WE’RE finally here, the Cheltenham Festival, four days of unmissable action with the stars of Jumps racing coming out to play.
The roar that greets the lifting of the tapes to begin the first race, the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (1.20pm), is perhaps the loudest of the week, but four and a half minutes later there could be a roar of equal measure if favourite Kopek Des Bordes is first up the Cheltenham hill.
Willie Mullins’ runner is thought by many to be his best Supreme contender since the mighty Douvan and has been hugely popular in the betting since winning with his head in his chest at the Dublin Racing Festival.
He is by far the most likely winner here but I would have reservations about taking the even-money currently on offer.
He showed he could be headstrong at Leopardstown, and had the potential to be fractious beforehand, something connections are clearly conscious of as he runs here in a first-time hood.
In the Cheltenham pressure cooker, I think there’s every chance he could boil over in the preliminaries and cook his chance come race time, so instead I’ll be siding with two Irish challengers that are yet to face him.
WORKAHEAD has been trained for this race since swatting aside WILLIAM MUNNY at Leopardstown over Christmas, where he made all the running to score by seven lengths.
That form has been firmly franked by William Munny, who finished second to a top-prospect in Kawaboomga on his next start and then slammed his rivals by 15 lengths in a Listed hurdle at Punchestown.
There’s no doubt in my mind that he has the potential to be a star and the way he powered clear on his last start suggests the stiff Cheltenham finish should suit him perfectly.
While it is unorthodox to pitch up for this race without having already run in Graded company, judging by his last run he should prove up to scratch at this level.
With 6/1 available in places, I think he looks a rock-solid each-way bet, and could be the one to put it up to Kopek Des Bordes.
William Munny has clearly improved plenty since his defeat by Workahead, and what was noticeable when he won last time out was how much better he settled.
When finishing behind Workahead and Kawaboomga he was keen and pulled hard in the early stages, but at Punchestown he looked a different horse.
With his trainer Barry Connell now reaching for a hood, hopefully that will help him settle him in the likely frenetic early gallop of the Supreme, and if that’s the case, I can see him being a real player.
He’s another that will be hard to keep out of the frame, so at 8/1 he’s well worth chancing in the hope the favourite underperforms.
The first handicap of the week is the Ultima (2.40pm) and it’s a renewal that looks one of the most competitive for some time.
Impressive Kempton winner Katate Dori could well be the one that goes off favourite, but so many in here can be given a chance, including Crebilly, The Changing Man and the well-backed Lucinda Russell duo, Whistle Stop Tour and Myretown.
However, I think readers of our ante-post columns could already be sitting on a good ticket as we advised BROADWAY BOY at 8/1 just last week and he is now a point shorter.
He goes well around Cheltenham and is competitively weighted off a mark of 150, so should hold every chance.
For more tips each day of the Festival, have a listen to City AM’s Punter podcast, available online at City AM.
POINTERS
Workahead e/w 1.20pm Cheltenham
William Munny e/w 1.20pm Cheltenham
Already advised
Broadway Boy e/w 8/1 2.40pm Cheltenham