Neil Channing: 'I see he's already been backed down to 8-1 but I think he could go off around 7-2'

The sport's top judges answer the key Cheltenham Festival questions. This time, it's professional punter Neil Channing . . .

What's your best bet of the meeting?

Fastorslow in the Gold Cup.

How do you see the Champion Hurdle now?  

My original thinking was that State Man could beat Constitution Hill anyway but I hadn't played, and then the news came out, so I guess it's going to end up being a no-bet race for me. I don't know, though, it's all on the price, and if Constitution Hill doesn't run and State Man goes off 4-6 in a five-runner race, I could back him. Or maybe the value at the moment — before we find out on Monday how the blood tests are — is in the 'will he/won't he run' market, because I feel like Nicky Henderson will run him only if he's a thousand per cent right. There's no real way I could be with Constitution Hill either way, though. I was with State Man before and even more so now.