Cheltenham legend Ruby Walsh has nominated Honeysuckle as the horse he'd like to ride if he was still competing.
The Champion Hurdle favourite won the 2021 renewal and remains unbeaten in 14 races.
Walsh, leading jockey 11 times at the Festival with 59 winners overall, knows what it takes to hit the heights at the meeting.
And he can see no flaws in Honeysuckle, odds on with the bookmakers for her third win at the racing extravaganza.
Walsh said main challenger Appreciate It, without a run since his runaway Supreme Novices' Hurdle triumph 12 months ago, will have to have improved to deny the favourite another Cheltenham title.
"She's a brilliant mare," Walsh said.
The former top rider also expects Willie Mullins, who he teamed up with so successfully during his years in the saddle, to keep up his usual high standards.
He expects Champion Bumper favourite Facile Vega to enhance his big reputation, on the back of a dominant Dublin Racing Festival display.
"I thought Willie had a good team last year and he had six winners," dual Gold Cup-winning rider Walsh said.
"What is a good return this year? Seven winners is a quarter of the races, and that is a huge return. If you told Willie that we’ll give you seven winners right now, I think he would take it.”
Here is Walsh's verdict on three of the Cheltenham Festival 'bankers'...
Honeysuckle – Champion Hurdle (3.30pm, Tuesday)
I think Honeysuckle is very hard to beat. Appreciate It is in great form. He bolted up in the Supreme, but I don’t know how strong a race it was. Appreciate It was an each-way price, but he is shorter now and I just think Honeysuckle is a brilliant mare. From a betting point of view, it looks like a betting without race. Appreciate It, Teahupoo, Zanahiyr, Epatante and even Tommy’s Oscar who continues to improve throughout the season are all decent horses, but they are running into a champion. I think for Honeysuckle to deliver in front of a sell-out crowd on the Tuesday afternoon, I think she’ll get the reception she missed last year and truly deserves. I wouldn’t mind being on her back to walk back in front of the crowd.
Shishkin – Champion Chase (3.30pm, Wednesday)
Everything was perfect for Energumene at Ascot. It was tailor-made for Energumene on that occasion going right-handed and I think the position of the jumps also suited. Shishkin made a mistake going down to Swinley Bottom. I think Energumene got a perfect ride and executed his own performance perfectly, but he just wasn’t good enough. Shishkin is a hell of a racehorse, he has proven in the past that he can win when staring defeat in the eye. You know he has guts, has stamina and is going to be so simple to ride here. I think he will be very hard to beat. Chacun Pour Soi, I think if you put Shishkin and Energumene in the same position that Chacun found himself in when coming down the inside in the Champion Chase last year, they would have won that race. Chacun Pour Soi didn’t win and I think he has something to prove here. Nube Negra has an each-way shout, but I think the race resolves around Shishkin. I’d want to be on Shishkin’s back.
Facile Vega – Champion Bumper (5.30pm, Wednesday)
Redemption Day and St James’s Gate are fair horses. It’s a bumper anything can happen and Facile Vega is a good horse. American Mike was very good at Navan, but I thought Facile Vega was brilliant at Leopardstown and I’m with him. Facile Vega has been exceptional and he just seems to have so much natural ability. Gordon Elliott and Jamie Codd are not hiding their admiration for American Mike. Willie and Patrick love Facile Vega and there can only be one winner on the day. They are two big names taking each other on.
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