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Cheltenham Day One Betting: The Irish View

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First day could go the way of the Irish, says Eoin Ryan

With a little over a week to go to the start of the Cheltenham Festival, punters on both sides of the Irish Sea are preparing for the annual battle in the Cotswolds. All the trial races have now been run - the last remaining Festival clues were revealed at Leopardstown on Sunday - and over the next week punters will be feverishly swotting-up to try to get that crucial winning edge next week.

The Irish challenge this year is hard to weigh up. We are unquestionably weak in the Championship races, with the obvious exception of the Champion Hurdle where there are strong claims. Let's take a more in-depth look at some of the main Irish-trained contenders for honours on the opening day of the Festival, next Tuesday.

The Supreme Novices Hurdle: Ireland supplied last year's winner in 40-1 shot Ebaziyan and will again have a strong team numerically and talent-wise. The return to form of the Noel Meade team could not have come at a better time and expect his Muirhead to be very well backed between now and post-time. At 8-1 'The Field' this is as open a Supreme Novices as we've had in recent memory but the Irish will latch onto something and it may well be this fellow. He was mightily impressive in the Royal Bond and will come to the Festival a fresh horse. Captain Cee Bee and Cork All Star are also prominent in the betting and have strong claims on the pick of their form, whilst Willie Mullins' Fiveforthree is sure to find support following his maiden hurdle win in early February.

The Arkle Chase: Edward O'Grady's Clopf heads the list of Irish challengers but appears to have it all to do if he's to trouble the home-based brigade, headed by 2006 Festival scorer Noland. Clopf will be having just his second chase start here - he fell on his debut at Navan when appearing to have the race won - and that must be a worry for his backers. Tyne Again and Scotsirish have been kept busy so far this season and look smart types but it will be a surprise if the Arkle is won by an Irish raider. We don't appear to have great strength in depth in this division and in truth Noland could simply be a class apart.

The Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle: Most experts over here think that Ireland will win this again with Sizing Europe but at current odds I really think the value has well and truly disappeared. I expect 'Sizing' will be a day-of-race drifter, as money arrives for the likes of Harchibald and possibly Sublimity. The former rounded off his Festival preparations with a gutsy win at Dundalk on Friday night and confirmed that all is well again in the Meade yard. If he comes there swinging on the bridle two out it will be interesting to see if he follows through with his effort this time! It was impossible not to be impressed with Sizing Europe at Leopardstown last time out but at [3.4] or thereabouts I'll happily cross over into the 'lay' camp and might even get involved in the place market with him too. On the bare bones of his form he looks like a take-on job to me. Ireland should still win it unless Osana can improve again from the Greatwood whilst Katchit loves Cheltenham and might be placed. Don't rule out Ebaziyan, who should run well at big odds. He's been keeping good company all year and hasn't had his ground yet this season.

Away from the feature races, Tony Martin's Wonderkid was an effortless winner of the Cross Country Chase here at the December meeting and is sure to be well supported for his super-shrewd handler. River Liane shot to the top of the Fred Winter betting following his hugely impressive win at Leopardstown last weekend. Ireland doesn't appear to hold strong claims in the William Hill Handicap Chase and this is one prize that should safely remain on home soil.

Day 1 Overview: Ireland should have at least two opening day winners and could have as many as four. We look like we have a winning challenge in The Supreme Novices Hurdle, The Champion Hurdle and the Cross Country Chase. We're weak in the Arkle and The William Hill Chase and in the Fred Winter we may end up relying on the very well treated River Liane, who incurred a mere 4lb penalty for his impressive victory at Leopardstown on Sunday.

Watch Out! There is always a gamble in the opener and with the Meade team back amongst the winners I fully expect Muirhead will attract a sizeable chunk of Euros next Tuesday.

Irish Banker: Sizing Europe will be sent off favourite in the Champion Hurdle and will be many Irish punters' idea of our day one banker.

One to Lay? I expect Clopf will be over-bet in the Arkle as he appears to be our leading contender. In a division where Ireland has little strength in depth - and having failed to complete on his sole chase start - he is readily opposable at likely odds of [11.0].