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Cheltenham Tipping Competition: Who will be B.B's Top Gun?

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The Scene - a sweaty Men's Locker Room:
Iceman (let's call him Graham): "You figured it out yet?"
Maverick (let's call him Nick): "What's that?"
Iceman (Graham): "Who's the best..." ...and the rest is cinematic (race tipping) history.

Yes, here on betting.betfair.com we have a bit of racing knowledge kicking about the place so we thought it be a cracking wheeze to find out who's the best tipster over the Festival. So, while it's not exactly Top Gun, let's meet the men wearing those ridiculous 'aviator' sunglasses...

Graham Cunningham - callsign: "Iceman"
Wayne Bailey - callsign: "Goose"
Nick Shiambouros - callsign: "Maverick"
Simon Rowlands - callsign: "Merlin"

The rules are simple: each has £1,000 to play with on all markets, and the odds taken (wherever appropriate) will be the Betfair Starting Price. Gentlemen - pick your horses...

Graham "Iceman" Cunningham
ONLY an idiot would risk all his Cheltenham bank on day one - but only a coward would shrivel from the challenge on such a great card.

So here, goes. Rippling Ring has a huge reputation and fine Flat form, but his Donny win didn't prove much and a small place lay looks worthwhile.

Noland is very solid in the Arkle, but I can't resist Tidal Bay win and place given that I'm not nearly as worried as some about his jumping.

I could be wrong, but to my mind the Champion Hurdle is a 7-2 the field race. With that in mind I'm compelled to lay Sizing Europe.

Local knowledge is key in the cross country race, so I'll back Wonderkid and Heads On the Ground while siding against Garde Champetre.

Let's hope we're in profit for a Fred Winter featuring at least three skilful plots. Grand Schlem are both ahead of the handicapper, but Ashkazar looked very impressive at Sandown. He could be just too good despite topweight.

Cunningham's Day One Choices:
1. Lay Rippling Ring for £50 in the place market
2. Back Tidal Bay £35 win and place
3. Lay Sizing Europe to win £80 in the win market
4. Back Wonderkid for £50 and Heads On the Ground for £40 in the win market
5. Lay Garde Champetre for £50 in the win market and £50 in the place market
6. Back Ashkazar for £50 in the win market

Wayne "Goose" Bailey
We've waited all year for this, but the time has finally come... That's right folks; today sees the much-anticipated Class 6 Betdaq The Betting Exchange Apprentice Handicap at Southwell. Oh wait, wrong card!

Seriously though, Festival time is upon us and there's nowhere left to hide. I think the Irish will do particularly well on Day One, and take at least two races. It's time to put my money where my mouth is, and take on my fellow columnists - so here's where the first chunk of my £1,000 is going:

Bailey's Day One Choices
1. Top Festival Jockey - Ruby Walsh is cracking value at [2.3] and one of my festival bankers. (£25 win).
2. Supreme Novices - Eleven of the past twelve winners were successful last time out, so I'm keen to lay Khyber Kim (£20 backers stake).
3. Muirhead is overpriced and should be thereabouts. (£10 win).
4. The Arkle - Noland has done nothing wrong so far and looks like banker material (£15 win)
5. Champion Hurdle - I've three words to say about Sizing Europe: Believe the hype! (£30 win)
6. William Hill Trophy - It's over 20 years since the favourite has won this race, so An Accordion simply must be layed. (£20 backers stake).
7. Newbay Prop looks overpriced and has as good a chance as any (£10 stake).
8. BGC Handicap chase - Wonderkid has the stamina, experience and class for this gruelling contest. (£10 win).

Nick "Maverick" Shiambouros
At last the waiting is over and four days of truly exceptional racing is upon us.I will try to put my best foot forward along with my fellow tipsters to make it a profitable Cheltenham for everyone.

I really like the look of Noland in the 2.35, 'The Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy'. He was not very impressive when winning at Sandown last time out but I am sure his conditioner has left plenty to work on and is bound to come in to the race fully prepared. Noland is a very good jumper and should go close.

In The Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle at 3.15, I believe Ireland will take home the money and I think it will rest between Sublimity and Sizing Europe. The former comes in to the race with one run but if back to his best will take the beating. Sizing Europe could not have won more impressively last time out and will go well.

In the last race of the day at 5.20, The Fred Winter Juvenile Novices' Handicap Hurdle, Ashkazar should go close after his victory on Saturday. I hope he has had time to recover from that run at Sandown and will be very popular on the exchange.

Shiambouros' Day One Choices
1. 2.35 Noland £50 to win
2. 3.15 Sublimity £80 to win
3. 3.15 Sizing Europe £20 to win
4. 5.20 Ashkazar £80 to win

Simon "Merlin" Rowlands
We'll know more about the state of the going after the first day, so it's probably best to be a shade cautious at this stage.

That said, I think NOLAND (2:35) is too short in the Arkle for what he has achieved, and there is every prospect he will contract further. I suggest a win lay in the race of both him and TIDAL BAY, who surely won't get away with his habitual mistakes in this company. You'll have everything else running for you as a result, and some of them - not least Mahogany Blaze - look to have been under-rated by the market.

There are some "sexier" types around than PIGEON ISLAND (2:00) in the Supreme Novices' but none of his rivals has yet got to his level of form, a reproduction of which should see him scrapping it out for a place. Captain Cee Bee would be the outright selection, but Betfair's place markets give you the opportunity for a more flexible approach than with conventional betting.

Sizing Europe is a solid favourite in the Champion Hurdle, and I am in no hurry to lay him, but I believe that OSANA (3:15) has form very nearly as good and has every bit as much potential for improvement. He's been backed steadily in recent days, and his likely style of running may mean that his supporters can guarantee themselves a profit once the race goes "in play".

I have a sneaky fancy for NEW ALCO (4:00) in the big 3m handicap chase. He's got a similar profile to last year's winner Joe's Edge and looked like making up into a Gold Cup outsider until things went wrong on his last two starts. In the same race, I think it's worth doing a place lay on likely favourite AN ACCORDION, who is able but quirky and in second-time blinkers. If he doesn't win then he could fail badly, and there are only three places on offer in this.

Rowland's Day One Choices
1. 2:00 PIGEON ISLAND place - back £30
2. 2:30 NOLAND win - lay to lose £100;
3. 2:30 TIDAL BAY win - lay to lose £100
3. 3:15 OSANA win - back £50
4. 4:00 NEW ALCO win - back £30
5. 4:00 AN ACCORDION place - lay to lose £50