The master trainer at the Cheltenham Festival Willie Mullins has one of his strongest ever teams this year.
We’ve picked out some of his most likely winners which pays outa decent 8/1.
Appreciate It – Supreme Novice Hurdle 6/4
A race Willie Mullins has farmed over the years with the likes of Vautour, Douvan and most recently Klassical Dream. Appreciate It looks to kick the festival off to a flyer and his form gives him a top chance.
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He gave the impression in bumpers that this distance would become too short for him after being agonisingly beaten by his stable companion in the Champion Bumper last year. He has made an exemplary start to his novice hurdle career with three foot-perfect wins in which of those were two Grade Ones.
His most impressive victory came at Christmas when trouncing his rivals by nine lengths. He then showed it wasn’t a fluke at the Dublin Racing Festival when beating Ballyadam by three and a quarter lengths who re-opposes here. I expect him to be raced prominently as there seems to be very little pace on which will see his stamina come into play.
From this early stage it appears to be a weak race and he hold the best form in the race and looks to get the festival off to a flyer for the Closutton team.
Concertista- Mares Hurdle – 11/10
This is another race in which the genius from Closutton targets his best mares, with nine winners to his name in the race in the thirteen renewals.
The Simon Munir & Isaac Souede owned mare burst onto the scene when going off 66-1 for the mares novices hurdle at Cheltenham in 2019 , in her first start over hurdles.
The year after she bolted up in the race she made her debut in, when winning by twelve lengths. She has continued her progression since stepping up to two miles and four furlongs and the test here looks to be up her street.
She has beaten a significant number of mares who opposes her here, so she wouldn’t need to improve anymore to get the better of them.
The two exceptional mares are side stepping this race to run in the Champion Hurdle and this looks like a golden opportunity for Concertista to make herself a two-time Cheltenham festival winner even though she wouldn’t look out of place in the Champion Hurdle.
Monkfish- Brown Advisory Novice Chase – 8/11
The banker of the week for many and quite rightly so is Monkfish who is another one who looks to make himself a two-time festival winner.
Since going over the larger obstacles this year he has continued with supreme ease, winning all of his starts.
His jumping for a novice is flawless, blitzing his rivals over multiple distances. He is quite clearly untouchable at the minute as nothing can even get near him and he’s still progressing with every run.
If he continues in the same vein here, he will be very hard to beat as Willie looks to win this race for the first time since 2009 with Cooldine.