Formlines to follow: nine horses whose chances this week received a boost on day one of the Cheltenham Festival

Ballyburn, King Of Kingsfield and Lecky Watson (Slade Steel)

The obvious place to start when it comes to Slade Steel is with Ballyburn, after the horse he thumped by seven lengths at the Dublin Racing Festival won the Supreme in stylish fashion. That said, you aren't going to get rich backing him at 4-7 for the Gallagher, so let's look a bit deeper.

County Hurdle favourite King Of Kingsfield could tighten significantly from his current price of 6-1 as he was five and a half lengths behind Slade Steel at Naas in November and seven lengths behind him at the DRF. Those two results came off level weights and, given Slade Steel received an initial Racing Post Rating of 149, King Of Kingsfield could be well treated as he races off a mark of 140.

The other horse whose form received a major boost was a 12-1 shot for the Albert Bartlett, Lecky Watson, who finished just half a length behind Slade Steel when the pair met at Navan in December. That was over 2m4f on heavy ground when Paul Townend spotted Rachael Blackmore take a lead into the straight. He did well to stick with the winner as well as he did and, up in trip, he could be dangerous if they take him to the finish.

In the same race 7-1 chance Dancing City also gets a mention, as he separated Ballyburn and Slade Steel in a bumper at the Punchestown festival last season.

Slade Steel (left): finished third to Ballyburn at the Dublin Racing Festival last monthCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Fact To File and Brazil (Gaelic Warrior)

Fans of Fact To File will have been delighted to see the horse who couldn't live with him bolt up in the Arkle on Tuesday.

Fact To File is an even-money shot in a competitive-looking Brown Advisory, but that might just be a price worth taking.

We need to acknowledge that the two-mile division does not look that strong this year, but that said the horse who cruised all over them in the Arkle – and won over three miles last season, so it is hard to argue stamina could have been the issue – couldn't keep up with Fact To File that day.

All season long Mullins had talked of Gaelic Warrior as being bound for the Turners and he was the 4-7 favourite for that match, but Fact To File dismantled him so comprehensively it prompted a switch to plan B.

It paid off for Gaelic Warrior, but Fact To File must be some horse to do what he did to him.

One other horse who is worth a mention is Coral Cup 14-1 chance Brazil. Off a mark of 137 he gave Gaelic Warrior 8lb and a beating in the 2022 Boodles, and he lines up on Wednesday off a 5lb higher mark. Plenty of water has passed under the bridge since then, but that is an eyecatching piece of form for a horse known to act particularly well at the track.

Fact To File: even-money favourite for the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase on WednesdayCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Impose Toi and Magical Zoe (Luccia and Irish Point)

There were plenty of form boosts for runners in Friday's County Hurdle, with Impose Toi chief among them.

Luccia ran a cracker in the Champion Hurdle to give some hope to Nicky Henderson backers this week, and on RPRs she has run a career best by 6lb. 

On her last start she gave 5lb and a neck beating to stablemate Impose Toi and she was clearly a well-handicapped horse that day, so off just 3lb higher the six-year-old's form claims have certainly been enhanced – for all stable form has to be a concern.

Henry de Bromhead already has a winner on the board and Magical Zoe, in receipt of 13lb, got within a length and three-quarters of Champion Hurdle runner-up Irish Point over 2m1f back in November.

Mighty Bandit (Lark In The Mornin and Harsh)

If Warren Greatrex's new recruit Mighty Bandit takes his chance in Friday's Triumph Hurdle he is worth a second look.

He had the Fred Winter first and fourth nine and a half and 17 lengths behind when bolting up in a three-year-old maiden at Punchestown back in November.

From there he went to Leopardstown over the Christmas period and was sent off the 13-8 favourite for the Grade 2 hurdle, but ran no sort of race, and was subsequently picked up for €420,000 in the Andy and Gemma Brown dispersal sale.

He has that poor run and the switch of yards to overcome, and his winning margin may well have been exaggerated by the two horses he beat obtaining favourable marks, but there is no arguing the Boodles gave a big boost to his form.

Monty's Star: a three-length third to Corbetts Cross on his chasing debutCredit: Patrick McCann

Fact To File (again!) and Monty's Star (Corbetts Cross)

There was no more impressive winner on day one than Corbetts Cross, who blew apart the National Hunt Chase.

Having jumped two out upsides Apple Away, Mr Vango, Embassy Gardens and Kilbeg King he pulled 17 lengths clear.

It was a performance that screamed of a horse destined for greater things and he looked up to Grade 1 open company. Indeed, it was the sort of run that suggested he could have won an above-average Brown Advisory – so the fact he was redirected from the race gives a clue as to the esteem in which the McManus camp must hold Fact To File.

His trainer Emmet Mullins has talked openly about the decision to switch to the longer race coming from the horse's illustrious owner and it was another boost to the chances of Fact To File.

The other horse whose form was enhanced was Monty's Star, who was a three-length third to the more experienced Corbetts Cross on his chasing debut, and then on his next start beat the runner-up that day by further than Corbetts Cross managed.

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