McLaurey looks worth following wherever he goes for the ultra-shrewd Emmet Mullins and JP McManus at the Cheltenham Festival.
The McManus-Mullins axis is growing, partly due to the influence of Paul Byrne, with whom Mullins has enjoyed some high-profile success, much of it on well-backed horses.
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The six-year-old has entries in two races on Friday: the William Hill County Hurdle and the Martin Pipe. Punters can wait until Wednesday's declarations to back him, but a mark of 136 looks well within his compass after he hacked up at Leopardstown, a track quite similar to Cheltenham.
Read more: Best each-way bets at the Cheltenham Festival
In Wednesday's Champion Bumper, it is a fascinating angle that Patrick Mullins should have a fair idea what is his dad Willie's best runner, yet he also rode a Gordon Elliott-trained steed, Kalypsochance, when he won last time at Navan.
Michael O'Leary's youngster stamped his class then on a really good race and he makes plenty of appeal in the finale on day two, traditionally dominated by the Irish. David Pipe had a major player in Windbeneathmywings, only for a last-week setback to rule him out.
Now Is The Hour has entries in the National Hunt Challenge Cup, now a handicap for all riders, and the Kim Muir, with the former appearing more likely on day one.
He was a rapid improver over hurdles last season and, while slow to get going, he really took the eye at Navan last time, with his profile appealing now for the first edition of the new race.
Read more: Best accumulator bets at the Cheltenham Festival
Cromwell has established himself as an exceptional training talent and he has a novice here who surely has his best days ahead of him. The yard won the Kim Muir last year so keep an eye on Sunday's declarations for Tuesday's seven-runner card.
Cromwell also runs the best juvenile hurdler the Irish have seen this season in Hello Neighbour. A half-brother to classy hurdler A Wave Of The Sea, Hello Neighbour won his only two starts on the Flat. Sent straight into a Grade Two over hurdles at Leopardstown, he won that. Next, he met Grade One company and again he was too good.
With Nicky Henderson having Lulamba and James Owen's East India Dock massive threats, Hello Neighbour appeals as an each-way bet, but he is hard to oppose at the prices.
For those looking for double-figure odds, Walking On Air looks a cracking bet in the only race he can run in, the Kim Muir on Thursday, for Wiltshire trainer Gary Brown.
Out of the brilliant mare Refinement, he has been rather unlucky, especially when falling en route to possible victory at Doncaster. This race has been notable for a bizarre gamble on Johnny Who, but Walking On Air at much bigger odds is a fascinating runner.
Best bets
Now Is The Hour (National Hunt Chase, Tuesday): 9/2
Kalypsochance (Champion Bumper, Wednesday): 6/1
Walking On Air (Kim Muir, Thursday): 8/1
Hello Neighbour (Triumph, Thursday): 5/1
McLaurey (County or Martin Pipe, Friday): 8/1
(Odds subject to change.)
