Galopin Des Champs will be very hard to beat in the Gold Cup this afternoon.
I've been so impressed with him this season compared to last term when he was a flamboyant and exuberant front runner. This season he's learned to settle.
I think both Willie Mullins and Paul Townend have done a brilliant job of training and riding him with the Gold Cup in mind. You have to settle to win a Gold Cup and he has a super chance.
But Minella Indo is way over priced in my opinion. I know he's a ten-year-old now, but he finished first and second in the last two Gold Cups. At around 20/1, he's a great each-way bet in the race.
Meanwhile, today's opening race, the JCB Triumph Hurdle, is a race that I think Willie Mullins will definitely win.
The word coming from Closutton is that Blood Destiny is a horse with an awful lot of quality, but Lossiemouth was very impressive at Leopardstown over Christmas before meeting traffic problems at the Dublin Racing Festival.
I would have slight preference for Blood Destiny over Lossiemouth to give the Mullins team an early winner on the last day of the week.
The County Hurdle is obviously very competitive but Hunters Yarn for me could be the pick of Willie's here. He has won his last two races, is a progressive horse and with a rating of 147m he should be very competitive in this.
But I also like Ballyadam at an each-way price. He had a lovely prep run at the Dublin Racing Festival when he finished third in a handicap hurdle behind Gaelic Warrior and I think he has a massive chance.
The Albert Bartlett is a very good race and you could make a case for a number of horses in it. I was very impressed with Corbetts Cross the last day in Naas. That was a bold move by Emmet Mullins to drop him back in trip after he had won over three so he has plenty of pace.
But the horse I really like in this race is Three Card Brag for Gordon Elliott. He looks like a horse that is crying out for three miles and a test of stamina. He gets all that here. You have to be a really strong stayer to win this race and I think Three Card Brag is exactly that.
The Hunters' Chase comes after the Gold Cup and I think Chris's Dream has a big chance here.
Obviously Vaucelet for David Christie is a very good horse, but Chris's Dream is a Grade 2 winner and was very unlucky not to win a Grade 1. He got caught close home in Down Royal by The Storyteller back in 2020.
He's had two runs in point to points, he goes very well fresh and this is his first appearance on a racecourse this season. I think he has a good chance of overturning Vaucelet.
The ground is probably going to be against Magic Daze in the Mares' Chase and Allegorie De Vassy is my nap of the day in this race. I think she'll take an awful lot of beating.
If you're having a tough week punting and you need to get out of jail in the Martin Pipe, you're in trouble. It's an ultra competitive race, but Imagine for Gordon Elliott looks like he has a great chance. This has probably been the plan all season and it's a race Gordon always likes to target.
Bet of the day - Allegorie De Vassy - 4.50
READ NEXT:
Leaving Cert student John Gleeson rides Cheltenham Festival winner for JP McManus
Cheltenham Festival 2023: Leading trainer standings ahead of day three
Cheltenham Festival 2023 Wednesday results in full: Every winner including Champion Chase
Classy Energumene defends Queen Mother Champion Chase in style
