been something of a benefit event for favourite backers in the first three runnings, the newest edition to the Cheltenham Festival proved to be anything but 12 months ago, as the first seven home returned odds of 50/1, 66/1, 40/1, 25/1, 33/1, 50/1 and 100/1! That was a truly remarkable race but two things all four editions of this contest do have in common is that they have all been landed by Willie Mullins, and all four winners have been five years of age. It might be a little early to view these as trends but it is certainly worth keeping in mind as we try to crack a tricky puzzle. The Henry De Bromhead-trained Minella Melody arrives seeking a four-timer and seems sure to go well for her handler who has already enjoyed an excellent time of things at the meeting this year, but overall we will be sticking with the trends here and siding with a five year old mare from the Mullins yard. We fancy Dolcita is the one to be on here. Only beaten three lengths by Minella Melody last time out at Fairyhouse, she probably lost at least that amount of ground due to niggly mistakes during the contest. That is easily forgivable considering it was only her second start for the yard though and forgive it we will. We expect Mullins will have been to work we expect she will have brushed up considerably in that regard ahead of this. She looks a nice price here with Robbie Power taking over in the saddle and is the pick for us. 5:30pm – Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Amateur Riders’ Handicap Chase (Class 2), 3m2f Deise Alba each way at 10/1 with BetVictor We have another competitive handicap chase to close out the card on Day 3 as the amateur riders take to the track in this event for the stayers. Much like the Plate earlier on the card, the older performers seem to have been up against it of late in this event, with seven of the past nine editions falling to a runner aged eight or younger. There has been the odd real shock result in this race – notably Domesday Book at 40/1 in 2017 – but overall this has tended to fall to a runner from towards the head of the market. With seven of the past 10 returning a single figure SP – including two winning favourites – the market has a pretty decent grip on this one. Indeed, that’s a pretty solid record considering the big-field, competitive nature of the event, and this year the fancied contender we want on our side is the Philip Hobbs-trained, Deise Alba. One of the most unexposed runners in the line-up, this Trevor Hemmings-owned seven year old heads into the race seeking a hat-trick and did the job really nicely when outstaying his rivals at Sandown last time out. That augurs well for his chances of coming up the hill here, and a 7lb rise in the handicap looks perfectly fair with the talented Will Biddick in the saddle.