Could Willie Mullins be the Tuesday trainer to follow again?

The final fields for the first day of the Cheltenham Festival have now been revealed and this is what to look out for on the opening afternoon at Prestbury Park on Tuesday.

Mullins could still be the Tuesday man

Willie Mullins has been the man bookmakers have feared heading into day one of the festival in recent years and, while his best chances look to be towards the end of Tuesday's card, he could yet be the one layers are cursing at the end of the opening salvo.

Asterion Forlonge, one of three runners for Ireland's champion trainer in the Supreme, could yet start favourite, Cash Back has an obvious chance of giving him a fifth win in the last six years in the Racing Post Arkle, and that is before Benie Des Dieux and Carefully Selected bid to justify short-price favouritism in the Mares' Hurdle and National Hunt Chase.

Benie Des Dieux: 2018 Mares' Hurdle winner is odds-on to provide Mullins with a winner on day oneCredit: GROSSICK RACING (racingpost.com/photos)

Sandwiched in the middle of it all, he will saddle Cilaos Emery and Sharjah in a wide open Champion Hurdle, and much stranger things than horses of their quality winning at Cheltenham have happened before.

Mares' Hurdle delivers again

Who would have predicted the Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle would be the showstopper on day one of the festival?

Certainly not those who have previously been critical of the race, but after dramatic last flight falls for Annie Power in 2015 and Benie Des Dieux last year, not to mention Apple's Jade defeating Vroum Vroum Mag and Limini in a titanic three-way tussle in 2017, this is a race that is never shy when it comes to drama.

In all likelihood, Honeysuckle would have been bound for the Champion Hurdle and Benie Des Dieux the Stayers' if the Mares' Hurdle did not exist but instead the two face off over arguably their optimum trips.

Throw into the mix last year's winner Roksana, Benie Des Dieux's classy stablemate Stormy Ireland and popular mare Lady Buttons and it is a race to savour, rather than bemoan, once again.

4.10 Cheltenham Tuesday card and betting

Vinndication: heads the weights and betting for the UltimaCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Ultima a throwback to yesteryear

The changing face of the festival handicaps has been hard to miss over the past decade but the Ultima has the look of a Cheltenham handicap chase from yesteryear.

With so much competition for places, the weights have become tightly compressed in recent times, with as little as half a stone separating top from bottom on some occasions.

However, this year's Ultima has a top weight of 11st 12lb and a bottom weight, who is one of two competing from out of the handicap proper, sitting on just 10st.

With bookmakers going 6-1 the field, it certainly looks no less competitive as a consequence, although class is expected to shine through with topweight Vinndication heading the market.

2.50 Cheltenham Tuesday card and betting

Ravenhill: goes for the National Hunt Chase rather than the Kim MuirCredit: Alain Barr

Ravenhill up for Carefully Selected clash

A raft of changes have been introduced in an attempt to safeguard the National Hunt Chase after only four runners finished last year's contest, which is perhaps one reason why a field no bigger than 14 will line up.

Carefully Selected, trained by Willie Mullins, has been the name on most lips for this race on the festival preview circuit but it has not deterred Gordon Elliott, who runs Ravenhill in this race rather than the Kim Muir later in the week.

It is no surprise to see top Irish amateur jockeys Patrick Mullins (Carefully Selected) and Jamie Codd (Ravenhill) booked for the market leaders but considering Derek O'Connor would have had his pick of a fair share of the remainder, the fact he has wound up on Forza Milan speaks volumes.

Cheltenham Tuesday card

Read more Cheltenham analysis here:

Five shocking opening-day results at the Cheltenham Festival

Why have the Irish dominated the last decade at the Cheltenham Festival?

In which races does it pay to follow the market leaders at the Cheltenham Festival?

Seven former festival winners ready to roll at the biggest jumps meeting of all

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