The Cheltenham Festival 
/ Graham Cunningham / 14 March 2011 / Leave a Comment 
Menorah and Richard Johnson win last year. Will they have more success in 2011?
"Definity has definite back to lay potential in the Centenary Chase (17:15). Paul Nicholls seems sweet on this lightly-raced gelding and I can see why given how well he has travelled and jumped against smart rivals on his last two starts."
Graham Cunningham is on RUK duty at Prestbury Park this week and he's back on familiar territory on betting.betfair.com as he sets out to nominate the ones to be with and his four to swerve on Champion Hurdle day.
After one of the bleakest winters on record it's finally here. And the good news is Cheltenham 2011 promises one of the biggest betting showdowns ever seen as the cream of British and Irish jumping talent bang heads for the honour of being crowned a Festival hero.
The first point to make about Cheltenham is that there is simply no place like it if you come away a winner. And the second point to make about the Festival is that you can get wiped out completely if you lose the run of yourself. Thankfully, day one has been kind down the years and, with any luck, the following lays and plays will set the ball rolling for another memorable week.
1. The Arkle (14:05) has been a fertile punting ground in recent years and Medermit looks the solid option this year based on a clinical display of accurate jumping and smooth travelling in Grade 1 company at Sandown.
Alan King's grey also scores well in terms of Festival form, having been pipped in the Supreme Novices' two years ago and backing him to win with a slightly larger amount to place looks the canny call.
2. Slice it however you like, the Champion Hurdle (15:20) is wide open with little to choose between a posse of improving contenders who have studiously avoided each other for the most part.
It would be wrong to go at this gung ho as a result, but Menorah and Oscar Whisky appeal as a strong pair against the field. Menorah did me a huge favour in last year's Supreme Novices' and has never stopped improving since, while Oscar Whisky is similarly progressive and appeals as the best of the rest.
3. Bensalem and Great Endeavour form a powerful two-pronged attack on the Spinal Research Chase (14:40). There is no flash story here save that both horses look primed for big efforts. Bensalem was tanking along when he fell two out in this race last year and returns off the same mark after looking as good as ever over hurdles of late, while Great Endeavour is a proven Festival performer who jumps boldly and is unexposed at three miles.
4. Definity has definite back to lay potential in the Centenary Chase (17:15). Paul Nicholls seems sweet on this lightly-raced gelding and I can see why given how well he has travelled and jumped against smart rivals on his last two starts.
He ran a corker here over hurdles last spring, so Cheltenham ought to suit, and taking the best available win and place prices with a view to trading out short looks a very fair call.
5. Noel Meade seems confident that Realt Dubh will handle spring ground in the Arkle. But I'm not so sure. Granted, Realt Dubh has two Grade 1's under his belt over fences, but neither of them was anything like this strong and he looks a fair place lay contender.
6. Finding the weak links in the Champion Hurdle chain is tough, but I wonder whether Peddlers Cross might be worth taking on in the place market at [2.6] or under. Granted, he heads south unbeaten with a proven Festival record, but there are five horses ahead of him on official figures and he might just be found out for pace up the hill if the ground is good.
7. Blazing Bailey looks another with place lay potential in the Spinal Research Chase. He's hit the frame at three Festivals over hurdles and two handicap wins here and Ffos Las since the turn of the year show that he's right back on song at the age of nine. However, the handicapper has had a firm say for those successes. BB is 20lb higher than for the Cheltenham win and 7lb above his Ffos Las mark. And I suspect that will tell once things get tough here.
8. I haven't settled on a definite bet in the cross country chase at 16:00, but I will be laying Poker de Sivola in the place market for the simple reason that he's a virgin in this odd discipline and because his current form is questionable at best.
Ferdy Murphy primed this gelding to land the NH Chase here last year, but his overall record is very patchy and recent comments suggest this may well be a springboard towards the Scottish National.
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