Five faulty Cheltenham Festival favourites our experts are taking on

Last year's Cheltenham Festival was a decent one for favourite backers with 12 of the 28 races won by market leaders, but that still means there were 16 favourites who came unstuck, including shorties Shishkin (5-6), Galopin Des Champs (5-6), Dinoblue (11-8) and Gaelic Warrior (13-8). Who do our experts reckon could be vulnerable next month?

Honeysuckle

Mares' Hurdle (4.10, March 17)

Odds: 5-2

By Graeme Rodway, deputy betting editor

The dual Champion Hurdle winner is on the wane and this year's Mares' Hurdle has more depth to it than the Champion Hurdle itself, so I'll be surprised if she is capable of rolling back the years against so many up-and-coming performers.

Marie's Rock is one of the bankers of the week if she lines up in this, but even if she doesn't there could still be Epatante, Brandy Love, Love Envoi and Echoes In Rain at the start line against Honeysuckle.She will need to be right back to her best to see off those four alone.

Mighty Potter

Turners Novices' Chase (1.30, March 16)

Odds: 11-8

By Tom Segal, tipster

Unbeaten over fences and with four Grade 1s to his name, it's pretty hard to knock what Mighty Potter has achieved to date. However I do think he's been winning weakish races and that he is well worth taking on in what is beginning to look an extremely competitive Turners.

A few weeks ago that didn't look to be the case but all of a sudden Appreciate It, Banbridge and Stage Star have come to the fore and they are all legitimate threats.

Furthermore, Mighty Potter never went a yard on his only start at Cheltenham last season in the Supreme and while there were some excuses that day, it does get the alarm bells ringing.

Gaillard Du Mesnil

National Hunt Chase (5.30, March 14)

Odds: 13-8

By Robbie Wilders, tipster

I would have gone for Jonbon in the Arkle before his Warwick scare last Saturday, but El Fabiolo rightly heads that market now, while I can't recall a stronger Mares' Hurdle field and Honeysuckle has a right task on her hands in that.

But Gaillard Du Mesnil is a woeful price for the National Hunt Chase. He is odds-on in a couple of places and I don’t think he'll even run.

Gaillard Du Mesnil is being campaigned like a Brown Advisory horse rather than a National Hunt Chase one this season, finishing third in two Grade 1s behind Mighty Potter over intermediate trips.

He was described recently by Willie Mullins as the stable's main Brown Advisory hope and the trainer has Ramillies, who is also owned by Joe Donnelly, as a ready-made National Hunt Chase candidate.

Mullins always runs his National Hunt Chase horses in the 3m1f Grade 3 novice at Naas in January and Ramillies was an unlucky runner-up in that. He looks fair value at a top-price 5-1 for this with Patrick Mullins expected to ride.

Ramillies will love being stretched out further in trip and Donnelly also has recent Wetherby Grade 2 winner City Chief in the National Hunt Chase. That is City Chief's only novice chase entry at the festival.

Blazing Khal

Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle (3.30, March 16)

Odds: 5-2

By Richard Birch, tipster

"We take it day by day with him". Those were the words of trainer Charles Byrnes after Blazing Khal made an impressive comeback from a 14-month absence to win at Navan last Sunday.

He's clearly fragile, and I don't want to be taking 5-2 about any horse in a championship race at a Cheltenham Festival with that particular issue.

If Home By The Lee reproduces his Leopardstown run over Christmas, I think he'll win. If he doesn't, I could see a big-priced turn-up.

El Fabiolo

Arkle Challenge Trophy (2.10, March 14)

Odds: 6-4

By Owen Goulding, tipster

Edwardstone, Shishkin, Put The Kettle On and Duc Des Genievres. What do the four most recent Arkle winners have in common? They jump soundly.

The Arkle is run at a ferocious pace and if you are a horse that tends to throw in a couple of short strides or niggly mistakes, you would be lucky to win it. El Fabiolo has not looked the slickest of operators over fences this season and Jonbon, who has been far cleaner in that department, should still be favourite for the race.

Yes, he was disappointing visually at Warwick, but Nicky Henderson is training him to win an Arkle, not a Kingmaker, so he will turn up at Cheltenham as a totally different beast and jump El Fabiolo into submission.

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