Ultimate race event Cheltenham Festival set to return

Despite health concerns around the festival going ahead due to the spread of Coronavirus, the Racing Post have nevertheless analysed all of the action with stats and analysis across the four days.

The Cheltenham Festival is acclaimed throughout the world as pitching the best Britain and Irish horses against one another and this year’s meeting looks no different.

The first major championship race of the meeting is the Grade One Champion Hurdle over two miles on the first day of The Festival, Tuesday, March 10.

The market is currently headed by the Nicky Henderson-trained Epatante who brings solid form to the table having plundered the Grade One Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on her latest start.

The six-year-old is bidding to become the first mare to win the contest since Annie Power in 2016, but has endured a troubled preparation with Henderson reporting she has been coughing in the past week.

Others to consider in the race include her stable companion Pentland Hills. Successful in the Triumph Hurdle at last year’s Cheltenham Festival, the five-year-old has run two creditable races in defeat this term, but soft ground would be a concern for his chances.

Honeysuckle is unbeaten in seven starts and would have a live chance if connections decide to run here rather than in the Grade One Mares’ Hurdle just 40 minutes later, following her sensational win in the Irish Champion Hurdle last time out.

Others to consider are Darver Star, who ran a career best for Gavin Cromwell when second to Honeysuckle at Leopardstown last time out, a race in which Supasundae ran a fine race to finish fifth on his return to action.

This looks a wide open renewal, but Pentland Hills still remains exciting and has undergone a wind operation since his last start, which might have the desired effect for him to find the required improvement to land this event.

Quite possibly the race of the week, the Grade One Queen Mother Champion Chase could also be a race for the ages on Wednesday, March 11.

The two-mile chasing championship features a two-time defending champion in Altior who bids for a record-equalling fifth victory overall at the Cheltenham Festival.

He enjoyed redemption when regaining the winning thread in the Grade Two Betfair Denman Chase at Newbury last time out and currently heads the market for the contest, displaying tremendous tenacity to land the 2019 running of the Champion Chase - and while testing ground conditions would be a slight worry, he sets a clear standard for his opponents to aim at.

Chief amongst his rivals are Defi Du Seuil who is yet to taste defeat in three races this season. Successful in Grade One company on his last two starts, latterly when easily accounting for Un De Sceaux in the Clarence House Chase at Ascot, he is the young pretender in the race and will prove a formidable threat to Altior, having won the 2019 Marsh Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, highlighting his course form.

The other contender worth mentioning is Chacun Pour Soi. He runs for Willie Mullins and defeated Defi Du Seuil in Grade One company at Punchestown in May.

The eight-year-old needed the run when second on his return to action at Leopardstown over the Festive period, but showed his class when slamming top-class stable companion Min at the Dublin Racing Festival in February. He remains unexposed after four runs for the Closutton maestro.

However, both contenders have it to find with the defending champion Altior who has already proved how to win the contest. Similarly, his unbeaten record at the Cheltenham Festival warrants respect ahead of this assignment.

Owned by a man who adores West Ham and the singer Prince, Paisley Park bids to become the first horse since Big Bucks to win successive renewals of the Grade One Stayers’ Hurdle on Thursday, March 12.

The eight-year-old son of Oscar enjoyed a meteoric rise last season, which culminated with a fine two and three-quarter length in the staying hurdling championship at Prestbury Park.

The son of Oscar has justified favouritism with two smooth successes so far this term in the Grade Two Long Distance Hurdle and latterly in the Grade Two Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham in January. This race looks his for the taking and he is hard to oppose.

The chief legitimate threat could come from the talented Benie Des Dieux, but connections are leaning towards running her in the Grade One Mares’ Hurdle, an event she won last year.

Others to mention include City Island, who landed the Grade One Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at last year’s Cheltenham Festival and is interesting reverting back to hurdlers, whilst Emitom displayed a good attitude to win the Grade Two Rendlesham Hurdle at Haydock Park on his latest start.

Jump racing’s Blue Riband event takes centre stage on the fourth and final day of The Festival 2020 on Friday, March 13 with the Grade One Cheltenham Gold Cup. Al Boum Photo is the defending champion in the three and a quarter-mile event for Willie Mullins and would be the first two-time winner of the race since Kauto Star in 2009.

He has enjoyed a tremendous preparation for the event having landed the same race at Tramore, the Grade Three Savills Chase which he also won before last year’s Gold Cup. He sets the standard given his course and distance form.

However, Santini has emerged as a dangerous contender following his game victory over fellow runner Bristol De Mai in the Grade Two Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham in January.

The imposing eight-year-old son of Milan is a proper stayer and this attritional test of stamina will be right up his street.

Other horses to consider are Delta Work who has plundered two Grade Ones in Ireland this season, latterly getting the better of Kemboy and Presenting Percy, whilst dual King George winner Clan Des Obeaux, is perhaps being overlooked in the race having finished fifth in the race last year.

All in all, it promises to be a fantastic renewal of the Gold Cup, but with his excellent build-up to the race and his position as defending champion, Al Boum Photo makes plenty of appeal in the event.

Across the other 24 races, names to consider are Tiger Roll who chases a slice of history as he bids for a record-equalling fifth victory at the Cheltenham Festival.

Successful over races spanning from two to four miles in recent years at the meeting, he seeks a third victory in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase before a tilt at making further history by becoming a three-time winner of the Grand National at Aintree in April, whilst the unbeaten Envoi Allen, who like Tiger Roll Is trained in County Meath, Ireland, by Gordon Elliott will bid to maintain his unbeaten record in the Grade One Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle.

Cheltenham Festival will take place from March 10 to 13.

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