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Daryl Carter lines up a 9/1 NAP
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Mark Milligan turns to the Triumph Hurdle
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Al Dudman finds a 12/1 shot in the Martin Pipe
Mark Milligan: Lossiemouth
I'm siding with Lossiemouth in Friday's Triumph Hurdle as my NAP of the meeting following her luckless run in the Grade 1 Juvenile Hurdle at the DRF last time.
All the rage in the betting after barely putting a foot wrong in her two previous Irish runs, the grey daughter of Great Pretender found herself badly hampered and shuffled back at a crucial time in that Leopardstown race, but for which she'd have surely maintained her unbeaten record.
That experience won't be lost on her and she remains one of the most likely winners at the Festival.
Daryl Carter: Sharjah
Sharjah each-way at 9/1 in the County Hurdle was kindly left on his Irish mark of 155 and is into a handicap for the first time since scoring in the Galway Hurdle in 2018. He is bound to get his beloved good ground for which his form figures since November 2018 read 2126111 (all seven in Grade 1 company).
His last 10 starts have seen him placed in nine Grade 1's, including two Champion Hurdles. He will relish the strong pace and this big field scenario, something he didn't have when defeated at Gowran Park recently.
That's easily excused, and Willie Mullins triumphed with a similar type in Arctic Fire in 2017.
Frank Hickey: Gerri Colombe
This looks one of the weakest Brown Advisory renewals of the race in recent memory, with little to no depth. That said, I do think it contains a potential top notch staying chaser in Gerri Colombe.
Unbeaten in point to point, two bumpers, two hurdles and three chase starts, it is testament to his ability that he is a dual Grade 1 winner over fences over a trip of two-and-a-half miles, which is short of his best.
He already brings the best form into the race and I expect him to improve 10lbs for the step up to three miles. That should see him very tough to beat.
Timeform's Lewis Tomlinson: Gerri Colombe
Gerri Colombe can extend his unbeaten record and complete a hat-trick of Grade 1 victories following successes in the Faugheen and the Scilly Isles. I'm not convinced his opposition will be particularly stern here.
His main market rival The Real Whacker is likeable but will find it harder to replicate his impressive Dipper performance in a traditionally attritional race, whilst the form of Thyme Hill's Kempton win looks questionable.
Gerri Colombe isn't flashy, but he looks a pure three-miler and he's certain to improve for the longer trip here.
I'd make him shorter than his current price of 7/4.
Timeform's Andrew Asquith: Gaillard du Mesnil
Gaillard du Mesnil is my NAP in the National Hunt Chase. He is a second-season novice who finished third in the Broadway Novices' Chase at the Cheltenham Festival last year before running a mighty race when filling the same spot in the Irish Grand National.
He didn't need to improve to gain a long overdue success over fences in the Grade 1 Neville Hotels (Fort Leney) Novices' Chase at Leopardstown in December. He ran another solid race when third to Mighty Potter in the Scalp Novices' Chase at the same course last time.
Gaillard du Mesnil finished closer to Mighty Potter on his seasonal reappearance, but that was on more testing ground, so it is best not to judge him too harshly on his latest run which also came over a trip short of his optimum.
The test of the National Hunt Chase will be right up his street and he holds a big edge on form.
Al Dudman: Favori De Champdou
With the Championship races holding so many short price favourites, I am leaning towards a 12/1 each-way bet in the Martin Pipe on Favori De Champdou.
Traditionally, my modus operandi is finding a good staying hurdler, preferably with graded form in Ireland, so I am hoping Gordon Elliott opts for the Martin Pipe on the Friday.
He's priced at 12/1, and does hold entries in the Albert Bartlett and Ballymore, but he was also holding a Coral Cup entry - which appears not the case now.
The 8-year-old has not stood much racing, but from a mark of 141 following a convincing Grade 2 success at Limerick by nearly 5L, he will stay all day, so I am hoping Elliott sees sense and goes the handicap route.
Alex Keating: Andy Dufresne
There can be no escaping the case for Andy Dufresne to go one better than 2022 by scooping the Grand Annual for Gordon Elliott.
Having previously shown a liking for Cheltenham, it's worth noting that he's now 3lb better off than when backed off the boards in that renewal.
His subsequent form can be ignored. However, his current price cannot.