FESTIVAL HONOURS: 54 winners (leading Irish trainer) BEST YEAR: 2015 (record eight winners) BEST BET: Getabird (today, Supreme Hurdle)
Favourite is worth it
my son Patrick about the first time we went to Cheltenham with Tourist Attraction and she won,” he said.
“Coming home, I said, ‘That’s it, we’ve done it, we’ve have had our Cheltenham winner’. There were very few Irish winners at the time.
“I thought we might not have another one. It’s funny how things have changed.
“Ireland against England, like football and rugby, it’s the same in racing – it’s all part of the fun.” 1-2 Buveur D’Air, 6 Faugheen, 10 Yorkhill, 12 My Tent Or Yours, 14 Wicklow Brave, 16 Melon, Elgin, 33 Mick Jazz, 50 Ch’Tibello, John Constable, 66 Identity Thief, 100 Charli Parcs BUVEUR D’AIR drew clear of My Tent Or Yours in last year’s race to win by four and a half lengths. We won’t be surprised if it’s a case of ‘same again’ as the pair top our ratings.
Faugheen has yet to show he is as good as when he won the 2015 Champion Hurdle but he has had limited opportunity to do so.
Melon and Wicklow Brave are the others to consider for tricasts, exactas and forecasts. BUVEUR D’AIR MY TENT OR YOURS FAUGHEEN MELON WICKLOW BRAVE MICK JAZZ ELGIN VERDANA BLUE CH’TIBELLO JOHN CONSTABLE CHARLI PARCS IDENTITY THIEF YORKHILL (all ratings weight-adjusted; + = may be capable of better) 181 174 173+ 172 172 168 166 161 161 161 160 147+ ?