An ante-post outsider to back on each day of the Cheltenham Festival

The Cheltenham Festival is just three weeks away and people are already marking their cards ahead of four big days at Prestbury Park. Owen Goulding has also been scanning the cards and thinks these four horses are grossly overlooked ahead of their prospective engagements at the festival.

L'Astroboy

Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle (March 14)

The Supreme looks wide open and you could do far worse than L'Astroboy at prohibitive odds in the festival's opening race.

He made a winning hurdling debut at Ffos Las in November and belied odds of 16-1 to finish second to Tahmuras in the Grade 1 Tolworth at Sandown in January. Interestingly, L'Astroboy beat Tahmuras in a bumper at Ffos Las on his rules debut, so there is clearly not much between the pair.

Despite this, L'Astroboy is a general 33-1 whereas Tahmuras is 10s, and I think the former will relish a strongly-run 2m at Cheltenham. You need a pinch of stamina to be successful in a Supreme and I think he can steal a place late for Evan Williams.

L'Astroboy00:42 Cheltenham

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Jky: Tnr:

Willmount

Weatherbys Champion Bumper (March 15)

The Champion Bumper tends to be a Willie Mullins' benefit but it looks fairly open this year and Willmount, who cost £340,000 at the sales, is an interesting each-way option.

A point-to-point winner last February, he was an eyecatching winner at Doncaster in January, quickening 13 lengths clear of his rivals. He has the size and scope to make quite the jumper, but he is not short of speed in the short term.

Neil Mulholland has a decent record with his bumper horses and the yard is hitting form just as the Cheltenham Festival looms, which is another positive to his already interesting claims.

Willmount00:42 Cheltenham

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Jky: Tnr:

Paisley Park

Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle (March 16)

He is a shorter price than I would usually suggest, but Paisley Park has felt like an outsider in the way he has been dismissed at every point this season.

The 2019 winner has looked better than ever this term, narrowly denied on return at Newbury before a comfortable success at Kempton, a track that should not have suited him. He was no match for Gold Tweet in the Cleeve last time, but that may have come too soon after Kempton and he can be forgiven that.

His course record reads 011173133 and he is versatile in terms of ground, which is always a positive too. Emma Lavelle's string have hit form at the perfect time and with a strong pace to chase, just as he likes, Paisley Park can stay on late to at least snatch a place.

Paisley Park00:42 Cheltenham

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Jky: Tnr:

Rock My Way

Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle (March 17)

If Rock My Way was trained by one of the household names in Britain, he would be half the price he currently is. Syd Hosie has done a wonderful job with his five-year-old, who built on a promising debut to win a Grade 2 at Cheltenham in January.

He really caught the eye that day, travelling up strongly and he would have won by as many lengths as he pleased had he not idled up the run-in. That is not a bad quality, however, as the Albert Bartlett is a real slog, so it is good he keeps something to himself.

His course form is an obvious positive and he should relish stepping up in trip to 3m, especially as he is a point-to-point winner. "I might need to put a longer gallop on!" joked Hosie after he won that Grade 2, and that tells you plenty.

Rock My Way00:42 Cheltenham

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Jky: Tnr:

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