13:30 – Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) (GBB Race) – TULLYHILL
WITH a lot more rain than expected forecast before the opener, Tullyhill gets the nod ahead of Firefox by a narrow margin. The latter had form finishing ahead of long-time antepost favourite Ballyburn over a trip of two miles and will be stepping back down to that trip after a disappointing showing in the Lawlor’s Of Naas in January. He would have been the pick here and it is a close call. Considering how tired he got just after the two-mile mark in that race the heavy ground he will face here may also test stamina in the later stages up the Cheltenham hill which is why he has been taken on. Tullyhill has never finished outside the top two and is coming here off the back of an impressive showing on heavy ground at Punchestown to win a listed novice hurdle, 9 lengths ahead of No Flies On Him and Jigoro. Jigoro also had form finishing 2nd behind Mystical Power who appears to be very talented and is definitely a contender. He is impeccably bred, but some of his rivals have won races ahead of horses with more competitive form on paper. Tullyhill finished 2nd in the Punchestown Champion Bumper just 3 lengths behind prolific bumper winner A Dream To Share, which adds a bit of quality to his form and he will relish the tough going.
14:10 – My Pension Expert Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase (Grade 1) (GBB Race) – IL ETAIT TEMPS
WILLIE Mullins’ yard has a strong hand in this race, including one of his star horses Gaelic Warrior who beat this horse by 51/2 lengths when they met at Limerick in December. Gaelic Warrior definitely has the athletic ability to win a race of this quality but he has a tendency to jump right handed and was completely dominated by Fact To File over a longer trip last time out before unseating at Leopardstown. He has also ran twice at the festival and both times has finished 2nd, which in fairness was behind high quality opposition. With this in mind Il Etait Temps requires attention considering he beat the long-time antepost favourite for this race Marine Nationale in the Irish Arkle at the Dublin Racing Festival last month. Marine Nationale was below par that day, which has been blamed on the going and the antepost favourite has been ruled out here due to a strain. Il Etait Temps was kept quiet behind rivals before easily progressing to the front late on where he fended off Found A Fifty by a narrow margin. Gaelic Warrior is likely to be more competitive over a shorter trip and a first Cheltenham win wouldn’t be surprising given his talent. However, with the right-handed jumping and lack of a Cheltenham win, there could be an opening for Il Etait Temps to pick up the pieces, especially in a battle up the Cheltenham hill after a strong pace.
15:30 – Unibet Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy (Grade 1) (GBB Race) – STATE MAN
LAST year’s runner-up and winner of eight grade 1 races has been presented with his best opportunity to win the Champion Hurdle with the absence of the incredible Constitution Hill. He comes here a heavy odds-on favourite and will face new competition in Gordon Elliott’s Irish Point and recently supplemented Iberico Lord for Nicky Henderson. Lossiemouth hasn’t been re-routed to this race as expected and will run in the Mares’ Hurdle as expected. State Man has picked up four grade 1’s since last year’s race and much in the same way Constitution Hill is levels above anyone in the division, so is State Man on paper so it is impossible to look anywhere else considering Mullins appears happy with his preparation.
16:10 – Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle (Registered As The David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle) (Grade 1) (GBB Race) – LOSSIEMOUTH
LOSSIEMOUTH was considered for a late change to the Champion Hurdle due to the absence of Constitution Hill which shows what high regard she is held in. However, it certainly wouldn’t have made sense for the Mullins camp to change her target and have two stable stars in one race. She has avenged her only defeat in seven starts ahead of Gala Marceau at last year’s festival and was last seen as a runaway winner 91/2 lengths ahead of Love Envoi here in January. Her toughest opposition is probably stablemate Ashroe Diamond, who won a grade 2 ahead of Gala Marceau at Doncaster in her last outing but Lossiemouth is understandably first choice for Paul Townend.
17:30 – Maureen Mullins National Hunt Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys’ Novices’ Chase (Grade 2) (GBB Race) – EMBASSY GARDENS
CURRENTLY shares joint-favouritism with Corbetts Cross at the time of writing who memorably ran out when in with a great chance of winning the Albert Bartlett at last year’s festival. Embassy Gardens appears much more straightforward than has been the case in the past and in his last win at Naas showed great finishing speed at the end of a trip over three miles. He also definitively beat Sandor Clegane that day who is a consistent type at a high level and was 3rd in last year’s Albert Bartlett. The performance showed that he will get further than three miles and will relish heavy going. Corbetts Cross has won once since last year’s festival ahead of consistent opposition in Three Card Brag, Monty’s Star and Nick Rockett at Fairyhouse. He was twice unlucky to meet Grangeclare West either side of that win and was last seen brought down at Fairyhouse when Run Wild Fred jumped across him before turning for home. He clearly has a good chance of winning but due to incidents from the past and winning form shown by Embassy Gardens throughout the season it feels easier to side with another Willie Mullins runner.
Hawkinsport 