It will take a lot to topple star Mullins this week

MY biggest fear is that the Festival becomes the

Willie Mullins one-man show.

The Irish trainer supreme has the favourites in SIX of today’s seven races – and in the opening Supreme Novices Hurdle he has half of the 12 runners!

Once the famous Cheltenham roar has echoed around Prestbury Park to get this brilliant event started, we at Betfred expect Tullyhill to have got the Mullins roadshow underway.

However, don’t dismiss out of hand the chances of Nicky Henderson’s unbeaten five-year-old Jeriko du Reponet.

So to the Arkle, and there is no doubt at all Gaelic Warrior is the best horse in the race but his record going left-handed isn’t great.

I’ve long had Chianti Classico in mind for this year’s Ultima. His exploits of late have seen his rating climb to just 143, which rates an attractive mark for this lightly-raced son of Shantou who has a lot more to give.

By any measure at all State Man should win the Champion Hurdle. The seven-year-old, who already has eight Grade Ones to his name, is far superior to his seven rivals and barring disaster he’s well-fancied to provide Mullins with his fifth – and jockey Paul Townend’s first – success in this race.

Lossiemouth is another odds-on favourite for Mullins in the Mares Hurdle, but she’s slightly more opposable than her stablemate in the feature.

The Boodles Juvenile Handicap is possibly the toughest race to call in the whole Festival so I’m not going there, while I’m fearing Embassy Gardens wraps things up for Mullins in the National Hunt Chase.

As always, we at Betfred will be paying out with a smile!