Late switches, a wide-open Supreme and Nicky Henderson's stable form - talking points for the opening day at Cheltenham

Will the late switches pay off?

Multiple entries may be the bane of punters lives as it makes it all but impossible to imagine the shape of the race until the final declarations, but the argument from connections' point of view is the versatility it affords.

A week or two ago it very much looked like Ballyburn would run in the Supreme – so Slade Steel would run in the Gallagher. Irish Point was a Stayers' Hurdle candidate and Gaelic Warrior has been talked about all winter as a Turners horse.

The biggest winner looks like Gordon Elliott and Robcour, who have slotted Irish Point into a Champion Hurdle for which he is 9-2 second favourite in a race that's 14-1 bar the two. They also combine for the 2-1 favourite for the Stayers' Hurdle in Teahupoo. Canny. 

Irish Point: has been declared to run in the Champion HurdleCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Switching Gaelic Warrior to two miles in the Arkle could be inspired. He is clearly a very talented horse and he adds a fascinating conundrum to what is otherwise a highly competitive but rather ordinary-looking Arkle. That question is: what is more important, race suitability or athletic ability? 

It would be long odds-on that when all is said and done at the end of their careers Gaelic Warrior is comfortably the highest-rated of these. But he is a horse whose future lies over three miles on right-handed tracks and this is a two-mile test on the tighter of the two left-handed courses.

Even if he does prove unsuited by the Arkle he could have a tremendous impact on the result as second favourite Found A Fifty has also shown a tendency to jump right, and if Gaelic Warrior triggers his market rival into following him off a straight line at every fence then Willie Mullins is well placed to still pick up the pieces with Il Etait Temps and Hunters Yarn.

A supremely good race

The decision to run Ballyburn in the Gallagher has arguably been a net positive for the Supreme, which now looks a fascinating contest without Ballyburn's imposing presence at the head of the market. It is 3-1 the field.

And yet Ballyburn's stamp remains all over this race. His stablemates Mystical Power and Tullyhill now lead the Mullins challenge while Slade Steel, the horse who chased Ballyburn home at the Dublin Racing Festival, brings the highest Racing Post Rating (RPR) into the race and Firefox remains the only horse to have beaten the anointed one.

Throw in Jeriko Du Reponet, who may not have done as much on the formbook but has been the subject of glowing praise all winter from Seven Barrows, and there are five who seriously fancy their chances alongside a number of others who it does not require much effort to see running a big race.

Of the Graded contests it looks the most exciting race and whatever wins is unlikely to return such a generous price for a good while.

Will a British horse finish in the first three on Tuesday?

It sounds like a joke, but the betting markets are not encouraging.

Jeriko Du Reponet may be 8-1, but he is the fifth choice of the bookies in the Supreme. JPR One in the Arkle is a best-priced 9-1 and sixth best in the market. There only being seven runners the National Hunt Chase but the shortest-priced British-trained hope on Sunday was Kilbeg King, the fourth choice of bookies at 12-1.

There is a bit more encouragement in the championship hurdle races. Iberico Lord and Marie's Rock are third in the betting for the Champion and Mares' Hurdle. Marie's Rock is only really backed up by Love Envoi, but Iberico Lord has assistance from Not So Sleepy, Nemean Lion and Luccia and the race arguably represents Britain's best chance of cracking the top three, for all it wouldn't be a shock if they missed out.

Not So Sleepy: one of four British-trained contenders in the Champion HurdleCredit: Alan Crowhurst

What about the handicaps though? Well of the first 13 in the betting for the Boodles the only Brit is topweight Liari, and at 10-1 he is ranked the fifth most likely winner of the Boodles – a race Britain last won in 2017. 

Britain does at least have a much better record in the Ultima. Ireland's last win in it famously came with Dun Doire in 2006, so surely that is the one?

Well with Sky Bet paying seven places there has to be a good chance of a payout on a British runner, but to finish in the first three things are less encouraging. 

Three of the first four in the betting are Irish-trained, with Kim Bailey's Chianti Classico third best with the bookies. 

Day one is a big day for Nicky Henderson

With Jeriko Du Reponet, Iberico Lord and Marie's Rock all in his yard, Nicky Henderson is well represented on day one. It is also a vital day for him as Constitution Hill's illness and just seven runners so far in March have raised dreaded questions about stable form.

The only winner for Henderson since Constitution Hill worked poorly at Kempton on February 27 was Spring Note, who matched her career-best RPR to win at Newbury. But the rest makes for pretty worrying reading. 

Jango Baie ran 7lb worse on RPRs when second at Kelso than his runner-up effort in the Sidney Banks a month earlier, while two others finished fifth – beaten a combined 61 and a half lengths – and three others were pulled-up. While Jango Baie was the only favourite in that time, all but two were a single-figure price.

A solid day for his runners will reassure punters left looking to place confidence in the likes of Jonbon, Shishkin and Sir Gino later in the week.

Read more . . .

Confirmed runners and riders for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, Champion Hurdle and Tuesday's other Cheltenham Festival races 

'I don't know where this has come from' - Nicky Henderson reports Sir Gino to be '100 per cent' despite Triumph Hurdle drift 

Corach Rambler in 'fantastic form' ahead of Gold Cup bid as festival legends talk up National winner's chance 

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