Hard to picture Emery finishing out of the frame

CILAOS EMERY looks a cracking each-way bet in the Unibet Champion Hurdle at 3.30pm today.

On his penultimate start, Cilaos Emery was just 4/1 in the two mile grade chase at the Dublin Racing Festival when the opposition included stablemates Chacun Pour Soi and Min.

A first-flight fall forced a rethink from connections and they decided to stump up £20,000 to supplement him for the Champion Hurdle after getting his confidence-boosting win over hurdles at Gowran Park.

Go back to his novice hurdle form and Cilaos Emery was a Grade 1 horse despite often travelling too keenly.

A bit of age sees him settling better in his races and it is hard to see him finishing out of the frame here as you don’t have to try hard to pick holes in those at the top of the market in a wide open renewal.

is favourite after a round of sleek jumping and impressive acceleration to win the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton.

She gets the 7lb mares allowance, but there’s a question mark over her disappointing run at Cheltenham last year when sent off favourite – her price is not appealing on those grounds.

The one I really can’t have, though, is her stablemate

– last year’s Triumph Hurdle winner.

Fitness was the excuse for Nicky Henderson’s horse when travelling well before finishing fifth in the International Hurdle.

But next time out, Pentland Hills again travelled well only to be beaten in the final strides by Ballyandy at Haydock – far from Champion Hurdle form.

Earlier, a chance is taken on an old favourite in

in the Ultima Handicap Chase (2.50).

Cheltenham is a quirky track and so often it pays to follow horses with course form.

Paul Nolan’s horse has twice finished second at the Festival in the Martin Pipe and the National Hunt Chase and on both occasions was arguably an unlucky loser.

This season has not gone according to plan. He disappointed when well fancied for the Troytown at Navan before running no race back over hurdles in a deep ground at Limerick.

But the seven-year-old has since had a wind operation and, if returning near his best, 148 looks a fair mark.

Moving onto the concluding National Hunt Amateurs Novices Chase (5.30) and

is the confident selection.

Willie Mullins’ charge was an unlucky second in a Champion Bumper before a lack of rain saw him kept in cotton wool for most of last year.

On only his second run over hurdles, he ran a fine race to finish only a few lengths behind Albert Bartlett winner Minella Indo and stablemate Allaho at Punchestown.

This season he has had three runs over fences, winning all of them with something to spare.

The concern is his jumping can be a bit sketchy at times, but with a clear run under a crack amateur rider he should be far too good.