Most of this year’s top-of-the-market runners have met each other before, with honours spread among them, and those who are saying the race lacks last year’s quality will feel justified if one of these ‘usual suspects’ wins narrowly from one of his fellows. But which one? Hardy Eustace is now on the edge of the age limit for past winners; Brave Inca is well exposed this season; that many races in a championship-winning year would be unusual. Where those two are, Mac’s Joy is thereabouts. If Al Eile doesn’t get it soft, he would need further. If Briareus gets it firmish, he would be a factor for a place. If, but, if, but…However, there is one horse who has done nothing wrong, except for being – wisely – pulled out of it in bog-heavy ground last time. His connections tore up the Festival-records book last year and the way this animal won the Supreme Novices was quite breathtaking.So step up ARCALIS and take the crown!

Cheltenham Wednesday
It’s time to go for a change in the Champion Chase, with old-timer Moscow Flyer ruled out by age. The stats also say that the young pretender, Kauto Star, can’t do it at only six, and he may have to wait another year, good as his recent form is. They also say that the Grand Annual winner (Fota Island) has gone on to win this several times, but the staggering stat is that the last 10 Arkle winners to run in the Champion were ALL placed.. at least! And that means 20-1 shot Contraband, languishing on 42.0 on Betfair as I write, trained by a certain M.Pipe.

Cheltenham Friday
It’s Paul Nicholls’ year so far and, in any case, Martin Pipe has a shocking 0-26 record in the Gold Cup. Important stats include: no winner of this had finished out of the frame in a Cheltenham chase.
Monkerhostin and Beef Or Salmon are formidable opponents but Cornish Rebel, who likes Cheltenham and the prevailing going, is the value as a horse already placed in the Sun Alliance, Scottish National, Hennessy Gold Cup and Welsh National. He normally gives weight away on unsuitable ground and this trip is the middle-of-the way trip he needs; it’s made for him. Solid each-way
1 Cornish Rebel, 2 Beef Or Salmon, 3 Monkerhostin

The UK racing has again been decimated on Thursday with both the turf cards been abandoned – however the Polytrack surface at Lingfield Park again comes to the rescue.

The final race at 5.10 looks a competitive affair but a little interest has been lost in the race with the news that Jake The Snake is a non –runner. The five-year-old was due to be having his first race since winning over two years ago and was well-fancied.

The best strategy may now to be to back two lively outsiders each-way – in the hope of getting one of them home first otherwise damage limitation with the place part of the bet.

KEW THE MUSIC and ALEKHINE were both trading mid-morning at around the 14/1 mark and both represent in-form trainers.