It's that time of year again - the Cheltenham Festival bankers. Our racing team and the Timeform journalists provide theirs.
Jake Pearson - Chacun Pour Soi (Champion Chase)
There appear to be a host of unassailable short-priced favourites at this year’s Cheltenham Festival, including Shishkin in the Arkle, Monkfish in the Brown Advisory and, of course, Envoi Allen in the Marsh, but the banker of the meeting for me is Chacun Pour Soi in the Queen Mother Champion Chase.
Chacun Pour Soi is 7 lb higher than his nearest contender on Timeform’s weight-adjusted ratings, highlighting his class edge. He was withdrawn from last year’s Champion Chase at the eleventh-hour, but has come back as good as ever this season, winning the Hilly Way Chase, the Paddy’s Rewards Club Chase and Dublin Chase, showing that he is an outstanding chaser.
He is a two-miler in the truest sense and remains Timeform’s highest rated chaser in training. There is a strong argument that Altior is past his best, while the likes of Politologue and Nube Negra need to raise their game, and this is surely the year Chacun Pour Soi gains the Champion Chase that his consistency and lofty rating deserves.
David Ord - Bravemansgame (Ballymore Novices' Hurdle)
He's the poster boy for the British novice hurdlers at the 2021 Cheltenham Festival and Bravemansgame can live up to the billing by landing the Ballymore.
He's on a steep upward curve heading to Prestbury Park, taking the step up to Grade One company in his stride when routing his field in the Challow. His only defeat over timber came when collared close home by subsequent Betfair Hurdle winner Soaring Glory at Chepstow on his debut.
As you'd expect there's a strong Irish challenge in here headed by Bob Olinger and Gaillard Du Mesnil but neither has achieved more than the selection yet but trade shorter in the betting.
Clearly it's all about potential at this stage but Bravemansgame is full of it. He's been likened to Denman by Paul Nicholls can can take a small step towards meriting such a comparison by leading them home on Wednesday.
John Ingles – Monkfish (Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase)
Among a vintage crop of novice chasers, Shishkin, Envoi Allen and Monkfish all return to Cheltenham 12 months after winning the Festival’s three novice hurdles.
Impressive though they’ve been this season, Shishkin and Envoi Allen have done no more than live up to what were already towering reputations.
Monkfish, on the other hand, has gone from strength to strength in his novice chase campaign, so much so that jockey Paul Townend suggested he wouldn’t have been out of place in the Irish Gold Cup instead after a top-class effort at Leopardstown last time.
He’ll take all the beating in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase.
Adam Houghton – Paisley Park (Stayers’ Hurdle)
Paisley Park may have lost his aura of invincibility over the last 12 months, but there is no doubt in my mind that he remains the best staying hurdler in training, buoyed by the remarkable performance he put up to win the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot last time.
Everything about that display was trademark Paisley Park, who was shuffled back on the home turn – hitting a high of 64/1 in-running – before producing an irresistible late surge to mug Thyme Hill in the final strides.
I’ve heard and read several different interpretations of the Long Walk, but my personal view is that Thyme Hill essentially enjoyed the run of the race and that Paisley Park’s superiority was undersold given the seemingly impossible position he had to come from.
Paisley Park can regain the crown he won so memorably back in 2019.
Andrew Asquith – Appreciate It (Supreme Novices’ Hurdle)
Most people are looking to oppose Appreciate It in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, but I’m not convinced of Metier, Soaring Glory isn’t a guaranteed runner, and there is no reason why Ballyadam should reverse the form.
It therefore looks a weak renewal, and Appreciate It has done nothing but impress over hurdles this season.
Yes, he is bred to stay further, but he hasn’t looked short of speed so far, and you do need to stay well to win Supreme. Anything odds against looks a good bet in my eyes.
Matt Brocklebank - Adrimel (Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle)
The Cheltenham Festival isn’t the be-all and end-all but it can really help forge a career and certain trainers look destined to taste success here at some stage in their careers. One such handler is Tom Lacey who sends Adrimel into battle with a huge chance in Friday’s Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle.
His sole defeat – under Rules and point-to-points – came when down the field in last year’s Champion Bumper but you can excuse any young horse with little experience one run around Prestbury Park and the improvement he’s made since last March has been striking.
After giving Grumpy Charley – winner of three races subsequently – 5lb and a beating at Haydock he went to Warwick for the Leamington Novices’ Hurdle and was sent off a well-backed 7/2 favourite in the hands of Richard Johnson.
He duly got the job done, in spite of having to make his own running, and while runner-up Mint Condition ran no sort of race at Haydock subsequently, the fourth and fifth have done their bit for the form. Adrimel looks crying out for three miles now and heads to Cheltenham on a steep upward curve with the prospect of so much more to come now granted a proper test of stamina.
Ben Linfoot - Imperial Alcazar (Pertemps Final)
IMPERIAL ALCAZAR looks very solid in the Pertemps Final and he fits the banker mould nicely.
Generally 5/1, he might even drift a bit come raceday as pundits and punters look for value alternatives, but there is no doubt in my mind he deserves to be a strong favourite.
He went up 8lb to 147 for winning the qualifier at Warwick – a race that has found a few winners of the Final in recent years thanks to Holywell and Sire Du Berlais – but even that hike is conservative when it comes to putting a figure on his dominance and potential.
The Pertemps has been a good route for would-be top-level novice chasers in recent years – think Delta Work and Presenting Percy – and Imperial Alcazar looks another type who looks very well treated at this stage of his career considering what he could become.
A head second to Protektorat (considered a 154-rated chaser earlier this season) on his only previous visit to Cheltenham, a patient ride from Paddy Brennan looks the required tactics once again and a career-best – and a first Festival success for his trainer – could well be forthcoming.
Tony McFadden - Royal Kahala (Mares' Novices' Hurdle)
There are a lot of races at this year's Cheltenham Festival in which the favourite is seemingly presented with a penalty kick – and for the outcome think Matt le Tissier rather than Chris Waddle!
But, looking beyond the odds-on shots, the horse I'm banking on is Royal Kahala in the Mares' Novices' Hurdle. Willie Mullins has won all five runnings since the race's inception in 2016 but Royal Kahala has already beaten Hook Up, his leading light this year, and she did so in authoritative style. That five-length victory at Fairyhouse completed a hat-trick for Royal Kahala and a key feature of those victories was the turn of foot she displayed.
Royal Kahala didn't travel with her usual zest when runner-up to Roseys Hollow in the Solerina last time – a key pointer for this race – but I'm of the view that she simply wasn't firing on all cylinders, rather than it being a case of her lacking pace. The style of her previous performances suggests to me that she is a class act and has the pace to cope with this drop in trip.