A Punter's Diary: A good start to Cheltenham and still so much to look forward to

A GOOD start, and almost a great one. 

I am hoarse from trying to shout Byker home in the Boodles, but he couldn’t quite do it, although there’s still plenty to look forward to. 

Constitution Hillwas imperious and can win Champion Hurdles for years if the owner wants, although I think he will go fencing next year. 

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got a marvellous send-off, as predicted, and the win for Marine Nationale in the Supreme was also special for those of us who backed it. 

Chaos at Valhalla – Scottie Scheffler detained by police after traffic incident

Worst experience of career – Ange Postecoglou feared for integrity in Man C loss

The rain and snow that arrived here at the weekend has prevented the groundstaff having to artificially water the courses here, and we should remember the catastrophic effect that had last year when a well forecast deluge on the Wednesday ruined the day for horses and punters alike. 

I was out on the course yesterday morning watching the Irish horses exercising. There were plenty of TV cameras in evidence so you may have seen this on the early morning preview shows – it really is an uplifting sight. 

The same people turn up every year and I can honestly say this is my favourite moment of the whole week. To my untrained eye the ground was on the soft side but what was most noticeable was the lack of grass growth. It is about a month away from what it should be given the mild weather. 

The feature race today is the two-mile Champion Chase and features another Willie Mullins favourite in Energumene, who won it last year after chief market rival Shiskin bombed out of the race early on. 

That race was run on horrible ground and the form is worthless, and with Energumene being a well beaten third here in January it is sensible to look elsewhere for the winner. 

Last year’s Arkle winner Edwardstone is the obvious one. He was second in that January race, the Clarence House, having looked like the winner everywhere but the line. That race was run on the New course which will be in use tomorrow and Friday and which is more of a stamina test than the Old course being used today. 

There are plenty of other races to get stuck into both before and after the Champion Chase. The first race, the Ballymore, is a classic, featuring the cream of the novice hurdlers from both sides of the Irish Sea. 

Hermes Allen has looked electric and seems a good thing to me. The form of his win at Newbury on New Year’s Eve is easily the best on show as five horses beaten in that race have subsequently won, including Crambo who claimed a big race at Sandown on Saturday. 

There is a strong numerical Irish challenge. Impaire Et Passe has been well backed and talked up at a few preview nights but is easily passed over as he has only won two egg and spoon races and the stats say that five-year-olds do not win this. 

The Brown Advisory for staying novice chasers is next up and gives Gordon Elliott a big chance for another winner as his Gerri Columbe ticks all the right boxes required for a winner of this. 

In the absence of the luckless Jack Kennedy, Gordon confirmed that Jordan Gainford will keep the ride having won Grade Ones on him at Limerick and Sandown already this season. 

That Sandown win was particularly impressive, he likes having a horse to chase and with The Real Whacker sure to make the pace, it looks well set for Gerri to give young Jordan the thrill of his life. 

Jump racing’s biggest benefactor JP McManus could have a good day as he has a few major chances in the other races. 

I fancy his Camprond in the Coral Cup. Fourth last year when the ground went against him, he has been punted from 14/1 or so last week to half those odds now. 

Paul Nolan’s HMS Seahorse is a real danger here, having been heavily backed over the last few days. A week-changing reverse forecast would be nice. 

Take the hint and look for extra places in this and other big handicaps this week as they can make the difference between winning and losing. 

JP has also recently bought leading Bumper fancy A Dream To Share from TV pundit Brian Gleeson. He won the Leopardstown bumper that has produced the first or second in this for the last four years and like a lot of JP’s, he has been heavily backed in the past few days and could well go off favourite. 

Brian Gleeson’s son, John, keeps the ride and veteran trainer John Kiely bids to break his Cheltenham duck. 

Elliott had the first two home in last year’s Cross Country when Delta Work beat old favourite Tiger Roll. He will very probably do the same today with Delta Work and Galvin looking head and shoulders above the rest of the field. 

I think Delta Work will give Davy Russell another Cheltenham winner three months after he retired. Elliott got him to change his mind when Jack Kennedy was ruled out through injury and Davy might just get his reward here.

The most closely-watched race of the week in Fruithill, the PD and Robinsons will be the Grand Annual at 4.50. A friend of mine, who has been known to frequent those hostelries, was tipped Final Orders at Christmas, has a nice ante-post bet and it is near enough favourite now. 

He has won his last five races including a big handicap at the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown last month. 

Andy Dufresne, runner-up in this last year, has been punted again but he usually finds one too good.