Racetrack Wiseguy Cheltenham Preview

 If it was just sport and only about who won, I'd only really want Constitution Hill to put himself back into the unrateable category where he was before his illness. He looked like the horse of a lifetime, even to me whose lifetime included Arkle although with no memory of seeing him race in real time. I want him to win the Champion Hurdle by 10 lengths in second gear and not beat an under par-looking Lossiemouth only comfortably which was a performance that almost made it possible to give him a rating.

He's highly likely to regain the hurdle championship and odds of 4/6 look very fair, the reason being that the best of the opposition are likely to go to other races they might win rather than take him on. I don't think he really knows what a race is.

But 4/6 is no tip and it's ante-post and the absence of Sir Gino in the Arkle has already taken out a little ante-post treble of mine so there are other places to look on my favourite day of sport in the whole calendar, Tuesday at Cheltenham.

I didn't have anywhere near enough on Kopek des Bordes at 9/5 for the Supreme Novices after he won at Leopardstown and now he's 10/11. He looked sheer class that day and if Salvator Mundi is joint second fav, having jumped like an item of furniture when we saw him last, he's unlikely to be the saviour of the world. Kopek is confidently expected to get us off to a good start and set some trebles going.

And I've believed in Brighterdaysahead all the way through as Lossiemouth and State Man have reached their limits. I'd take Constitution Hill on with her if, for the sake of the sport, if it were my decision so if she goes to the Mares race, she's a very good thing on a day that lines up a very obvious treble - but take it easy there- as well as L'eau du Sud being an each-way steal in the Arkle.

(You don't get imaginative insight and big priced punts in a Wiseguy preview. You get a plan. That's what's 'wise' about it.)

Final Demand absolutely scooted in at Leopardstown but Harry Skelton has never made as much of any prospect as he has of The New Lion, pictured, and the Novices that begins Wednesday makes for a proper race in which, at the prices, I'll stay with the Skelton horse until it gets beat. I'm sure Ballyburn will feature in some speculative combinations now they've accepted it wants a distance like that of the 3m Novice Chase. As will the heroic Jonbon, who has entirely justified his enormous cost when not all expensive horses do and I suppose, if I were to dignify the Cross Country with a bet then 5/2 Stumptown must be good as he does win such races but why it is race 4 and not put on at the end so that those who don't care can get away early, I don't know.

Thursday could be a bit of a day off. I thought Il Est Francais ran the perfect Ryanair trial in the King George and he should be some sort of bet against the fav even if he could be an Alex Higgins of a horse, outrageously talented but given to finding ways of imploding. Teapuhoo came slightly later than I'd hoped to dominating the Stayers Hurdle division but it looks to be his while he wants it for now. While the loudmouth, composite good-time boys pack out Prestbury Park with their mad money-throwing at races with 6/1 favs, I'll check on how all my good things are compiling themselves, or not.

Mr. Henderson looks to have a chance of wresting the Triumph Hurdle from Mr. Mullins with the impressive Lulamba, so let's hope he does. I'm not especially patriotic but Mr. Henderson at least stands for something English, decent and worth having as the rest of the world gets nastier day by day.

I wonder if Joseph O'Brien has set aside Lark in the Mornin for a repeat festival win in the County Hurdle and I'll guess he might have if I'm still winning before, even at 1/2, you've almost got to have Galopin des Champs in the Gold Cup because it looks as inevitable as Hinault, Indurain or Lance Armstrong, later disqualified as he was, used to win the Tour de France. It wasn't very interesting but 50% interest on your money is ahead of inflation at the moment.

So, which of that litany of obvious big favourites are the three to make the treble.

I don't like losing money so I'm going Brighterdaysahead in the Mares Hurdle on Tues, Teapuhoo in the Stayers on Thurs and Galopin in the Gold Cup but that's the least imaginative treble one could have although your tenner could become £50.

As ever, mix them up in whatever way you choose. Three or four joined up ought to pay but one or two will get beat and if there were a guaranteed way of making it work the secret would be out by now.

It's an industry and, as such, it expects to support itself by making money out of its customers. I take a contrary view these days, having paid in plenty in decades long gone by.

In an unlikely alliance, I'll see it as Donald Trump sees everything - if there's nothing in it for me I'm not in the game.