the prophet

Solid NHF bumper form from the 6yo, three wins from three including a Listed win. Progressive in his hurdle career so far, only one blip: three wins from four, all by wide margins. He has posted three progressively high RPR ratings. Only two rivals have posted slightly higher ratings. One of the best jockeys around, Ben Jones, is in the saddle. Twice a winner on testing undulating tracks and should be fine with the Cheltenham quirks. Worth his place at the top table in this Grade 1 and looks the each-way value bet.

A very progressive 5yo. He has 6 wins from 7 career starts. The only defeat was by a neck in a 17-runner Grade 1 hurdle race at the Festival last year. He has taken well to fences ??" 3 easy wins from 3 ??" running in good company. His last RPR rating is way better than what any of his rivals have shown. His main rival was a nice winner on his chase debut four weeks ago, but this quicker ground and a faster pace will be a bigger test for him.

Smart on the Flat and rated 89. The 4yo has two wins and a narrow defeat over hurdles. Beaten under a length when last seen over hurdles during October, that form was given a boost by the winner, who is supported in a Grade 1 on Friday at the Festival. That defeat was better than the actual result, as his jumping wasn't perfect that day, and good trainer James Owen has had plenty of time to sort things out and get some confidence back. Youngsters tend to improve very quickly at a young age, and a recent break is a positive. He's on a tempting handicap mark, and a recent Flat run should have sharpened him up.

Lightly raced 8yo. Progressive stats in his short chase career. He was a nice 5L handicap chase winner at this track in December over a similar 3m trip, and he beat a good small field that day. He can have more to offer and will be fresh after just two runs since October.

The 7-year-old mare has 8 wins from 12 over hurdles, four of them at Grade 1 level. She was an impressive Irish Champion Hurdle winner five weeks ago, never looking in trouble when taking it up entering the straight and grinding a strong field into submission. More to come from this one.

The 7yo is open to more improvement. Back from a six-month break with back-to-back chase wins last Oct, which included a C/D win. Beaten by just 3L in his only run since Dec, that form has taken a nice boost since. Looks like this race was a target and he is on a handy-looking mark.

Unexposed 7yo. This race looks like a long-term plan for the Irish raider. Just three runs over fences. Beaten just a length on his chase debut this time last year. He was a smart winner of a 15-runner handicap chase during November, looking good when coming from behind the pace to win by an easy 6L in the end, with the field strung out. He’s probably best judged when winning his second chase start, last May, with that form given a big boost since by the runner-up and by the well-beaten third. No question marks against the ability of the selection. A 15-week break since his last run will have him fresh, and he has preserved a nice-looking handicap mark.

Unexposed, a 5yo trained by Gordon Elliott. Two hurdle runs. He won a 21-runner maiden race by 9 lengths on his debut in December. He was beaten by just a short head in a Grade 1 five weeks ago by the smart Talk The Talk, earning a high rating. More to come from this one. He’s the pick of top jockey Jack Kennedy, and this ex-PTP could improve plenty for the step up in trip.

Just three starts over fences for the 6yo, form 221. Improvement with each run. A narrow Grade 2 defeat in November. An impressive 21L win last time out ??" only a beginners' chase, but he had a couple of decent 140-rated runners behind that day. He made the running, travelled strongly, jumped well, and sprinted through the line. His profile does suggest he can take another step forward, and a ten-week break should benefit him. Only two rivals have posted slightly higher RPR ratings.

Unexposed, 7yo. Just six starts over hurdles. He was a good 4th of 11 in a Grade 1 over this 21f C/D at the festival last year. He never landed a blow but stayed on nicely at the finish in what was a very strong contest. Beaten just 2L in a maiden hurdle seven weeks ago and seems in decent shape. Now running in a handicap off a handy-looking mark.

A liking for this 29.5f cross-country course is a big positive for this 10-year-old. He was a course-and-distance winner in December, a shade cosy by 4 lengths. He was only 5th of 16 over the course-and-distance in January, but it was very slow ground that day and he only lost out on the run-in. He has better ground now, should be fresh after a seven-week break, and there is a good apprentice in the saddle claiming 3 lb.

The 8-year-old is a nice price. Something was amiss last time out, but he’s had an eight-week break to recover from that run. He had won his last five races over fences, four of them at Grade 1 level, with plenty to spare in each win. His RPR ratings are standout. The short-priced favourite for this Grade 1 Champion Chase may have been flattered by his winning margin last time out.

The 11-year-old is worth a speculative punt in this handicap chase. Three runs this winter; 3rd last time out. He never landed a blow, but it was a very fast, high-quality affair, and he could have been saving something for this contest. In his last campaign he was only beaten a length in a Grade 2 chase over this 2m trip on the Old Course at this track, splitting two runners who were rated 170 and 164 at the time. His new low handicap mark of 145 does look attractive.

The Irish raider has run well previously over this 16f C/D. He was 5th of 20 in this race last year, not helping himself by hitting 2 out. He was a runner-up over this C/D during October in a useful £52K handicap, losing out on the run-in to a smart, progressive type who is now rated 11 lb higher. The selection is only a 7-year-old and still has time to move up the chasing ladder.

The 5-year-old has 2 wins from 2 in bumper NHF races, both on heavy ground. He won a useful €52k contest five weeks ago, earning a high rating. His dam was smart and preferred better ground. The booking of Sean Bowen for the ride is a big positive in this Champion Bumper race.