As the build up continues to the start of the Festival on Tuesday, here are some of the highlight races of the week and the horses to watch in each of them.
Unibet Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy
The first grade one race of the festival, the Unibet Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy, is on Tuesday 16th and gets underway at 15:05. It is an absolutely stacked field featuring the unbeaten Honeysuckle as the 9/4 favourite. He is trained by Henry De Bromhead and won at Cheltenham last year. Elsewhere in the field Epatante, trained by Nicky Henderson, is 7/2 second favourite having only been beaten once. Outside the two favourites Goshen, Silver Streak and Sharajh.
Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase
The race on Wednesday 17th at 15:05 features another top class field but Chacun Pour Soi will still line up as the hot favourite. He is set to start the race with his odds as short as evens which may suggest that, although he is the standout horse, it may be best to look elsewhere in terms of the market. There is no lack of options either, with Altior at sevens, Nubre Negra at eights, Min at twelves and the unbeaten First Flow at fourteens. It looks a tough task for any horse to beat Chacun Pour Soi, who looks to be one of the best horses in action all week. and This one promises to be a thrilling race.
Marsh Novices’ Chase
Thursday gets underway with an absolute bang. The top three are all in with a great chance of winning this one and, although De Bromhead trained Envoi Allen is 8/11 favourite, Energumene and Monkfish at 7/2 and 7/1 respectively are both great shouts. All three horses have won their last five races and it is so difficult to chose between them all. Elsewhere Shan Blue and Nicky Henderson’s Chantry House are also good shouts in one of the most wide open fields all week.
Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle
This was one of the most dramatic races at last year’s festival with big 50-1 outsider Lisnagar Oscar beating previous winner and firm favourite Paisley Park. Emma Lavelle’s Paisley Park is joint favourite once again with his big rival Thyme Hill both at 10/3. Lisnagar Oscar is back at shorter odds this year at 16/1. Sire Du Berlais, Flooring Porter and The Storyteller are also in with a good chance here and each of the horses in the running will be hoping to script their way to Cheltenham success on Thursday’s highlight race that starts at 15:05.
JCB Triumph Hurdle
Before the Gold Cup on Friday the 13:20 Grade one JCB Triumph Hurdle promises to be an exciting watch. Historically, the winners of this have gone on to produce great things with Thistlecrack and two time Grand National winner Tiger Roll both winning this race previously. All of the top seven four-year-olds are unbeaten in their young careers. Tritonic, trained by Alan King, and Zanahiyr, trained by Gordon Elliott, are both ones to watch as 9/4 favourites. Quilixios, Adagio, Duffle Coat, Haut En Couleurs and Teahupoo are also definitely in with a shout and we could see a rising star emerge in this race to wet the appetite before the Gold Cup.
