Cheltenham Daily News: Over £1m already traded on a Supreme opener!

All week this column will be here updating you with the latest market movers, stats, and info with full focus on the Cheltenham Festival. I will take a look at one race of the day, update the Cheltenham Focus section of the column and offer all the latest info to keep you in the know.

Money Talk

Money Talk continues to highlight the Betfair Sportsbook big-money moves to keep you in the loop. This section highlights market moves between 18:00 the night before to 9:00 am race day.

Over £1m traded on the Supreme Novice Hurdle market as of 19:30 this morning. £415,000 traded on Dysart Dynamo, £279,000 on Constitution Hill and £200,000 on Jonbon. Dysart Dynamo looks to be heading towards clear favourtism on the Betfair Exchange.

Mark your card

The Betfair Sportsbook is paying extra places today!

Willie Mullins and jockey Paul Townend have been operating at a 41% strike rate in the last 21 days, and the trainer has won the opening 13:30 Supreme Novice Hurdle five times in the last ten years. Townsend chooses Dysart Dynamo 3.55/2.

Nicky Henderson, in turn, has won it twice in the last ten years, and he saddles British hopes Constitution Hill 3.55/2 and Jonbon 5.59/2. Nico De Boinville is on the first-mentioned and has a healthy 16% strike rate here over hurdles.

In the 14:10 Arkle, Sizing Europe (2008) and Moscow Flyer (2002) are the only eight-year-olds to have won since 1990. Edwardstone 3.55/2 will look to join that list.

In the last ten years, only one favourite has won the 14:50 Ultima Handicap Chase. Six of the last ten have been double-figure prices.

Five horses run from out of the handicap - Our Power, One More Fleurie, Belargus, Oscar Elite and my fancy Gericault Roque.

In the 15:30 Champion Hurdle, no mare has won the race twice. Honeysuckle will look to make history in the race.

Five of the last seven winners of the 16:10 Mares Hurdle were aged seven-- no eight-year-old since Quevaga in 2012. Stormy Ireland and Heaven Help Us are both eight-year-olds.

Paul Nicholls and Gordon Elliott are the two leading trainers in the 16:50 Boodles Juvenile Hurdle. Willie Mullins is yet to win the race - he has the well-touted Gaelic Warrior 3.55/2.

In the last ten years, it's 3-2 to Jamie Codd over Patrick Mullins in the rider's Championship for the 17:30 National Hunt Chase. They go head to head on Run Wild Fred 3.02/1 and Stattler 3.55/2, who fight out favouritism.

Horses for courses

This section highlights horses that have won twice or more at today's tracks and could be in with a chance today.

14:50 Ultima Handicap
- Frodon - Has won here five times (50%)
- Does He Know - Has won here three times (60%)

15:30 Champion Hurdle
- Honeysuckle - Has won here twice (100%)

16:10 Mares Hurdle
- Martello Sky - Has won here twice (50%)
- Heaven Help Us - Has won here twice (50%)
- Indefatigable - Has won here twice (33%)

Furthest traveller

Today's furthest traveller is trainer Lucinda Russell, who made the 362-mile journey with her runner Corach Rambler 11.010/1 in the 14:50 Ultima Handicap.

Cheltenham Festival Focus

Followers of the Cheltenham Festival Focus column will have five runners on the card today.

Constitution Hill was tipped at 7.06/1 and is now 3.02/1 for the Supreme Novice Hurdle, but I still think he offers some value if he were to touch odds of 3.55/2 or bigger, but the cut-off point has to be 3.02/1.

Gericault Roque for the Ultima Handicap is still the 13.012/1 advised on the ante-post column (late addition), and I would not put anyone off having a few quid each way here, especially with the seven places on offer on the Betfair Sportsbook.

Appreciate It in the Champion Hurdle advised 6.05/1 on the ante-post column is currently 4.57/2 in the morning markets and the vibes coming from the camp are rather good. He still looks the only real play against Honeysuckle, and anything bigger than 4.03/1 would be acceptable.

The Tide Turns was tipped at 6.05/1 on the column and is currently 6.511/2 on the Betfair Sportsbook for the Boodles Juvenile Handicap. He is one I have not gone in again on after digging deeper into Gaelic Warrior's French form. That one could just be thrown in, so I am happy with our position and wouldn't advise another bet here.

Braeside was tipped for the National Hunt Chase at 21.020/1 and has taken a walk in the market to 15.014/1 today. He was as short as 9.08/1 which would have surficed. Still, at double figure odds he looks appealing in this small field and this test of stamina will suit him much better than Navan last time. I wouldn't put you off a small each-way bet.

Race of the day

We take a closer look at the opening contest at Cheltenham the 13:30 Supreme Novice Hurdle.

Dysart Dynamo could easily get the lead to himself in this contest and put others out of their comfort zone early on in the contest. He has killed his races from the start to mid-section in events and has been able to come home alone. There is a good chance he could do that again, and he is a horse with substantial potential for a powerful yard with a good record in this event.

He needs to be kept a close eye on in the preliminaries, given his buzzy nature but he probably holds the strongest form in the book in this contest and will prove tough to beat.

Constitution Hill has done nothing but impress, and the noises coming out of the Seven Barrow's yard are positive ones. He has a high cruising speed and a blistering turn of foot, and he stays well highlighted by his heavy ground Grade 1 Tolworth win. He is one of two Grade 1 winners in the field, and it's highly likely we have not scratched the surface of what this five-year-old is capable of in just two starts. He looks right out of the top draw for robust connections.

Jonbon has improved throughout the season and landed a valuable Grade 2 contest at Haydock last time out. He has star potential and is the half brother to the very useful Douvan and could have significantly more improvement to come with a fiercely run 2m set to suit. He is another one that it's important to watch closely in the prelims. Races with earplugs in.

Mighty Potter has been well supported since the markets have formed. He is the other Grade 1 winner in the field who must be respected, and he will be seen to the best effect in the race's closing stages with abundant stamina. A strongly run affair will suit, and he looks like the each-way value in the contest and should not be underestimated.

Big race verdict

This is a cracker with at least five holding some sort of claim to the Supreme Novice thrown. Still, the powerful nature of Constitution Hill's performances in two starts this season tilt the vote in his favour and with stacks of potential, Nicky Henderson could have another superstar on his hands.

She has been building to a big one

Tellmesomethinggirl 4.57/2 landed the Dawn Run Mares Novice Hurdle last term in emphatic style despite racing on the wrong part of the track and being held up in a race where it paid to be prominent. With a strong pace highly likely in today's Mares Hurdle, and this trip looking right up her street, she looks excellent value to make it back to back Cheltenham Festival wins.

Henry De Bromhead's star mare will look to follow in the footsteps of stablemate Honeysuckle who scored in this race in 2020, and she has been trained to the minute for this contest with the trainer working backwards all season.

She was easily the mare to take out of the race at Leopardstown in December when attempting to give weight to her rivals, and she has been bubbling under nicely and looks ready to explode with a career-best performance.

Final Word

Let's hope for a positive start to the Cheltenham Festival. Bet sensibly and enjoy this magnificent occasion that comes but once a year! Out later today will be a review column highlighting all the major action from today's racing at the Cheltenham Festival, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled!

Until tomorrow, be lucky!

Follow Daryl Carter on Twitter @DarylCarter7