THERE may be a lower than average number of runners in today’s Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle (3.20pm), but it looks arguably more competitive than normal.
A solid case can be made for nine of the 12 runners, but last season’s one-two in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, Go Native and MEDERMIT, may fight out the finish up the Cheltenham hill, with the latter gaining revenge.
Alan King’s six-year-old took time to build on his unlucky second at last year’s Festival, while Go Native has gone from strength to strength.
Neol Meade’s seven-year-old bids for a £1million bonus having won the Fighting Fifth Hurdle and Christmas Hurdle. He beat Medermit in last year’s Supreme and is a worthy favourite to win the Champion today.
But Medermit was a shade unlucky then having been hampered late on. He was impressive in beating last year’s champion Punjabi at Haydock last time and may be peaking at the right time.
The first of the week’s short-priced favourites, Dunguib, could help the Irish open the Festival in typically raucous fashion. He could be something special and may justify his short odds to win the Supreme Novices Hurdle (1.30pm).
But his jumping hasn’t been foot perfect in his three impressive wins this season and the Supreme is a race which takes no prisoners.
With that in mind it may pay to take him on each-way with another Irish raider, the Willie Mullins-trained BLACKSTAIRMOUNTAIN, who has won both his starts this term and is still open to plenty of improvement.
In the Irish Independent Arkle Trophy (2pm), like the Champion Hurdle, a case can be made for many.
Two against the field are Henrietta Knight’s Somersby and SPORTS LINE, with slight preference for the latter.
With many meetings off this winter not many in the line-up have had the requisite experience.
Sports Line ran well to finish second on heavy going in the Irish Arkle. The seven-year-old has a similar profile to last year’s Arkle hero Forpadydeplasterer. And on a better surface, he can emulate him.
GARDE CHAMPETRE, like his predecessor from the Enda Bolger stable Spot Thedifference, has made the Cheltenham cross country races his own. And it is hard to see the 11-year-old not adding to his previous course victories in the Glenfarclas Handicap CHS (4pm).
There will be plenty of John Smith’s Grand National entrants lining up in the William Hill Trophy Chase (2.40pm), but one who is not is Alan King’s BENSALEM.
The seven-year-old has not been foot perfect over fences. But on a lenient handicap mark, he could prove too good in this.
In the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle (4.40pm), each-way investment on Emma Lavelle’s EASTER LEGEND may pay off.
CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL (Day One): 1.30pm Blackstairmountain (e/w); 2.05pm (Arkle Trophy) Sports Line; 2.40pm Bensalem; 3.20pm (Champion Hurdle) 1 MEDERMIT 2 Go Native 3 Punjabi, 4pm Garde Champetre; 4.40pm Easter Legend (NAP)
