It would appear that our annual search for the Cheltenham Festival Treble is over. Sprinter Sacre, Simonsig and Quevega are all such certainties that the treble will have been landed by the second race on day two and it will be job done. But current odds of 2/7, 8/15 and 4/6 only multiply up to 9/4 and one really ought to be looking for more than that and so we will have to look a bit harder.Day One gives one a similar feeling with four very solid favourites in the first four proper races (we don't count the Cross Country here and don't like handicaps much either). But surely we've been through all this before and have seen that something usually happens to make such confidence look misplaced by the end of Tuesday.
So, is My Tent or Yours the genuine banker to get us off to a winning start. Not quite, despite McCoy's obvious enthusiasm and the way he destroyed a big handicap field at Newbury. Backing Hurricane Fly in the Champion Hurdle means blanking out his disappointing run last year and, at the prices, one can't help but notice that Cinders and Ashes might get the good ground he requires for the first time since winning here last year and 12/1 looks a fair each way chance. Nobody in their right mind will oppose Quevega in the Mares race but many will prefer an each way shout than taking 1/2. And so although Simonsig looks completely the business in the Arkle, you are going to be giving the bookies odds and so Tuesday might be a day of resisting too much temptation because better options will follow on subsequent days.
Weds at 2.05 is where we will want to get stuck into The New One (nap), pictured, who is not even favourite to repel the Irish invader and so we are still welcome to take 4/1 with Paddy Power, who I have found to be a most enterprising accountant since taking my business to him a few weeks ago. Being mugged by an inspired McCoy and At Fisher's Cross at the trials meeting was a rare example of defeat still enhancing a reputation in the best novice hurdle so far this season and with that rival likely to go for the longer distance race later, he still has enough promise to rate the nap of the week at a good price. And, next up, Dynaste, although thought to be too much a 'speed horse' for the novice chase slog of the RSA, he is also surely so much a class apart that 9/4 looks like worth having.
On Thursday, the World Hurdle is an open race for the first time in years with Big Bucks absent and Reve de Sivola has been pencilled in to beat Oscar Whisky, whose stamina might not be quite as proven, for a long time now. I'm not convinced of exactly what will run in the Ryanair and so only tentatively wonder if First Lieutenant could be the answer..
On Friday, Our Conor's win in Ireland looked impressive enough while Far West's win at Sandown was reduced to farce and a three furlong sprint but Far West remains the choice in the Triumph Hurdle, a race that doesn't seem to be quite the old pin-sticking job that it once was.
The Albert Bartlett is where we will stay with At Fisher's Cross to contiunue his progress through the season.
The Gold Cup might not be a race to get heavily involved in. I don't think the Irish challenge is as good as it thinks it is and I will just side with Silvianiaco Conti while wishing Bobs Worth all the best.
I wonder if Katkeau will finally deliver the goods in the race named after his stable but I am starting to lose patience with him.
And so, at this time of hope and intrepid expectation, I am still sitting on a little goldmine with my yankee of The New One, Reve de Sivola and Far West, who are the Cheltenham treble, all at 7/1, which will all go on to Join Together at 16/1 in the National. Let's see if it doesn't.
