CHRIS WRIGHT’S DAY TWO TIPS

1.30pm Ballyburn

2.10pm Fact To File 2.50pm Langer Dan (NAP) 3.30pm El Fabiolo

4.10pm Minella Indo 4.50pm Harper’s Brook 5.30pm Jasmin De Vaux

could be said before he won last year. And back down to the same handicap mark off which he scored, it looks like his shrewd trainer has been planning a repeat success.

Former Cheltenham Gold Cup winner MINELLA INDO can win again at Prestbury Park in the Glenfarclas Chase (Cross Country Chase) (GBB Race) (4.10pm) – if the course passes an 8am inspection on raceday morning following significant rainfall overnight. The race has been as a stepping stone to the Grand National in the past and the now 11-year-old Minella Indo can book his place for a crack at the Aintree showpiece with victory in the Cross Country contest.

The Ben Pauling stable is in fine form and HARPER’S BROOK can give the trainer another winner in the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race) (4.50pm).

Mullins can also JASMIN DE VAUX win the finale for a record-extending 13th time with the Grade One Weatherbys Champion Bumper (A Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race) (GBB Race) (5.30pm).

A winner of a point-to-point for Stuart Crawford, the five-year-old was bought by Simon Munir and Isaac Souede and switched to the Mullins’ stable. And in the famous two-tone green colours, Jasmin De Vaux comfortably scored in a bumper at Naas in January. Although it’s hard to know what that form amounts to, he looks a hugely promising recruit.

IT’S all about Willie Mullins - again!

The Champion Irish trainer has favourites in the first four festival races today...and three of them are odds on!

If Ballyburn, an absolute banker for many an expert, triumphs in the opening Novices Hurdle together with wins for

Fact to File in the Novices Steeplechase and El Fabiolo in the Queen Mother Champion Chase feature then my pockets will be emptied to the tune of £1m-plus.

Ballyburn has few chinks in his armour and the six-year-old is easily the best novice hurdler around. Regarding the son of Poliglote, Fact to File, well he beat Gaelic Warrior at the Dublin Racing Festival, so enough said.

The only way I have any chance of swerving all those treble payouts at around 3/1 will be if last year’s Arkle winner El Fabiolo is beaten...so come on our top English trainer Nicky Henderson’s Jonbon!

I expect to be on my knees praying for Jonbon, who will probably start second favourite, coming through having overcome the disappointment in the Clarence House Chase in January.

In the Coral Cup, Mullins has the favourite with Sa Majeste but this is going to be a close run thing with Doddiethegreat, Built by Ballymore and defending champ Langer Dan sure to feature in a very open race.

It wasn’t quite all joy for Mullins on day one with the Queen of Cheltenham Rachael Blackmore riding Henry de Bromheadtrained Slade Steel to victory in the Supreme Novices putting Betfred into an early lead in the annual battle with our punters. But it was honours even when Mullins’ Gaelic Warrior romped home in the

Arkle.

Then the most fancied horse in the Festival State Man triumphed for that man Mullins in the Champion Hurdle feature.

So that’s us at Betfred down on day one by at least half a million. Great start for you punters.*