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Tom Segal and Paul Kealy’s best bets for the Cheltenham Festival
We’re only two days away from the biggest event in the racing calendar, and our two top tipsters have both provided their nap of the festival.
Tom Segal - Amarillo Sky
Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase 4.50, Wednesday, March 16
With last year’s winner Sky Pirate heading the weights and an intended runner, we know where everything stands in the Grand Annual and the improving Amarillo Sky would appear to have a lot going for him.
He is clearly a big improver and would have won three of his last four over fences but for falling two-out at Newbury. Last time out he couldn’t have been more impressive under a big weight and while the handicapper stuck him up 8lb for that, there is surely plenty more to come from him.
Amarillo Sky goes on any ground, is usually a superb jumper and will have no problem coping with the helter-skelter gallop. He has all the ingredients needed to win a Grand Annual.
Paul Kealy - Alaphilippe
Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle 2.10, Thursday, March 17
I’ve been convinced for a while that Alaphilippe is the best-handicapped British horse around off a mark of 138 and hopefully he’ll show that at the festival.
He was a massive eyecatcher when fifth in the Warwick qualifier on his seasonal reappearance as he pulled hard, raced wide and yet still looked to be cantering over his rivals turning in. He eventually got tired, but he’ll come on a lot for that and the 2lb drop was a massive bonus.
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Confirmed runners and riders for the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham on Tuesday
Mighty mare and last year’s heroine Honeysuckle will face nine rivals in Tuesday’s Unibet Champion Hurdle on day one of the Cheltenham Festival after Sunday morning’s declarations.
The ten entries were confirmed by connections and include 2020 winner Epatante and the Willie Mullins-trained Appreciate It, who has not raced since winning the Supreme on Tuesday’s card 12 months ago.
Unibet Champion Hurdle (3.30 Tuesday): racecard and betting
His fellow Irish raider Teahupoo also runs as do Zanahiyr, Adagio, Glory And Fortune, Not So Sleepy, Saint Roi and Tommy’s Oscar.
Trained by Henry de Bromhead for Kenny Alexander, Honeysuckle is unbeaten in 14 races and is considered by many as a banker for the meeting and she won the Champion Hurdle by six and a half lengths a year ago.
She has been flawless since, adding another three Grade 1s to her immaculate CV, which includes another Cheltenham victory in the 2020 Mares’ Hurdle.
“I’d be wound up just trying to get the horses there as best we can,” De Bromhead said on Sunday morning.
“I’d love to do as well as last year [when the yard also won the Champion Chase and Gold Cup], but if we could do half as well we’d have to be very happy. Last year was extraordinary.”
There have been fewer fireworks for the stable this season and De Bromhead added: “I think they [the horses] are good. I’ve found different things more frustrating – a horse was meant to run yesterday and would have possibly been odds-on, but couldn’t run for a silly, niggly thing.
“We’ve had a lot of that, but maybe I’m making excuses. They seem really healthy and have scoped well and their bloods are great. You’d like to have had more winners coming into the meeting, but we haven’t and that’s it.”
It seems there is little to concern the top trainer as regards his stable star, who will be ridden – as usual – by Rachael Blackmore.
“She just seems to be so good and has such a will to win,” he added on Racing TV. “Up until now, there’s no set tactic Rachael has to work with. I suppose that’s a reflection of how good she is.
‘Rachael Blackmore multiples will be a headache’ – bookmakers share festival fears
“Appreciate It looks very good and it sounds like they’re happy with Epatante and Teahupoo has been impressive, but there were plenty like that last year. I haven’t gone in depth into the race and I’d say it’s similar [to last year], while her Benie Des Dieux run [in the Mares' Hurdle] was way up there.
“In her last few runs, she hasn’t really had to go all out. We’ll see if she’s got more on her plate.”
Around a 4-7 shot, she should be right in the mix, but faces an intriguing rival in Appreciate It, who stormed to a 24-length win in the Supreme, emerging as a fine prospect for novice chasing this season.
His campaign, however, was slow to start, so Mullins shelved the idea of fences in favour of a crack at the Champion Hurdle and Honeysuckle.
Like Appreciate It, Teahupoo is another unexposed rival for the unbeaten powerhouse to contend with and he was 11 lengths too good for his rivals in a Gowran Park Grade 3 last time.
Champion Hurdle confirmed runners and riders
Adagio Tom Scudamore
Appreciate It Paul Townend
Glory And Fortune Stan Sheppard
Not So Sleepy Johnny Burke
Saint Roi Mark Walsh
Teahupoo Robbie Power
Tommy’s Oscar Danny McMenamin
Zanahiyr Jack Kennedy
Epatante Aidan Coleman
Honeysuckle Rachael Blackmore
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by Racing Post
