Ballymore Novices' Hurdle Race (Grade 1, 1.30pm)
Ruby Walsh: It is Ireland v England. Impaire Et Passe v Hermes Allen. I think this will be Ireland. I'm a massive fan of Willie Mullins' Impaire Et Passe
He's won at Naas, he's won at Punchestown. I think he has been very good. Willie has great back up in Champ Kiely to go with it.
Donn McLean: You can argue the Challow Hurdle form has worked out okay. But the Challow Hurdle and the Ballymore, if you look at the record, you would presume it would be an easy follow on because it's two and a half miles at Newbury and similar in the Ballymore. You'd think there'd be a good correlation.
But 20 winners of the Challow Hurdle have tried to win the Ballymore and all 20 have failed. It's remarkable.
Hermes Allen is a very good horse but I fully agree with Ruby on Impaire Et Passe. There seems to be a real confidence behind him from the Willie Mullins yard. I think Hermes Allen will get done for pace and Champ Kiely is the value.
Brown Advisory Novices' Steeple Chase (Grade 1, 2.10pm)
Ruby Walsh: Gerri Colombe, The Real Whacker and Sir Gerhard are all unbeaten over fences. I think it's between them. I'm a big Gerri Colombe fan. He was very good at Limerick at Christmas and in the Scilly Isles Novices' Chase at Sandown
Jordan Gainford rides him. I think he is one. I don't think Sir Gerhard has the experience. He might be the best horse but only having had one run over fences it has to be a massive negative.
Donn McLean: What Gerri Colombe did in the Scilly Isles Chase - before that I thought he was vunerable at Sandown - it was good to soft ground over two and a half miles and he battled on well to beat a good Nicky Henderson horse. I thought we saw something new from Gerri Colombe there. I think he's the right favourite.
Betway Queen Mother Champion Steeple Chase (Grade 1 3.30pm)
Ruby Walsh: It's difficult to call. I'm in the Willie Mullins camp but I have to take those glasses off and try to see the race as to what is going to win
Unfortunately I'm not with Energumene, I'm with Edwardstone. I didn't think I would be leaving Cheltenham this time last year. I thought Edwardstone as an eight-year-old winning the Arkle couldn't be any better as a nine-year-old. But I think he is a better horse this year. I thought he was better at Sandown in the Tingle Creek
Obviously, he unseated the ride at Kempton and he was the unlucky one in the Clarence House in January. I think Tom Cannon will change tactics marginally and that will make the difference.
Donn McClean: Energumene will be a big player if the ground is softer. He did win at Punchestown on good to yielding ground last April but I think he is a better horse on softer. He won the Champion Chase last year but that didn't take as much winning as it looked like it would before the race. After getting beaten at Cheltenham I think he is going to have to take a step forward and leave that form behind.
I think another Willie Mullins runner Gentleman De Mee is a bit of a player, a little bit of a price. He is a spring horse. If he can cope with the track and the ground is suitable, he could get into a rhythm.
Summing up the day
Ruby Walsh: I'm looking forward to Impaire et Passe in the first, Gerri Colombe in the second, Captain Combi in the third.
I think Edwardstone could win the fourth, the fifth will be Delta Work, the sixth is the Plate, I have no massive opinion on that and Fact to File in the Bumper.
That's what I’m looking forward to, it will be another great day but I have a funny feeling that there’s no way it will top Tuesday.
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