The Verdict: Wednesday, March 13

1pt win American Mike in 2.10 Cheltenham at 11/1 (General)

1pt e.w. Might I in 2.50 Cheltenham at 14/1 (General 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6)

1pt e.w. Hardy Du Seuil in 4.50 Cheltenham at 12/1 (Paddy Power, Betfair 1/5 1,2,3,4,5)

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair Sportsbook

Another day, another monster Mullins multi for many punters and the bookies will be fearing the Closutton army again after the events of day one.

Ballyburn should get things rolling in the opening Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle and I’m in no hurry to take him on given the level of form he has already shown combined with what is considered to be the ideal skillset for this contest.

Put simply, I think he’ll do his rivals for class and pace and I’d be surprised if he doesn’t have too many gears for this field.

Fact To File is the banker of the week for many in the Brown Advisory but he’s one of the Mullins hotpots I want to have a go against.

Certainly, he’s a lovely prospect, but he is lacking experience after being fast-tracked from bumpers to novice chasing, where he has only run in small fields.

His jumping hasn’t really been put under any pressure yet, but it will be here and he can jump to his right a little, so he looks very short on his first go at this trip under Rules.

Following the rain on Tuesday the ground should remain testing for day two and with that in mind Gordon Elliott’s supplemented AMERICAN MIKE looks to be underestimated.

The seven-year-old isn’t an easy horse to predict and he disappointed over hurdles following a highly-promising bumper career which included a second to Facile Vega here at the Festival.

However, I think fences have made a man of him and the experience he gained over timber does not look lost on him judging by his two victories at left-handed Navan this season.

In the first of those he defeated Fact To File fair and square, while in the Grade 2 Ten Up Novice Chase last time he travelled smoothly on the heavy ground and pulled out more after the last to beat Nick Rockett after idling when in front.

In between those wins he was well beaten at Limerick, but I’m not sure he likes going right-handed and I’m inclined to forgive him that, especially with the ground turning in his favour.

He finally looked like justifying the glowing reputation he had as a bumper horse last time out and in the conditions he looks a fair price at 10s.

The Verdict: Back AMERICAN MIKE in the 2.10 Cheltenham

There are more plots in the Coral Cup than an Eastenders omnibus and I get the love for Sa Majeste, Doddiethegreat, Built By Ballymore and Langer Dan.

That quartet are vying for favouritism and of the four Nicky Henderson’s, Doddiethegreat is the one I was most tempted by following his eye-catching run in fourth in a red-hot Betfair Hurdle that is working out well.

He’s bred for this trip and looks really well treated, but with the 7/1 disappearing the line has been crossed in such a competitive race.

I’d rather back something else each-way and shop around for the best terms – most bookies are going six places and Sky Bet are offering eight with 24 going to post.

The one I want to be on is Harry Fry’s MIGHT I at 14/1 (12/1 at Sky Bet) as he’s a classy horse who looks on a good mark following a mixed campaign over fences.

He hasn’t quite taken to chasing as Fry would’ve hoped but has still run like all the ability is still there, mistakes over the bigger obstacles blighting his progress in that sphere.

The good thing is his hurdles mark has dropped from 146 to 142 without him running over timber and you only have to look to his good run in fourth in the Martin Pipe last year (off 145) for evidence that he has a fine chance in this.

You can add a neck second off his Coral Cup mark of 142 in a handicap hurdle at this track as well and crucially this 2m5f trip on the Old Course looks likely to play to his strengths.

He’s a strong traveller with some classy back form – his novice hurdling campaign including places behind Constitution Hill and Jonbon, while he was second in an Aintree Grade 1 – and he’ll love the ground given he has winning form on soft and heavy.

Lightly-raced with just eight hurdles runs under his belt, the highly likely hell-for-leather pace in this will be right up his street and he can pick plenty of these off up the hill granted luck in the run.

The Verdict: Back MIGHT I in the 2.50 Cheltenham

Finally, HARDY DU SEUIL looks a good each-way bet in the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Chase over the two miles.

Jamie Snowden’s horse is effectively a second-season chaser after being campaigned over hurdles last season but he caught the eye returned to fences at Sandown last time.

That was his first start for 293 days and he ran like he needed it, given a quiet ride at the rear of the field before he rallied up the hill for third.

A mark of 132 looks lenient with that run under his belt, Snowden signalling a statement of intent by putting the cheekpieces back on after he ran so well in them twice over hurdles.

He’s got good form on soft ground, so he won’t mind the conditions, and his good two-mile handicap hurdle form suggests he has the required pace for this speed test under an ice-cool Gavin Sheehan.

The Verdict: Back HARDY DU SEUIL in the 4.50 Cheltenham

Preview posted at 1600 GMT on 12/03/24

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