AHEAD OF the Cheltenham Festival next week, Paddy Power brought together some of the sports’ biggest names to discuss their favourites and tips for each day during the Ultimate Cheltenham Preview Night.
With a full week of jam-packed racing on the cards, the racing experts gave a race-by-race breakdown of the ones to watch, including for main event, the Gold Cup.
CHELTENHAM, ENGLAND - MARCH 19: Jack Kennedy riding Minella Indo (R) s. (Photo by Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images)CHELTENHAM DAY ONE TIPS:
Expect an open race for Tuesday’s Supreme Novice Hurdles. Tony Mullins, tips this to be “the most informative race for the next three of four years”
Tony Mullins says...
“This is a hell of a race, it’s the best Supreme Novices Hurdle that I’ve ever seen. Not just in a few years, but ever. You have Sir Gerhard, Constitution Hill, Dysart Dynamo, Jonbon and Kilcruit.”
“There’s five top class horses unexposed. It doesn’t get any better than that. I’ve never seen a bunch of horses like it.”
“This race is going to tell you a lot about the top-class horses for the next for the next few years.”
“I’d find better bets [to place money on] during the week, because this is a race [the Supreme Novices Hurdle] that’s going to benefit Paddy Power far more than the punters.”
“I’m most looking forward to the Supreme [Novices Hurdle]. If they [the horses] all turn up, it’s going to be the most informative race for the next three or four years.”
Lydia Hislop says...
“For the Supreme Novice Hurdles, I’d also throw in Mighty Potter [as a potential winner]. In a strongly run race, I think he could be finishing off very strongly.”
Frank Hickey says...
“Constitutional Hill had looked very good, and times are good. But on a heavy testing ground, it doesn’t always work out.”
“For me, Sir Gerhard will win. He blew me away, even with his sloppy jumping at Leopardstown. He is by far the most interesting of them all.”
“If he [Sir Gerhard] runs in the Supreme Novices Hurdle, he will win it and then Dysart Dynamo will win the Ballymore Novices Hurdle.”
Appreciate It and Sir Gerhard working at the Curragh yesterday 🤩
📸 @IREthoroughbred pic.twitter.com/OyKruGiPTP— Joshua Stacey (@TheRacingJosh) March 9, 2022
CHELTENHAM DAY TWO TIPS:
Tony Mullins earmarks Shishkin as the banker of the week at Wednesday’s Champions Chase...
Tony Mullins says...
“Shishkin will walk up to the line again [and win]. There’s no evidence to say that anything different could happen.”
Frank Hickey says...
“This race is probably the one to sweeten Tiger Roll up for the Grand National. That must be the thinking.”
Tony Mullins says...
“Could you imagine if Tiger Roll runs here, but not in the Grand National? I’ve seen crazy things, but that would have to be the craziest move of all time to do so.
“We have the next potential Red Rum. Can you imagine having the only horse [Tiger Roll] for 40 years, who could potentially win a treble Grand National not running because he has a lighter weight? It’s very funny [to think about].”
CHELTENHAM DAY THREE TIPS:
Mares Novice Hurdle splits the opinions of all three experts...
Lydia Hislop says...
“At his very best, Klassical Dream is the best horse in the Paddy Power Stayers Hurdle and he’s going to either completely blow out or run really well. He’s at a reasonable price at 4/1. If he turns up and runs a good race, he wins but there is a possibility he completely blows out.”
MARES NOVICE HURDLE – THE EXPERTS HAVE THEIR SAY…
Tony Mullins predicts... Paisley Park
Frank Hickey predicts... Sporting John
Lydia Hislop predicts... Klassical Dream
Bob Olinger
Galopin Des Champs
Allaho
Fakir D'Oudairies
Flooring Porter
Klassical Dream
Champ
Paisley Park
Brandy Love
Dinoblue
Sporting John
🇮🇪 One week to go until St. Patrick's Day at the Cheltenham Festival. pic.twitter.com/1A6Csq8XHA— bet365 (@bet365) March 10, 2022
CHELTENHAM DAY FOUR TIPS:
Tony Mullins earmark last year’s Gold Cup runner-up to win this time around, while Frank Hickey isn't a fan of A Plus Tard
Frank Hickey says...
“I don’t think A Plus Tard will turn it around. I’ve never been a fan of him to be honest and he wasn’t good enough last year.”
Lydia Hislop says...
“I don’t see why I just can’t have Protektorat. He’ll make mistakes in the early stages and he won’t be able to hold his position.”
“I like Galvin at 6/1, not so much at 7/2. In the back of my mind, I’m worried about the toll that the Gold Cup takes on horses that are coming back.”
Tony Mullins says...
“I’m going for A Plus Tard for all the reasons that Frank says he can’t win. I thought he was brilliant in Haydock, he was beaten at Shorthill by the joint favourite, he was very unlucky last year. Everything points to A Plus Tard.”
“Frank is a very good analyst but everything he says about why A Plus Tard will get beaten, is why I think he will win! One of us will be wrong.”
To watch Paddy Power’s Cheltenham preview night in full, visit the Paddy Power YouTube channel.
