RACING: Brian O'Connor gives his guide to the leading contenders and his personal fancies.
Tuesday
The most open Smurfit Champion Hurdle for years now that the automatic pick Istabraq is no longer around. The current champion, Hors La Loi 111, heads the horses that have emerged from the old champ's shadow, along with Rooster Booster and Intersky Falcon.
Those looking to the new generation have plunged on Rhinestone Cowboy and the Irish mare Like-A-Butterfly. But she likes soft ground and Rhinestone has sparkled around flat tracks where his flat speed is best suited. This will be much different and he looks terrible value.
The most underexposed of the new generation is Flame Creek, beaten just once in six starts, and who has yet to be seen at his best. For that to happen he needs good ground and it looks like the Noel Chance-trained horse is going to get that.
Chance has trained two Gold Cup winners and a SunAlliance Chase victor. One of the shrewdest men in Lambourn, the Dublin-born trainer is scared of nothing in the race and at 12 to 1 with Stanley, Flame Creek looks a decent bet in an open season.
Back In Front looks like being the Irish hot pot in the opening Supreme Novices' Hurdle but a victory over poor opposition at Limerick and a narrow win at Leopardstown could leave him less than battle hardened for this frenetic contest.
Kicking King's only defeat in four starts over hurdles was by the brilliant Solerina over a distance too far for him. Tom Taaffe's star novice jumps and stays well and is an 8 to 1 shot with Paddy Power.
Bets of the day
8/1 Kicking King (Supreme Novices' Hurdle, 2.0)
12/1 Flame Creek (Smurfit Champion Hurdle, 3.15)
Wednesday
Think back to the Festival Bumper last year and remember the names: Back In Front in third, Rhinestone Cowboy in second and Pizarro emerging best. The Edward O'Grady-trained horse has only been beaten once over jumps since then and was found to be sick afterwards. O'Grady has endured a nightmare winter trying to get the horse back to full health but he has managed to get a warm up race into him and the vibes from the yard have been getting better all the time.
As a result Pizarro has taken over from the injured Solerina as Ireland's principal hope for the SunAlliance Hurdle. Able to act on most types of ground, proven around the unique track and representing the most successful Irish trainer at Cheltenham, Pizarro should give supporters a top run.
Moscow Flyer will be an Irish banker in the Champion Chase but his price will be tight. That's not the case with Zum See in the Bumper. Noel Meade runs a team in the race but anyone who saw Selby Road win at Leopardstown last weekend will remember what Zum See did to that horse at Punchestown. The 16 to 1 on offer looks tempting considering that the shortest priced Irish runner is Royal Alphabet at 6 to 1.
Bets of the day
4/1 Pizarro (Royal & SunAlliance Hurdle, 2.0)
16/1 Zum See (Weatherbys Champion Bumper, 5.40)
Thursday
Best Mate v Beef Or Salmon is being billed as the clash of the festival in the Gold Cup but before that the Irish could strike in what is usually one of the hardest puzzles of the meeting to crack.
Scolardy fronted an Irish clean sweep in last year's Triumph Hurdle but Golden Cross looks clear best of the visitors this time. The only time the Michael Halford-trained runner has disappointed over flights was when swallowing a sod of earth during his race at Christmas. That probably contributed to a slight lack of edge when just beaten by Mutineer last month but Golden Cross has run since and trotted up. As long as the going doesn't turn into a mud bath there should be little chance of Mutineer beating him again. The top English juveniles have regularly been beating each other and Charlie Swan, twice a Triumph winner, is keen on Golden Cross's chance.
The Gold Cup is widely held to be Best Mate's date with double destiny but there is a reason that only five horses have ever won the Gold Cup twice: it's difficult to get it absolutely right more than once. Best Mate couldn't have had a better run through the race last year. Jim Culloty will do well to do the same again. Beef Or Salmon is next best in the market but the "big two" leave lots of each-way value and Cyfor Malta at 66 to 1 with Sporting Odds could be best of all. Things haven't gone his way this season but he did win the Thomas Pink in November and three years ago would probably have started favourite for the Gold Cup. Class endures.
Bets of the day
10/1 Golden Cross (JCB Triumph Hurdle, 2.0)
66/1 Cyfor Malta (Tote Gold Cup, 3.15)
