World Hurdle 2016 - Festival Focus

Rheu of Light - Last year's runner-up looks a good each way bet in the World Hurdle.

With the Cleeve Hurdle taking place tomorrow featuring two of the top five in the betting for the World Hurdle, the market for Thursday’s festival feature is due for a shake up before close of business on Saturday.

As such I want to get a horse on side for that race now in case one, or both, of the big two of Thistlecrack and Camping Ground fluff their lines in the Cleeve.

The horse in question is last year’s runner-up Saphir Du Rheu, currently available at 20/1 best price or 16/1 with the Non Runner No Bet concession. A big price if you ask me, though I can see the reasoning behind why he’s currently so long in the betting.

I don’t necessarily agree with the decision of connections to revert back to hurdles after what I thought was a perfectly good run under a welter burden in the Hennessy, but in the aftermath of that decision he was under half his current price for the World Hurdle.

Supreme Novices' Hurdle 2016 - Festival Focus

Air Raid - Buveur D'Air looks the play to take on Min with in the opener.

It’s that time of year again, as the countdown to the Cheltenham Festival begins in earnest.

Therefore it’s also the time for a look ahead to the greatest week of the year in my Festival Focus posts.

Sadly, time constraints are likely going to prevent me going as in depth as years past this time around but after a good, and at times unlucky, festival year I’m hopeful of picking out plenty of winners at what will hopefully be some decent prices.

With Willie Mullins set to dominate the opening day of the festival (as he also did last year) it’s tough to be massively confident in tipping anything else in the feature races on day one and the best chance of finding a big-priced winner is likely going to come in the handicaps.

However of the day one hotpots I don’t think there’s anyone out there who would argue that Min in the opener is the potential weak leg of the big 4-fold.