UK Horse Racing Tips: Cheltenham

Top-class Nicky Henderson novice hurdlers have suffered defeat in this race before and gone on to bigger and better things, but don't let that trend put you off SHISHKIN. This point winner went into notebooks aplenty when winning on his Rules debut in a Kempton bumper last year and, although his hurdling career didn't get off to best start at Newbury when he fell at the second, his two subsequent efforts have confirmed he's a bit special. The manner in which he ran away from Shakem Up'arry at the Berkshire venue two starts ago on heavy ground will have pleased all connected and then he showed his versatility in easily winning the Listed Sidney Banks on good to soft at Huntingdon. Asterion Forlonge, for the same owner, is the clear pick of Willie Mullins' trio of runners having created a good impression in a Leopardstown Grade 1 last month, while the selection's stable companion Chantry House looked above-average at Newbury and Abacadabras, the Future Champions winner and fourth in last year's Champion Bumper, is another to consider closely.
Prediction : 1st Shishkin 2nd Asterion Forlonge 3rd Chantry House

If connections can keep a lid on Notebook in the preliminaries and en route to the start, the seven-year-old will take some stopping on his Grade 1 successes at Leopardstown at the expense of the reopposing FAKIR D'OUDAIRIES and Cash Back. That is a big if, though, and perhaps the safe play is to bank on Joseph O'Brien's gelding reversing the Racing Post Novice Chase form. Mark Walsh will surely make more use of him on this occasion and it may have been a blessing in disguise that he skipped the Dublin Racing Festival as he comes here fresh. Brewin'upastorm looks the pick of the UK-trained runners and is 2-2 over fences courtesy of taking wins at Carlisle and Taunton, while Maire Banrigh is entitled to be thereabouts getting her weight-for-sex allowance and Rouge Vif could be one for the each-way players on his impressive Kingmaker triumph.
Prediction : 1st Fakir DOudairies 2nd Notebook 3rd Cash Back

Vinndication has won seven of his nine career starts for Kim Bailey, but he has never come out on top going left handed and faces a tough task trying to defy a mark of 159 after a break. He was fifth in the JLT Novices' Chase (now Marsh) here last year, but landing this would arguably be a bigger achievement for the seven-year-old. Discorama was a heartbreaking second in the National Hunt Chase 12 months ago and makes some appeal here after a wind operation despite a modest season so far, while The Conditional is on a fair rating after his Ladbrokes Trophy second and Classic Chase fourth at Newbury and Warwick respectively. Kildisart is noted wearing first-time cheekpieces, but there is much to like about WHO DARES WINS' prospects. The selection shaped as though further would suit when accounting for Southfield Stone at Kempton when last seen and, having finished third in a Coral Cup and fifth in a Pertemps in the past, he's fancied to add another big success to his CV.
Prediction : 1st Who Dares Wins 2nd The Conditional 3rd Kildisart

Nicky Henderson has won three of the last five renewals and holds a strong hand here with four participants. The case for Epatante is obvious after her Christmas Hurdle success at Kempton, while her 7lb mares' allowance also helps. Pentland Hills won the Triumph Hurdle here last season at lofty odds and proved that to be no fluke when following up in Grade 1 company at Aintree a few weeks later, but he has been disappointing in two starts this season and connections will hope that a wind operation has sparked him back into life. Cilaos Emery was supplemented by Willie Mullins after a modest chasing campaign and impressed back over the smaller obstacles at Gowran Park on his most recent outing. Supasundae would probably prefer better ground and age is catching up with him, so perhaps a chance can be taken on Gavin Cromwell's DARVER STAR. Cromwell caused a surprise in this last year when Espoir D'Allen claimed top honours and history could repeat itself. The selection was a career-best second on his first start outside novice company behind Honeysuckle in the Irish Champion Hurdle last month, and he wouldn't need to improve much in order to take this given the doubts over those at the top of the betting.
Prediction : 1st Darver Star 2nd Cilaos Emery 3rd Epatante

One of the big clashes of the meeting as top-class mares BENIE DES DIEUX and Honeysuckle go head-to-head. The latter is seven from seven and arrives following two top-level victories at Fairyhouse and Leopardstown, but she has it all on to beat Willie Mullins' inmate. The nine-year-old would have won this race for the second year running 12 months ago only to crash out at the final hurdle (leaving Roksana and stablemate Stormy Ireland to fight out the finish). That error clearly didn't knock her confidence as she went on to score at both Punchestown and Auteuil shortly after, and she arguably produced a career-best performance when winning the Galmoy Hurdle at Gowran on her seasonal reappearance in January. In the aftermath of that 21-length demolition job, Mullins commented that she is probably the best mare he has ever trained and it's hard to see her getting beat with normal luck. Stormy Ireland will likely take them along at a good gallop and she is fancied to hang on for a place.
Prediction : 1st Benie Des Dieux 2nd Honeysuckle 3rd Stormy Ireland

IMPERIAL AURA remains open to significant improvement on just his fourth start over fences and his effort here on Trials Day, when second to Simply The Betts in a contest that has a fine record in producing Festival winners, will have given him the match practice required for a race of this nature. The seven-year-old went up 7lb for that effort but appears to have the credentials to be a Graded performer in a handicap. Hold The Note was unlucky at Kempton over Christmas when badly hampered and backed that up with a fine second in a Grade 2 at Warwick over 3m. The drop in trip will play to his strengths for a stable that landed this contest in 2018, while Galvin, who makes his handicap bow after a couple of eye-catching performances, and Beakstown, sporting first-time cheekpieces, are others high on the shortlist.
Prediction : 1st Imperial Aura 2nd Hold The Note 3rd Galvin

A substandard renewal compared to recent years with the market revolving around Carefully Selected. Willie and Patrick Mullins have teamed up to land this contest twice with Back In Focus (2013) and Rathvinden (2018) and the eight-year-old qualified for this with a hard-fought success over Forza Milan at Naas. That said, his jumping hasn't always been the most fluent, most notably when making a bad mistake last time at the third-last, and, at the prices, he could be worth taking on with LORD DU MESNIL. Richard Hobson's gelding has done nothing but improve throughout the season, winning three handicaps on the bounce, and arrives on the back of a fine second in the Grand National Trial at Haydock. Stamina is guaranteed and he boasts a top jockey booking in Sam Waley-Cohen, who landed this contest back in 2009 on board Tricky Trickster. Forza Milan could improve for the step up in trip being a full brother to 2017 Grand National winner One For Arthur, while Ravenhill and Newtide boast decent claims on the pick of their form.
Prediction : 1st Lord Du Mesnil 2nd Carefully Selected 3rd Forza Milan