Thyme Hill is fancied to finally land a big Cheltenham win in the Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle.
Philip Hobbs' runner, 5-1 with bookies Betfred, has past champions to see off in Thursday's feature.
Over 60,000 people will be at the track on St Patrick's Day, all hoping to find some winners.
Unlike 2021, when Ireland dominated, the British runners are holding their own.
Allaho is a big favourite in the Ryanair Chase, while Willie Mullins stablemate Dinoblue is also fancied in the mares' race.
In the opener, exciting novices Galopin Des Champs and Bob Olinger meet for the first time.
There are also a couple of competitive handicaps for punters to solve on the card.
Here are the horses our top tipster has picked out for every race. Good luck!
Have Your Say! Who are you backing at Cheltenham? Join the debate here.
1.30
NEWSBOY'S 1-2-3
1 GALOPIN DES CHAMPS
2 BOB OLINGER
3 EL BARRA
GALOPIN DES CHAMPS gets the vote in what amounts to a match - in effect, a coin toss - for the Thursday opener.
The Willie Mullins six-year-old sprang to prominence when landing the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle at this race 12 months ago - and he hasn’t looked back since.
My selection moved up to the top level at Punchestown on his next start, and took another step forward with a 12-length supremacy in the three-mile Irish Mirror Novice Hurdle.
This season, Galopin Des Champs has been sent over fences, and it’s hard to recall a more taking debut in the sphere than his 22-length romp in a beginners’ chase at Leopardstown over Christmas.
It was little surprise to see him in Grade 1 company next time, and Paul Townend’s mount duly landed odds of 4-9 by nine lengths from Master McShee.
Bob Olinger, likewise, scored at last year’s fixture - he won the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle - and is two from two in novice chases.
Henry de Bromhead’s son of Sholokhov is not passed over lightly, but it is Galopin Des Champs who, thus far, has looked the more natural in this sphere.
Of the outsiders, Galopin Des Champs’ stable-companion El Barra is preferred to Busselton for the bronze medal.
2.10
NEWSBOY'S 1-2-3
1 BORN PATRIOT
2 WINTER FOG
3 FOLCANO
BORN PATRIOT is capable of a good run at rewarding odds.
Trainer Peter Fahey is no stranger to success in marquee races in Britain - he saddled Belfast Banter to lift the County Hurdle 12 months ago and was on the mark with Suprise Package in Sandown Park’s Imperial Cup on Saturday.
And the Monasterevin trainer has a viable Pertemps candidate in Born Patriot.
The six-year-old has just one win to show from nine starts over hurdles - a debut score at Punchestown in November 2020 - but Born Patriot put up a personal best in a qualifier for this race here last October.
Ridden as today by Kevin Sexton, the son of Born To Sea ran on strongly to take second, beaten three lengths, to Kansas City Chief.
That course knowledge - he would have given the cannily ridden winner something to think about had the race unfolded differently - will serve my selection well now he returns for the final.
Forgive a below-par effort at Sandown last month and Born Patriot can reward each-way support - at the least.
In a typically open renewal, Winter Fog, already on many punters’ minds - and with good reason - heads the list of dangers, with Alaphilippe, Folcano and Sassy Yet Classy others to throw into the melting pot
2.50
NEWSBOY'S 1-2-3
1 ALLAHO
2 CONFLATED
3 MISTER FISHER
ALLAHO thundered to an impressive triumph in this race 12 months ago - and a staunch title defence is on the cards.
When Rachael Blackmore set off at a searing pace on Willie Mullins’ son of No Risk At All, those watching live wondered whether Allaho would be able to sustain the gallop.
But sustain it he did, with a surge to the winning post that took Allaho 12 lengths clear of Fakir D’Oudairies.
Beaten by stablemate Chacun Pour Soi over two miles at Punchestown the following month, my selection made his return with a two-length call from Janidil in the John Durkan Memorial Chase over this afternoon’s trip at Punchestown Chase in December
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And he showed his readiness for today when landing odds of 4-11 for Paul Townend in the Grade 2 Horse & Jockey Hotel Chase at Thurles - he again beat Fakir D’Oudairies by a dozen lengths - at the end of January.
On official figures, Allaho is 6lb and more superior to his rivals here, and it will rank as a shock if his colours are lowered here.
Connections of Irish Gold Cup victor Conflated have opted to come back in trip for the Ryanair rather than go up in distance for the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Gordon Elliott describes the eight-year-old as a reformed tearaway and Conflated can make the podium if he stays on the straight and narrow.
Shan Blue and, at bigger odds, Mister Fisher are others to consider
3.30
NEWSBOY'S 1-2-3
1 THYME HILL
2 CHAMP
3 FLOORING PORTER
THYME HILL is due a change of luck at the Cheltenham Festival.
Two years ago, Kayf Tara’s son got little luck in coming home fourth behind Monkfish in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, and a late muscle issue caused the Philip Hobbs trainee to miss this race in 2021.
But Thyme Hill showed no ill effects when landing the Grade 1 Liverpool Hurdle over three miles on Grand National day in April.
That success came 112 days after my selection’s neck defeat by Paisley Park in Ascot’s Long Walk Hurdle the previous December, and confirmed to Hobbs that the best regimen for Thyme Hill is to give him space between his races.
With that in mind - 89 days on - it’s by no means out of the question that Tom O’Brien’s partner can turn round a one-and-three-quarter-length defeat by Champ - Paisley Park was third, with shock 2020 Stayers’ Hurdle winner Lisnagar Oscar pulling up - in this season’s Long Walk.
Paisley Park, who captured the grinders’ crown three years ago, rattled home to beat Champ in the Grade 2 Cleeve Hurdle (Lisnagar Oscar third) here in January to prove the fire still burns.
The winner looked tricky at the tapes that day - he looked in two minds about jumping off - and the start of this three-mile test will be pivotal, with reigning champion Flooring Porter and four-time Grade 1 winner Klassical Dream looking for a sharp getaway.
Koshari, Song For Someone and Home By The Lee have it to do, but Royal Kahala goes from strength to strength warrants a second look in a contest where much depends on who brings their ‘A’ game on the day.
4.10
NEWSBOY'S 1-2-3
1 THE GLANCING QUEEN
2 FUSIL RAFFLES
3 SPIRITOFTHEGAMES
THE GLANCING QUEEN has a most attractive profile and fully deserves her place among the market leaders.
Alan King, on the mark with Edwardstone in Tuesday’s Arkle Challenge Trophy after a seven-year Festival drought, put two-time hurdles winner The Glancing Queen over fences this season, and she hit the ground running in a Listed chase for mares at Bangor in November.
The following month, Jeremy’s daughter carried a penalty to success in a similar contest over two and a half miles at Warwick, before being stepped up to Grade 2 level for the Dipper Novices’ Chase over today's course and distance on New Year’s Day.
L’Homme Presse was in opposition that afternoon and scored by 10 lengths but, if anything, The Glancing Queen enhanced her reputation in second - especially considering the subsequent exploits of the Venetia Williams-trained victor.
The British Horseracing Authority assessor has definitely given Tom Cannon’s mount a chance with a rating of 141 as she dips her toe into handicap waters for the very first time.
There is definitely more to come on her fourth attempt over the larger obstacles, and The Glancing Queen is taken to return to winning ways.
Dangers lurk at every turn, with Fusil Raffles, Imperial Alcazar, Grand Paradis and Spiritofthegames just four horses capable of having a say in proceedings.
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4.50
NEWSBOY'S 1-2-3
1 DINOBLUE
2 PARTY CENTRAL
3 STATUAIRE
DINOBLUE created such a stirring impression in victory on her debut that another win, up in grade at the Cheltenham Festival, looks within range.
Willie Mullins’ mare is bred to be decent - she’s a half-sister by Doctor Dino to owner JP McManus’s 2019 Champion Bumper second Blue Sari - and market expectations were high when she stepped out on the track for the first time at Clonmel at the beginning of January.
Sent off the even-money favourite in a field of 13 for a mares’ maiden hurdle, Mark Walsh’s mount impressed with her polished jumping of hurdles, and went with conspicuous ease.
Once given the office, Dinoblue showed a smart turn of foot to put 15 lengths between herself and stable-companion La Prima Donna.
The form of that race has held up - the runner-up was still in the lead at Limerick next time when coming down two out, while the third home - Mullins’ Mi Lighthouse - won that race before going on to finish second at Grade 3 level.
Ireland’s champion trainer captured the first four five runnings of this event before Henry de Bromhead broke the sequence with Telmesomethinggirl 12 months ago - but normal service can be resumed.
Gordon Elliott’s Party Central is on the way up and is feared most, ahead of my selection’s stablemates Statuaire and Grangee
5.30
NEWSBOY'S 1-2-3
1 MISTER COFFEY
2 SMOKING GUN
3 OMAR MARETTI
MISTER COFFEY can prove himself a well-treated horse if, as expected, the opportunity to race beyond three miles triggers a personal best.
Twice a winner over hurdles, the Nicky Henderson-trained son of Authorized signed off over timber with a staying on fourth in a valuable handicap hurdle over two and half miles at Aintree in April.
The Seven Barrows runner made his debut over fences with a handicap chase third at Newbury in November, before a good second, beaten three-quarters of a length, to Jacamar at Kempton Park on Boxing Day.
Mister Coffey then took on L’Homme Presse in the top-level Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase at Sandown Park at the start of February and was on the wrong end of a 21-length beating.
But that was flying high - handicaps are more realistic - and a rating of 137 is fair.
The booking of top Corinthian Sam Waley-Cohen is an obvious plus, as is going left-handed, while Mister Coffey's finishing efforts over shorter trips suggest the three and a quarter miles here will prove right up his street.
Gordon Elliott’s duo Frontal Assault and Smoking Gun have appeal in a headscratcher of a finale, with Omar Maretti and Come On Teddy also on the list..
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