With no racing tomorrow, I thought I would look ahead to the Cheltenham Festival which starts on Tuesday March 13 and here is my ante-post Lucky 15 bet.

LE PREZIEN — RYANAIR CHASE

Rated a full 9lbs behind Top Notch for this two-and-a-half mile championship, it would be easy to write off Le Prezien’s admittedly outside chance for this Thursday crown.

Yet I am of the opinion that this seven-year-old has yet to experience his ideal conditions, namely good ground over two-and-a-half miles.

His best effort yet over fences came when he rallied into third place behind Splash of Ginge in the BetVictor Gold Cup. But had that prestigious event been run on a faster surface I am convinced he would have lifted the big prize that day.

Yes, he does act on soft ground, but good to soft allows him to fence better and use his sharp turn of foot that we have witnessed several times in his career to date. OK, I could be scuppered by Mr Nicholls running him in the Grand Annual off a big weight (yet 2m is clearly too sharp) or in the two-and-a-half mile Byrne Group Plate, but what have connections to lose by running him here?

GETABIRD — SUPREME NOVICES HURDLE

OK, so the “bird,” excuse the pun, has arguably flown here with his win in the Moscow Flyer Hurdle pointing to the strong view that Getabird will give favourite backers a winning start to the meeting.

The way he jumped his hurdles that day and finished his race off suggests we have a budding Champion Hurdle performer in the making and I have already backed him for the 2019 Champion Hurdle.
He may not be a “price,” but then every multiple bet does need a “nap” for the bet and in the Willie Mullins charge we have a really exciting prospect not only for Tuesday, but for a few years down the line.

MINELLA ROCCO — GOLD CUP

Last year Jonjo’s charge unseated Noel Fehily at the fifth in the Irish Gold Cup, but then ran the race of his life to finish second at Cheltenham. This year, he did a deal better at Leopardstown falling at the final obstacle albeit his chance had long gone.

But the key to this stayer, is spring ground, a real staying event and as we saw in 2017 getting into a rhythm.

There is a strong argument to suggest that had the field gone a real gallop in last year’s Gold Cup he would have outstayed all and sundry up the hill. 

I suspect connections of Native River have learnt their lesson from 12 months ago and that Richard Johnson will turn the screw a lot further out which would play into the hands of Rocco. Don’t give up on him, he is a big player granted his conditions at 25/1.

CAID DU BERLAIS — FOXHUNTERS

There is little doubt that Paul Nicholls has a soft spot for this amateur riders race and in this nine-year-old he has a major player in this most fascinating of events.

Recently transferred to Rose Loxton, who learnt plenty working for the Ditcheat handler, Caid Du Berlais ran a cracker in last year’s Pertemps Final finishing a staying-on fifth to Presenting Percy. Under the care of Kauto Star’s former groom he has blossomed in the point to point field hacking up at Larkhill on his two starts to date.

Really good ground is important to him and as this is usually a real test of stamina, under such conditions he has the park form to run a huge race at double figure odds.

CAPTIANE — GRAND ANNUAL

It is amazing how often the weather deteriorates at the back end of the fourth and final day of the festival, but if we get a dry afternoon I can see this scopey grey running a huge race in this curtain closer.

Winner of two of his three starts over the larger obstacles, the son of Monmartre was then outclassed by Sceau Royal and company in the Henry VII Chase at Sandown.

The rain-softened ground didn’t help on that occasion, but he is probably just a handicapper in the making, if a good class one and his high cruising speed will stand him in good stead in this end of meeting cavalry charge, should he get his ground.