Cheltenham festival day one: The New Lion can roar in Champion Hurdle

The sporting decision to send Lossiemouth, the Mares’ Hurdle winner for the last two seasons, in against all-comers in Tuesday’s Champion Hurdle adds considerably to the depth of the competition, but it has also prompted a minor drift in the price of The New Lion and he is an attractive bet to follow up last year’s novice win at this meeting.

Unlike the other three runners at single-figure odds for Tuesday’s feature event, The New Lion does not benefit from a 7lb mares’ allowance. While Brighterdaysahead, Golden Ace and Lossiemouth have 12, 12 and 17 runs behind them respectively, however, The New Lion has just half a dozen, with five wins and just one defeat when he made an uncharacteristic jumping error at Newcastle in December.

The three mares also have some questions to answer. Lossiemouth was below her best behind Brighterdaysahead at Leopardstown last time and has first-time cheekpieces on Tuesday, while Brighterdaysahead ran no sort of race in last year’s Champion.

Golden Ace, meanwhile, looked a very lucky winner 12 months ago, and The New Lion looked to have her measure when he came down two out at Newcastle.

In a closely matched field, the fact that The New Lion (4.00) has more scope for improvement than his main rivals could prove highly significant, and he is a very fair price at around 11-4 to edge Dan Skelton significantly closer to a first trainers’ title.

Cheltenham 1.20 Willie Mullins’ Mighty Park is a lurking, could-be-anything presence after a 38-length win in a maiden hurdle, but Old Park Star arrives with rock-solid form and a similar profile to Nicky Henderson’s last three Supreme winners: Altior, Shishkin and Constitution Hill. His 18-length success at Haydock in January was backed by an excellent timefigure, and he has looked a natural at his hurdles while progressing by the run.

The New Lion ridden was victorious on festival Trials Day at Cheltenham. Photograph: Nigel French/PA

Cheltenham 2.00 With the market squarely focused on Kopek Des Bordes and Lulamba, the claims of Steel Ally have perhaps been overlooked. He has beaten thin fields for his two Grade Two wins but posted a strong time for the latest and could well outrun odds of around 14-1.

Cheltenham 2.40 It is a decade since a British yard won the Fred Winter, but Faye Bramley’s Winston Junior holds strong claims off 131 on his form to date and the booking of Jack Kennedy is also a big plus.

Cheltenham 3.20 Drying ground is a major positive for Leave Of Absence, a winner over track and trip in October, who has probably been campaigned with this race in mind ever since.

Cheltenham 4.40 Zurich has been absent since December but that is a typical profile for a Henry de Bromhead runner at this meeting and he will be a live runner if back to the form of his course-and-distance win earlier in the season.

Cheltenham 5.20 The last of three big-field handicap chases on the opening day is arguably the most competitive of all, but One Big Bang promises to be suited by the marathon trip and could be an interesting each-way shot at around 12-1, having run well to finish fifth in the Pertemps Final over timber last season.