Cheltenham Festival Tips: Rhys Williams fancies Royal to be crowned in the Boodles

• Looks capable of further improvement

• Likely goes off shorter if getting in

• Royal Way is overpriced in the Boodles

Boodles Hurdle - Royal Way @ 20/121.00 (NRMB)

The market has found the most likely candidates for success in the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle - the Fred Winter to most of us - with Lark In The Mornin, Batman Girac and Milan Tino now heading the market. Those three are all guaranteed a run but there's one horse who needs quite a few to come out who appeals.

Royal Way started his career on the flat in France and got off the mark comfortably at the third attempt in a weak race before joining Gary Moore.

He was third on his first start for Moore at Sandown in a race run at a farcically slow pace early on and that was completely unsuitable for Royal Way. He was understandably no match for Sir Gino at Kempton next time when finishing ahead of three subsequent winners.

Royal Way's last two starts have both been at Ludlow and both have resulted in victories. He easily went clear of his rivals two starts ago but had to work much harder last time to narrowly beat Ithaca's Arrow, with some poor jumping late on from Royal Way not helping his cause.

He's often been making the running and he doesn't seem to do much in front while also looking to want a good test at the trip so I think being able to track a likely strong pace in the Boodles could suit him ideally and bring more improvement from him.

There is the obvious doubt over whether he will get in as he's currently 32^nd on the list with a maximum field of 22 but the NRMB offer helps on that front and if he does get in, he seems the type that could go off quite a bit shorter than the current price. Any 16/117.00 or bigger appeals.

Now read Kevin Blake's Cheltenham Festival handicap tips here.