The feature race today is the Champion Hurdle at 3.20 pm. I was very strong on Rooster Booster in this race last year. A view that was vindicated when he stormed home by 11 lengths the second longest winning margin in the history of the race. I am very hopeful that he can double up this year. However, it is highly probable that he will not have the race run to suit and if it is a slowly run tactical affair he may be vulnerable to something with a big finishing kick.
Intersky Falcon out paced him at Kempton but I can't see that happening at Cheltenham. Rigmarole beat Intersky Falcon easily at Wincanton last time and looks an improving sort who could provide stern opposition in a slow race. Another to consider in a slow race would be Australian import Specular beaten 17 lengths by Rooster Booster at Haydock having travelled well for 1M4F.
Hopefully either Hardy Eustace or Fota Island will set a good pace and Rooster Booster won't need to make his own running. He is clearly the best horse in the race and I hope we can enjoy watching him sprint up the Cheltenham hill to victory again. Geos could again run into a place.
The festival begins at 2.00 with the Supreme novices hurdle. The race has lost a bit of its appeal with the injury to ante-post favourite Lingo. However, that opens the race up primarily for Albuhera. He has been on the go all season but still retains his freshness. Others with realistic chances are the Irish hope Brave Inca, Garde Champetre and the filly Perle De Puce who gets the filly's allowance. However, I'm happy to go with Albuhera who should have the race run to suit.
The Arkle novice chase at 2.40 is always an exciting spectacle usually because the horses set of at an alarming speed. The likely favourite Thisthatandtother has a good chance but appeared beaten square and fair by Caracciola at Kempton although excuses were offered. The Irish hope Kicking King finished ahead of Thisthatandtother in the opener last year and his team fancy him to do so again. The one I like here is the northern trained Our Armegeddon also beaten by Caracciola, however with the weight turn around there should be little between them here. It really is a race to savour.
The other three races are all handicaps and therefore pretty difficult to sort out.
The Wm Hill Chase at 4.00 sees a strong favourite in Haut Cercy but he looks plenty short enough for me. The French trained Kelami, Shardam and the novice Fork Lightening are others to consider, although Fork Lightening will need to jump better than he did last time.
The Kim Muir Chase at 4.40 is again a very open affair with Ibis Rochelais last year's second very well fancied to go one better this time. Innox, Horus and Mondial Jack all have chances along with Toto Toscato who has not run for 4 years. However, I believe Prominent Profiles can run well at a big price.
The card finishes with the Pertemps Final H'cap Hurdle at 5.20 over 3M1/2F in which the only stipulation for qualifying for the final was to run in one of the qualifiers. Quite how hard some of the horses were trying in the qualifiers is a topic of much debate and makes finding the winner a very difficult task. I really like The Bajan Bandit who got back onto the winning trail at Ayr recently. This is altogether different however, and two with excellent chances are M Pipe's Stormez and Hidden Bounty. Others to consider are the Irish pair GVA Ireland and ante-post favourite Keepatem who will both have their supporters.
SELECTIONS
2.00 Albuhera
2.40 Our Armegeddon
3.20 Rooster Booster
4.00 Fork Lightening (E/W)
4.40 Prominent Profiles (E/W)
5.20 Stormez (E/W)