Cheltenham Festival favourites: Which ones you should back - and oppose

Supreme Novices’ Hurdle: APPRECIATE IT 7/4

With bookmaker offers galore and aspirations aloft, the curtain raiser for the four day festival is undoubtedly a huge race for punters. This year, we are met with a well-fancied favourite in the form of the Willie Mullins-trained Appreciate It, who will be aiming to get favourite backers off to a perfect start.

The son of Jeremy was nearly faultless last year, winning two of his three bumpers, and arrived to the festival with similar hopes as the 15/8 favourite for the Champion Bumper. Unfortunately he found his stablemate, Ferny Hollow, one too good and returned to Closutton empty handed.

This season, the seven-year-old has gone from strength to strength winning all three of his starts, including two Grade one victories at Leopardstown.

It wasn’t evident until this campaign that he would have the speed needed for the minimum trip in the Supreme, but he’s made it explicitly clear that he’s the one to beat over two miles.

Of the opposition, both Metier and Ballyadam are Grade one winners in the Tolworth Novices’ Hurdle and Royal Bond Novice Hurdle respectively, and Soaring Glory comes here from a commanding win in the Betfair Hurdle a fortnight ago.

There are serious question marks surrounding the Harry Fry-trained Metier as his form doesn’t compare to either of his close competitors and the ground may not be suitable on the day. Up against a different calibre of opposition, he may find it difficult to live up to his market position.

However, Ballyadam and Soaring Glory could be slightly overlooked to lay down the gauntlet to the strong favourite, with the ever-drying conditions looking to be favouring them rather than Appreciate It.

The former has been beaten twice by Mullins’ recruit on his last two starts, but had to travel three wide and was at the mercy of the pace dictated by the favourite.

The latter illustrated he was miles better than the handicapper thought in the Betfair Hurdle and, although he will have to improve to get in the ring with his market rivals, that victory suggests he may be able to go the distance in this bout.

Verdict - OPPOSE - Of course, Appreciate It is the one to beat in this affair but, considering he may have had it his own way on his last two starts, I wouldn’t want to advise backing him at such a short price.

Arkle Novices’ Chase: SHISKIN Evs

A mere thirty-five minutes after one short-priced favourite has waged war, the Nicky Henderson-trained Shishkin will be attempting to triumph in the Arkle Novices’ Chase to return even money.

If you asked the majority of horse racing experts at the turn of the year who was the most likely winner of the festival, I can guarantee nearly all of them would’ve nailed their colours to the mast of this son of Sholokhov.

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But, since the beginning of the year, a new challenger has emerged from yet again the yard of Willie Mullins to set up one of the duels of the meeting. That challenger is Energumene, who is a perfect four from four over obstacles.

After failing to win on debut for the yard in November 2019, the son of Denham Red went about his business relatively under the radar, notching up two wins in bumpers before a sole win over hurdles in March last year.

It was only when switching to the larger obstacles that the seven-year-old began to be noticed by horse racing fanatics far and wide.