There are probably too many 'legends' accorded that status these days but there will be a few on view at Cheltenham, some of them for the last time. Nobody could deny it to A.P. McCoy whose 20 champion jockey titles was completely unthinkable before it comes about and will be completely unrepeatable. Hurricane Fly, with his litany of Grade One Hurdle wins, can't be denied it either. Sprinter Sacre was probably the best horse I've seen in the flesh (which includes Desert Orchid and Dancing Brave) but was denied an enormous dominance of the two-mile chase division by medical problems, Faugheen is quite likely to make a case for himself in the Champion Hurdle and there are potential legends-to-be lurking in the novice races, like Un De Sceaux.Among the trainers, Paul Nicholls is a candidate for legendary status as is Willie Mullins although it is harder to admire those who manage things rather than those that actually do things.
Mullins could have three winners out of the first four races on Day One. He has the short-priced favourite in three but, statistically, the treble is not likely to happen.
I'm going to begin by opposing Douvan in the Supreme Novices while at the same time recording my gratitude for the way he sauntered all over the opposition in his last race at 1/3 and held together my great January betting coup. This race should the the one that Qewy turns up in, who was deeply impressive under A.P. at Newbury when leaving behind what had looked like a good class field. I've had a bit of 14/1 and put him in a yankee that would make me significantly richer if three other results came in along with him.
It is fondly gazing at my ante post Cheltenham bets that makes this such an entrancing time of year however less pretty they often look when the party is over.
Un De Sceaux got the most rapturous reviews of the season when leaving two respected novice chasers in another county last time out and however much Paul Nicholls likes Vibrato Valtat, there's not much you can do in the Arkle unless you want to lump on at 4/7. I don't particularly feel like doing that although for many Un De Sceaux will be an investment rather than a bet. And so we go to the handicap where I like Ned Stark but hope that Sausalito Sunrise can get some well deserved compensation for watching the back end of Kings Palace in the first part of the season.
In the Champion Hurdle, one quite readily these days puts a line through Hurricane Fly at Cheltenham and doesn't mean it when one says he is a 'flat track bully'. I can see why there is an argument for Jezki each way but each way isn't something I do at 6/1. I've followed The New One as if he was my own offspring ever since his first race over hurdles and everything he did, usually at odds of 1/6, this season looked fine until the jumping went horribly wrong in ground too soft at Haydock and, it has to be said, anything that The New One could do, Faugheen looked as if he could do it better. I'd be the happiest person not called Twiston-Davies if he could slipstream the favourite to the last and then burst past him up the hill. But Faugheen has looked like a machine and last week Blue Heron made a literal reading of the form book into a massive endorsement and so maybe last year was The New One's year and we can only think of what might have been. Which in my case would have been a handsome pile of cash.
But I will suggest another for Tuesday, in the last, because Sego Success was an essential part of my successful four trebles a few weeks ago when I carelessly omitted to do the accumulator. Even when you win, you know you should have won more. Down the back, I think it was at Haydock, I thought he was struggling to stay with the pace but he kept on galloping and jumping, which is all you ask of a stayer, and by the end he had seen them all off. This is further, I think, and so for those who like a 5/1 chance, I think it's one worth taking.
I don't think I've ever had a bet in a novice handicap and I won't start here but the RSA Chase has been a good race for me over the years. Some of my advance tickets have Kings Palace written on them even though I'm well aware he was a confident selection over hurdles this time last year and disappointed hugely. And so, with Don Poli, The Young Master and Coneygree up against him, I doubt if I'll be augmenting what I have already. Don Poli has been a friend to me before and might be a hedge bet but it mainly looks like a tremendous race in prospect if one can be satisfied with just the sport and no ulterior interest in the outcome. I think I can manage that.
Garde La Victoire deserves the Coral Cup, who is an unusual horse in that I love him even though he loses when I tip him or back him and wins when I don't. I hope I coincide with him one day and I'll probably have a shilling on him on the day because I like him much more than I like the Coral Cup.
Whereas the tip for Wednesday is definitely Mr Mole in the Champion Chase. 8/1 with Paddy as I write, I much prefer the up-and-coming potential to the comeback horses. Sire de Grugy runs tomorrow and we will know more after that but, remembering how I said last year to keep More of That on your side in the World Hurdle, 8/1 looks good to me. Sprinter Sacre perhaps did run a decent race at Sandown and 'just got tired' but I also remember Istabraq pulling up after two hurdles in a comeback race. You don't get 8/1 if you don't take anything on, so I think Mr Mole is worth a go.
And then, for reasons beyond me, we have the Cross Country Chase, a handicap hurdle and the bumper. Oh, yes, now I remember. The festival needs must be 4 days long.
It might be a better idea to hold the JLT Chase in Ireland unless Ptit Zig can outgun the invaders but I can't get involved too much in that treacherous water until the day. The Pertemps Hurdle is another episode of hurly burly in which I hope rather than expect Big Easy might finally win rather finish second for reasons beyond his control. But the Ryanair Chase is a race that chasers have at that distance which is sadly not available to hurdlers despite the number of makeweight races in the four-day festival. Listen up, Cheltenham. Which race was the late Oscar Whisky supposed to go for, not being smart enough for the Champion Hurdle but not quite staying the World Hurdle distance. And there is Wonderful Charm sitting in there somewhat forlornly at 16/1, a little bit overlooked perhaps.
But I'll gladly advise Saphir de Rheu for Thursday's World Hurdle, at 11/2, with a bit of a motley history but going the Big Bucks route without necessarily being Big Bucks. But, who can say. He might have a few World Hurdles in him in what suddenly doesn't look as competitive a discipline as it did last year.
And eventually it will be Friday, but make sure you have saved enough to back Peace & Co (pictured, nap) because he was hugely impressive first time out, saw off better opposition comfortably next time, could be absolutely anything in the future and is surely bigger and better than tough, little fighter and stablemate, Hargam. They should know. In olden days, the Triumph Hurdle was a torrential throng of 4yo talent, nobody knew what was going to happen and it often threw up a 16/1 winner. But it's not so much that nowadays. There is some science to it, Peace & Co looks absolutely solid and unless signals go out that suggest any doubt, I'll probably add to my small portfolio of modest investments about him.
The novice stayers hurdle is a favourite race, bringing back memories of the great Black Jack Ketchum, but this year it might be a matter of choosing between some good form shown by Vyta du Roc or the fact that Beast of Burden is trained by the lovely Rebecca and shares his name with the Rolling Stones' best record. Sometimes you just want to have a couple of quid and care less.
Garde La Victoire is in the County Hurdle as well and the same applies as above and then, just when you thought you'd had enough, it's the Gold Cup.
I've been a massive fan of Silviniaco Conti for a long time, not for any flashy talent, but for his way of defying and outstaying all boarders. He cost me first time out this year, for sure, but he has been forgiven that. This year's Gold Cup reminds me of Little Polveir's eventual success in the Grand National. He fell and he unseated but I believed he was a National horse and, sticking with him a third time, I had a 33/1 winner. We won't be getting 33/1 about Silviniaco Conti but I did flag up on this website before Christmas that the 8/1 was to be had. I have a nice little ante post double that says Faugheen 2/1, Silviniaco Conti 8/1 and I don't feel like selling it back to Paddy.
He fell when travelling well in behind Bobsworth two years ago and then looked all over the winner last year until veering across the course in an awful Gold Cup which, we are led to understand, was due to an abcess in his foot. I'll buy that from Paul Nicholls but we have since seen Many Clouds look quite good and, I think, Carlingford Lough look possibly better. I will hedge a little bit against my long term bets with a few quid on A.P. winning one more Gold Cup.
So, the genuine suggestions are those in bold type and the treble this year is not a treble, it's a yankee and it is Peace & Co, Sego Success, Mr Mole and Saphir du Rheu.
I won't see you in Barbados once they've all won because I've taken against hot weather and my passport is about to run out. But I will see you, vaguely, in a champagne bar.
And, after that, I'll not want to watch another horse race for a while. I might appreciate a walk on the seafront, consider whether I should take a wife and decide against it and then it will be time for the Grand National in which I have taken 25/1 about Unioniste which remains the tip despite the possibility that most of the top weights won't run and he might be given too much to carry but he's done everything right, just like all those National winners that I backed until it came to a sorry end after Comply or Die, backed at 25/1 and tipped to anybody who wanted to know until it won at 8/1 fav. I don't think I've been closer than fifth since and my planned book on How to Back the Grand National Winner has not yet been written.