RACING: In-depth preview of the big races at Cheltenham 2022

We are fast approaching the 2022 Cheltenham Festival with a bumper crowd expected back at Prestbury Park after an enforced Covid-19 absence last year. We have run the rule over the big races and contenders in this Cheltenham preview. 

TUESDAY, MARCH 15 - THE SUPREME NOVICES HURDLE (13:30)

The roar at the beginning of the Supreme is synonymous with Cheltenham and this year's renewal looks a classic. There is still debate over where certain horses go, particularly the Willie Mullins pair of Sir Gerhard and Dysart Dynamo, but this should be a cracker.

We'll start across the water with the Nicky Henderson duo Constitution Hill and Jonbon. They are both talented hurdlers but my preference of the two would be Constitution Hill. You can draw a line of form between Jonbon and Constitution Hill through Might I who they've both beaten this term. Jonbon beat him by four lengths while Constitution Hill had 14 lengths to spare at Sandown. It's tenuous because both won so easily; Constitution Hill may have just been allowed do a bit more to the line by the jockey. Henderson thinks they are both very special and unbeaten, they will be in contention.

Ireland has a number of live contenders with the likes of Sir Gerhard, Dysart Dynamo, Mighty Potter and Kilcruit all still in this race at the time of writing. One of Dysart Dynamo or Sir Gerhard will probably head to the Ballymore later in the week but both are prominent in this market. Sir Gerhard is extremely highly thought of down at Willie Mullins' yard and hasn't put a foot wrong in his career so far. He beat Kilcruit in the Champion Bumper at last year's Cheltenham Festival and has won both his starts over hurdles this term. He beat Three Stripe Life (fourth in last year's Champion Bumper) over hurdles at Leopardstown in February with six lengths. He wasn't impeccable at every hurdle that day but has such an engine, he is a leading fancy.

Dysart Dynamo is a bit of an enigma and tends to bomb along in front and burn off his rivals. He's also won his two starts over hurdles at Cork and Punchestown and reminds me of the likes of Vautour or Champagne Fever who went like the clappers and powered away up the hill to win the Supreme for Willie Mullins in previous years. He could well go to the Ballymore for the extended trip but I think he's made for the Supreme. He would have them all at it turning in and it would take a very good one to pass him. The fact they are considering sending him over further shows stamina is not a doubt and you need a bit of that to make all in a Supreme. 

Plenty of better judges than me would give Mighty Potter a chance in this and why not; he too has beaten Three Stripe Life this term and that's a good yardstick. He wasn't as authoritative in victory over that rival as Sir Gerhard and I think he could find things coming at him too quick in a frantic Supreme. Kilcruit comes into that bracket for me too despite recovering a winning thread after losing at 1/14 on his hurdles debut. He was second in last year's Champion Bumper so has course form and he destroyed Bold Approach by 21 lengths last time out. He's not without a chance and is a good eachway bet at 7/1. Another interesting one at 25/1 is Bring On The Night, again for Willie Mullins, who won his debut for the trainer at Naas after 644 days off the track and a move from France. 

Verdict - Sir Gerhard or Dysart Dynamo (whichever one runs in this race)

TUESDAY, MARCH 15 - ARKLE CHASE (14:10)

I've been a big fan of Blue Lord for a while and I wasn't as turned off as some others by his performance in Leopardstown in February. Many would suggest Riviere D'Etel would have beaten him if she didn't clatter the last fence but I think Blue Lord just keeps a bit for himself. He is workmanlike and far from flashy but he could well get the job done again. He is unbeaten in three chase starts and although it was over hurdles, he was a clear second and going well before falling in the Supreme won by Appreciate It last year. Rivier D'Etel will get the mare's allowance of seven pounds at Cheltenham and could turn a string of 2s on the form sheet into a one just at the right time.

Edwardstone is the great white hope for Britain in this and hasn't put a foot wrong to be fair. He's won four on the spin and his latest victory over Third Time Lucki was very impressive. Looking at the potential in the field and maybe a little leap of faith at a bit of an eachway price, I like Haut En Couleurs at 7/1 for Willie Mullins. Paul Townend will undoubtedly ride Blue Lord but this lad is interesting despite falling in that Leopardstown race won by his stablemate last month. 

Before that, he put Gentleman De Mee to the sword by five lengths over 2M 1F at the same venue with Mt Leinster back in third. Both of those have won since with Gentleman De Mee winning his two subsequent starts by a combined 50 lengths. It's a tenuous line but Gentleman De Mee was less than 20 lengths behind Ferny Hollow on chasing debut and that one would be a strong favourite for this race if he wasn't ruled out a couple of months ago. A lot of improvement has happened on all sides since then but I'm holding out for that Haut En Couliers potential to push him to the top of this pile. It is a real head melter though so we'll wait and judge the market on the day.

Verdict - A Willie Mullins winner

TUESDAY, MARCH 15 - CHAMPION HURDLE (15:30)

Can anything beat the odds-on favourite Honeysuckle in this year's renewal of the Champion Hurdle? I tend to think not. She is unbeaten in 14 starts over hurdles and won this race last year. She's done nothing wrong and the vast majority of those 14 wins have been very comfortable for her. She also gets the seven-pound mare's allowance so not only is she the best horse in the race, she gets weight from everything else, bar Epatante who also gets the allowance. 

I'd be interested in the betting without Honeysuckle market here and once you open up that tab, it's very competitive. Appreciate It for Willie Mullins won the Supreme last year but hasn't been on the track since and while he won that race by 24 lengths, it's hard to predict what he'll do in this company. That makes him interesting but I really like Teahupoo for Gordon Elliott. He's continued to improve after a good runner-up run behind one of last term's top juvenile hurdlers Jeff Kidder at Fairyhouse in April 2021. He's won all three starts this term, including an 11-length success over Darasso at Gowran in February. He'll certainly have to improve again but he can and better ground will see him to better effect too. You can get him at 5/2 in the betting W/O Honeysuckle market.

Verdict - Honeysuckle to beat Teahupoo

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16 - QUEEN MOTHER CHAMPION CHASE (15:30)

This is being billed as a match between Nicky Henderson's all-conquering Shishkin and Willie Mullins' Energumene who clashed in one of the races of the season at Kempton back in January. They went toe-to-toe and Energumene looked to be putting Shishkin to the sword but the 2021 Arkle winner was not to be denied and powered all the way to the line to win by a length. Shishkin is truly a class act and is unbeaten since December 2019 when he fell on his hurdles debut. He won the Supreme that season and followed it up over fences in the Arkle. He's unbeaten over the larger obstacles and would be long odds-on for this if Energumene was absent.

Willie Mullins' star has been unsteady in the market for this after reportedly picking up a stone bruise in recent weeks, although he is reported to be fine now. He missed Cheltenham last term but was also unbeaten before bumping into Shishkin at Kempton. A rematch would be mouth-watering but I think the better ground and the hill would only solidify Shishkin's superiority. 

I may be getting sentimental but I think Willie Mullins' forgotten hero Chacun Pour Soi could spoil the Shishkin party this year. You would have to have a double dose of blind faith to side with him this year after he capitulated in last year's renewal of the same race won by Put The Kettle On. It was a major shock and he seems to have lost a lot of followers for that reason but he was only beaten a length and half by a horse he was giving seven pounds to and the year's winner of the Champion Chase.

I was concerned when he was beaten 34 lengths by Greaneteen at Sandown in December and there's a suggestion he just doesn't travel well because he's imperious on Irish soil. In the hands of Willie Mullins, he has only lost once on Irish soil and that was to last year's Gold Cup runner-up A Plus Tard at Leopardstown back in 2019. Mullins would not be taking him back to Cheltenham if he didn't think he was up to it and I know he has a massive soft spot for the horse, as do I.

He banished that defeat behind Greaneteen by beating the same rival by more than 70 lengths at Leopardstown in the Dublin Racing Festival. He beat Captain Guinness by 12 lengths that day, the same horse beaten 13 lengths by Shishkin in last year's Arkle. Greaneteen also got within ten lengths of Shishkin (giving the winner three pounds) at Kempton over Christmas. Lest we forget Chacun also beat Allaho (Patrick Mullins' Cheltenham nap of the week in the Ryanair) by five lengths at Punchestown at the end of last season.

I may be ridiculed for saying this but I don't think Shishkin is bulletproof and there is a bit of mystique still around Chacun Pour Soi. On his best form, he'd be contesting favouritism here but punters are holding his poor trips across the Irish Sea against him, possibly rightly so. It has to be a concern but at 9/2 against a 4/6 favourite, I'm happy to give him one more chance here. It will be interesting to see if Paul Townend chooses to right Energumene again against Shishkin or get back aboard Chacun Pour Soi.

Verdict - A fairytale win for Chacun Pour Soi

THURSDAY, MARCH 17 - STAYERS HURDLE (15:30)

This is a cracking renewal of this race with the last three winners (Flooring Porter, Paisley Park and Lisnagar Oscar) all in the field. I tipped Flooring Porter at 16/1 in this preview last year and while I don't like abandoning him, his tendency for a misstep puts me off at his current skinny odds of 5/2. Yes, he won this last year but he was then pulled up behind Klassical Dream at Punchestown and fell behind Darasso at Navan last November. He regained form when second to Klassical Dream at Leopardstown at Christmas but he's just too short for my money.

I like Thyme Hill this year at 9/2 after a rather good performance last time out. He was a close second to Champ at Ascot. He's been completely laid out for this and after missing the race last year, he could finally take that Stayer's crown.

He was fourth in the 2020 Albert Bartlett behind Monkfish and has kept top class company ever since. He has beaten the 2019 winner of this race in two starts since, including Newbury's Long Distance Hurdle in November 2020. He's run just twice since then, including that eye-catching runner-up run behind Champ and when others are fading, this one will be staying on up the hill. He's proved that stamina over the last couple of years and is very rarely out of the frame. It will take a good one to beat him if he's on song.

Verdict - Thyme Hill 

FRIDAY, MARCH 18 - TRIUMPH HURDLE (13:30)

This looks like a good renewal of the Triumph with all the top trainers well represented. Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott both have at least two very sharp darts to throw at this unless they split them which they may well. Vauban at 7/4 looks like it will be added to a lot of accumulators and I couldn't turn you off that idea. He looks the most likely winner to me after his win over Fil Dor at Leopardstown last month. He improved massively from his runner-up run behind Pied Piper in December. He quickened up smartly to win by three lengths and looks like there is even more to come.

Willie Mullins Icare Allen would also have an eachway chance if it lines up here but he could go to the Boodles Handicap on Tuesday. Wherever he goes, keep an eye on the market. He was fifth behind Vauban that day but went on to beat Prairie Dancer a couple of weeks later at Fairyhouse. He travelled well but was sticky at more than one of his hurdles which could catch him out in a Triumph. There is no doubting his engine though as he galloped all the way to the line. He's a player at Cheltenham, no matter where he goes.

Pied Piper is many peoples' idea of the Triumph winner having already beaten Vauban and followed that up with a nine-length win over Moka De Vassy at Cheltenham in January. The course form has to be a big plus and you couldn't help but be impressed by his turn of pace that day at Cheltenham, albeit he didn't have to beat too many classy rivals. The runner-up was subsequently beaten 20 lengths by Britain's main hope for this race, Knight Salute. Speaking of Knight Salute, he's not flashy but he gets results and will rock up at Prestbury Park with five consecutive wins under his belt. Discount him at your peril. 

Verdict - Vauban 

FRIDAY, MARCH 18 - GOLD CUP (15:30)

Another tricky race to work out despite not being the highest quality Gold Cup of all-time. A lot of the debate here centres on A Plus Tard and Galvin on the basis of their titanic clash in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas. Galvin came out on top on that occasion while Kemboy, who skips this assignment, was less than a length behind them. 

Galvin is certainly the up-and-coming staying chaser in Ireland and Irish runners dominate the market. Paul Nicholls' Protektorat is the only home challenger currently in single figures in the betting market. I am slightly turned off A Plus Tard based on his runner-up run in this race last year. He had the entire hill to pass his stablemate Minella Indo but couldn't do it. It was a cracking run all the same; he had the two-time winner Al Boum Photo behind him and lost nothing really in defeat.

However, Henry De Bromhead's yard was in sensationally form last year, proven by that Gold Cup one-two, and I'm not saying they won't be in the same vein at Cheltenham but his horses haven't quite reached those heights yet this term. Galvin is hugely exciting and won the National Hunt Chase at the festival in 2021. He's short enough for a Gold Cup at 7/2 and I like a bit of eachway value in this.

For those purposes, I like Al Boum Photo (10/1) and Chantry House (16/1). There has been plenty of talk about Al Boum Photo's poor work at home in the build-up to this race but having finished third in it last year, his bid for a famous third Gold Cup win is far from off the cards.

He is so lightly raced and travels so well around Cheltenham that you just can't ignore him at the prices. He's repeated his Cheltenham prep of the last couple of years by winning at Tramore over Christmas where he beat Burrows Saint at his ease. Trainer Willie Mullins did say he wished he was in better order at home in February but last week he worked him at Navan racecourse where he said he was "much, much happier" with him. Paul Townend was also impressed with his work at Navan so it could be a case of him coming into form at the right time for a famous hat-trick.

Chantry House is very interesting for Nicky Henderson having good Cheltenham form. He won the Marsh Novices Chase here in 2021 and has impressed stepped up in trip this year. He beat The Big Breakaway by 37 lengths in a two-runner contest at Sandown in November but we can't read too much into that.

He was then pulled up in the King George won by Tornado Flyer but got back to winning ways at Cheltenham in preparation for this. He beat Santini that day in January while giving his rival four pounds. That reads well if you consider Santini's form in the top grade, including when second to Al Boum Photo in the 2020 Gold Cup. Chantry House is still a relative unknown in this grade and at the distance, but there is enough in the form book to like his eachway chances at 16/1.

Verdict - Al Boum Photo

THE CHELTENHAM HOTPOT TREBLE:

Honeysuckle (Champion Hurdle)

Vauban (Triumph Hurdle)

Thyme Hill (Stayer's Hurdle)

ALL TO WIN - €10 RETURNS €200