Cheltenham Tips: Paddy Power’s Tuesday Cheat Sheet for Day One of the Festival

Constitution Hill is a thorough professional. I watched him school last week and am convinced he’ll handle quicker ground. He may get a little out-paced but will come home strong.

Dysart Dynamo and Kilcruit are both in great form and they’ve got real chances. Of the Nicky Henderson pair, I’m with Jonbon. I’m not a huge believer that  pedigree wins races alone, but dry ground and a sire like Walk In The Park can tip it in his favour.

Constitution Hill has the form, temperament and class to follow Shishkin & Altior as Nicky Henderson’s former winners of this race.

Mighty Potter is a little underestimated despite being a Grade 1 winner. A well-run race will suit and he promises to fly up the hill.

I was blown away by CONSTITUTION HILL on his debut at Sandown and he then won the Grade 1 Tolworth Hurdle at the same track in January. Hopefully he’ll get us off to a flying start.

Edwardstone is my best bet of the Festival. His form is rock-solid, he’s a very sound jumper, a very strong traveler and you need both to win an Arkle Chase.

I’m going to take on the top three in the betting and side with Saint Sam. Two mistakes cost him at Leopardstown. He’s brave and jumps low and accurate. I’m willing to chance him each-way.

My heart may be with Alan King’s Henry VIII Novices Chase winner Edwardstone, but my head means I’m siding with the Irish form. Tough Irish Arkle runner up Riviere D’etel gets the vote to reverse placings with Blue Lord from that race.

Willie Mullins’ Haut En Couleurs has the ability to win this but we have to hope his jumping holds up. Provided it does, he will run a big race.

Edwardstone has done nothing wrong but I’ll have WAR LORD (each-way) he’s been in great form over fences this season and is huge odds in a race I want to take a chance in. 

Frodon is a former King George and Ryanair Chase winner, dropping back to handicap company. He will enjoy the test of the Old Course again. Tea Clipper could be one for the places.

Ben Dundee was second in the Paddy Power at Leopardstown over Christmas to School Boy Hours. Enjoy D’allen was third, Braeside was fourth and Death Duty was fifth. They’ve franked that form so Ben Dundee is my each-way play.

Grade 1 winning chaser Lostintranslation drops to handicap class for the first time and can recapture his old zest and show the young guard how it’s done.

Full Back won on the new course earlier in the season and looks well handicapped based on his run behind Yala Enki last time.

DEATH DUTY was once rated close to a 160 hurdler who runs here off 144 after banging back to form last time at Punchestown. Stays strongly and a great racing weight on 10st 6lb.

Honeysuckle will beat hard to beat to regain her crown but at the prices I can watch her win. Epatante is the each-way play.

Honeysuckle is an incredible mare but the only danger to her is Appreciate It. He was a brilliant novice last year, he’s in good form and he travelled over nicely. Even though I’m in the Willie Mullins camp, if you offered me a ride, I’d be on Honeysuckle but at the prices Appreciate It is the value.

This will be the first time Honeysuckle has faced an unknown quantity like last year’s Supreme Novices Hurdle winner Appreciate It. He may just prove too difficult to catch despite this being his seasonal debut.

Adagio without Honeysuckle is the way I’d play this race in the betting without market. His second off top weight in the Greatwood Hurdle is form that has worked out really well.

Honeysuckle is long odds-on to repeat last year’s Cahmpion Hurdle win and will probably win. She’s the pin-up girl but APPRECIATE IT might just be the bruiser this time. 

It’s hard to erase the memory of Telmesomethingirl waltzing up the hill last year and I’m sticking with her. The vibes from the Mullins’ camp is strong for Stormy Ireland though and she could be the danger.

Stormy Ireland’s form has been solid all year the  ground will suit her too. She’ll want a good gallop and she’s a great each-way price

Willie Mullins has won this race nine times and I fancy his Burning Victory to reclaim a race the Carlow trainer has made his own. A decisive win in the Grade 3 Quevega Hurdle last time, this former Triumph Hurdle winner can now land her second Festival win.

Queens Brook shaped really nicely last time and that should leave her spot on for this. She was third behind Ferny Hollow and Appreciate It in the 2020 Champion Bumper which shows how classy she is.

I will have a few quid each-way on HEAVEN HELP US for Paul Hennessy and Danny Mullins. My hope has been held recently by the likes of Honeysuckle and Royal Kahala but  she has place claims at least off a mark of 147.

Gaelic Warrior has been the big talking horse since his handicap mark was revealed. Connections are bullish. Brazil could be the danger.

Gaelic Warrior is a lovely horse and a strong stayer. We’re hoping the race will suit him but he takes up too much of the market. With Paddy Power paying six places instead of four, it makes sense to back any of  Bell Ex One, Ebasari and Britzka in each-way punts.

Gaelic Warrior is well treated but is short in the market for one we know so little about. HMS Seahorse has form behind top class juveniles Pied Piper and Vauban and subsequent Grade 1 Spring Juvenile fourth, The Tide Turns.

Britzka will be a big price but I like the first-time blinkers angle and he has been on my radar for this race since his run at Leopardstown at Christmas.

Of course we are all slightly guessing about GAELIC WARRIOR who has a rating of 139 in France but runs off 129 on his debut for Willie Mullins. Hard to ignore in a wide-open race. 

Stattler finished third to Galopin Des Champs over hurdles at Punchestown but has taken a while to find his feet over fences. He looks like the penny has dropped and he can see off Run Wild Fred.

Stattler is a good horse and a solid jumper but I’m not sure about him over 3m6f. Vanillier beat him well last year at the Festival and may have been unsuited by a speed track like  Punchestown  last time when second to Stattler. He can get his revenge now.

Run Wild Fred has won the Troytown and been placed in big handicaps of the calibre of the Irish Grand National. He ticks all the boxes to hand Gordon Elliott a fourth win – fifth if you count late stable switcher Galvin last year – in the race.

Only the seven runners and while I wouldn’t have much confidence in any though Run Wild Fred looks tough to beat. However, I think Braeside will outrun his odds against the market leaders.

My original fancy Ontheropes is a non-runner so with just six runners, I’ll take on Run Wild Fred with Stattler and hope he gets the job done.