As the Cheltenham Festival gets under way on Tuesday, 11-time leading jockey Ruby Walsh and journalist Donn McClean preview the main races.
DAY ONE - TUESDAY
1.30 Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle Race (Grade 1)
Ruby Walsh: Tuesday at Cheltenham, it's an incredible day. Facile Vega was brilliant there last year in the Bumper. He obviously blew out of the Dublin Racing Festival (in the Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle) and went too fast from the third hurdle to the fourth hurdle, along with High Definition. That's a big blow out to overcome but his work has been really good since. I think he's the best horse in the race.
High Definition could be a bit of value in the race, and Il Etait Temps as well. But I've watched Facile Vega in Willie Mullins' since the Dublin Racing Festival and I still think he's a very good horse.
Marine Nationale, for Barry Connell, is a very good horse - Michael O'Sullivan will ride him. He could be the fastest horse in the race, but with the Supreme, and every jockey revved up, all the excitement on, it's usually a race that's run at a frantic temp and stamina comes into it.
However, Connell would be quite worried about the soft ground for Marine Nationale. Even though he won on soft ground in Fairyhouse, he's always been adamant that Marine Nationale would be a better horse on much better ground. It probably gives Inthepocket of Henry de Bromhead a chance. He's by Blue Bresil and his pedigree suggests he'd like slower ground. It probably doesn't help the chances of the Flat-bred High Definition and Diverge.
Donn McClean: Facile Vega is a top-class horse. That was his first defeat the last time, and there was an excuse afterwards. I do like Marine Nationale. What he did in the Royal Bond Hurdle, when things went against him, he didn't really have the run of the race, he could shuffle back at a crucial point, but he made his ground nicely.
He did well to win. He hasn't run since then which isn't a positive in the context of the Supreme. It's an unknown, he's never been beaten, he's going to have to step forward against, but I think he could.
2.10 Sporting Life Arkle Challenge Trophy Steeple Chase (Grade 1)
Ruby Walsh: El Fabiolo was brilliant at the Dublin Racing Festival, and this race will be quite similar to that. You'll have Dysart Dynamo as well.
The impressive El Fabiolo (9-2) gives Willie Mullins a ninth win in the Goffs Irish Arkle Novice Chase at Leopardstown with Daryl Jacob in the plate. #DublinRacingFestival pic.twitter.com/M4ZrqGdNaZ
— RTÉ Racing (@RTEracing) February 4, 2023
This will be fast. These will be topping 32 mph over the first four fences. There'll be no margin for error. It'll be a great race to watch.
If El Fabiolo's jumping holds up he'll win. Saint Roi at 8-1 each-way is probably a nice price.
Donn McClean: Dysart Dynamo only knows one way. He goes forward, he goes fast, and that's going to set the pace in the race, as he did at Leopardstown in the Irish Arkle.
El Fabiolo won that race. He made a pretty bad mistake at the fourth last fence, and his jumping hadn't been great at Fairyhouse the time before that, but he has a serious engine.
This is his third chase so there's every chance his jumping will improve again.
What he did at Leopardstown; he came clear of the field at the Irish Arkle, he was strong in the finish, and I think he should be clear favourite for this.
3.30 Unibet Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy (Grade 1)
Ruby Walsh: Constitution Hill is a bit like David Rudisha; he's just that much better than the rest of the opposition. Rudisha could make all and win the Olympics, so he wasn't relying on getting caught in traffic or getting bumped by anybody. Constitution Hill is the same. He only has to jump eight hurdles, but he's the best horse.
Constitution Hill has won on really heavy ground. He'll handle really testing ground, so will State Man, but it could mean that Constitution Hill wins by even further.
Willie Mullins on State Man: "He did everything right and you couldn't ask any more." #DublinRacingFestivalhttps://t.co/ogdN9C73Cg
— RTÉ Racing (@RTEracing) February 5, 2023
Donn McClean: State Man is a very good horse but he's just unlucky to be born into the era of Constitution Hill. He'd be a worthy Champion Hurdle favourite in a normal year but it's not a normal year.
Constitutional Hill, what he's been doing is just phenomenal. His time in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle was nearly six seconds faster than Honeysuckle was at the Champion Hurdle. He's won his five hurdle races by a magnitude of 77 lengths.
He looks bombproof, it's going to be very difficult to see Constitution Hill getting beaten
4.10 Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle Race (Grade 1)
Ruby Walsh: Without doubt Honeysuckle winning is the result that everybody watching Cheltenham will want to see.
But I'm afraid, while I was her biggest fan for so long, sport doesn't deliver the fairytales that you always want.
I don't think she ran anywhere near her official rating, she's more like 154 or 155. I could see a couple of horses here running past that.
She's in good form and Rachael Blackmore feels Honeysuckle can do it. Brandy Love will love the soft ground and becomes a real player in the race now.
Donn McClean: Honeysuckle is an unbelievable mare. She won 16 on the bounce, two Champion Hurdles. She has lost her last two but she's still a very good horse with a rating of 160. The step back up to two and a half miles will suit her.
You'd love to see her sign off with a win in a Mares' Hurdle.
Ruby Walsh and Donn McClean were speaking to RTÉ 2fm's Game On
