Who is the best-value Cheltenham Festival favourite at this stage?

With stars appearing left, right and centre, our willing experts have put forward their picks for the strongest ante-post favourites at next year's Cheltenham Festival.

Jonbon: made a polished chasing debut at Warwick recently and heads the Arkle bettingCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Jonbon

By Owen Goulding, tipster

Race: Arkle Chase (March 14, 2023)

Odds: 9-4 with BoyleSports (2-1 generally)

After trailing stablemate Constitution Hill by 22 lengths in the Supreme at last season's festival, it was no surprise to see Jonbon going over fences at the first available opportunity.

He signed off his hurdling campaign with a Grade 1 victory at Aintree and stamped his class with an authoritative success at Warwick on chasing debut this month.

It seems very obvious that he is far better chaser than a hurdler and is a scary prospect for the two-mile novice chasing division. He goes on any ground and looks rock-solid at odds of around 2-1 to give Nicky Henderson another Arkle win.

Gaillard Du Mesnil

By David Jennings, deputy Ireland editor

Race: National Hunt Chase (March 14, 2023)

Odds: 4-1 with bet365 (7-2 generally)

He is 4-1 with bet365 at the moment but could be closer to evens come the day.

It seems blatantly obvious he is going to be aimed at the race, Willie Mullins said as much in his stable tour, and his current mark of 156 is 3lb higher than what Stattler was rated going into the race last year.

He has experience and his third in the Irish Grand National will stand him in good stead for a race like the National Hunt Chase.

He has cracking course form, guaranteed stamina and is going to be ridden by Patrick Mullins. What more could you ask for?

Energumene: landed last year's Champion Chase at Cheltenham in attritional conditionsCredit: Mike Hewitt (Getty Images)

Energumene

By Maddy Playle, reporter

Race: Champion Chase (March 15, 2023)

Odds: 9-4 generally

Shishkin has questions to answer. The superstar chaser looked to put everything into a mammoth tussle in the Clarence House and was never going at Cheltenham afterwards. A rare bone condition was identified afterwards and it is difficult to gauge how much ability remains. It is surely going to take all of Nicky Henderson's expertise to get him back to his best.

Energumene, on the other hand, showed his resilience and star quality in his two subsequent runs. He proved he was tactically versatile when settling towards the rear in the Champion Chase and coped with much sounder conditions when dispatching Chacun Pour Soi at Punchestown.

New potential challengers will have to take an almighty leap forward to reach his level and, given ten horses have recorded back-to-back wins in the Champion Chase since 1959, he looks to have outstanding claims of winning the race again.

Flooring Porter: hat-trick-seeking stayer looks the most solid favourite says Keith MelroseCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Flooring Porter

By Keith Melrose, betting editor

Race: Stayers' Hurdle (March 16, 2023)

Odds: 5-1 generally

Because neither Energumene nor Allaho have been seen yet this season, two-time Stayers' Hurdle winner Flooring Porter looks the most solid favourite as he bids for a hat-trick.

He can also be backed at a much bigger price. True, he is not as good a horse, but that price also makes assumptions I would question about those looking to depose him.

Bob Olinger has as many questions to answer physically as Klassical Dream does mentally. The Nice Guy was impressive in the spring but is now on the sidelines. And is Blazing Khal really booked for the top as much as a price of 6-1 would imply?

Flooring Porter built up quietly to his Stayers' defence last year and his recent fourth in the Lismullen was a perfectly satisfactory first step along a similar path. It will take a good one to beat him in March, and they are not all that common in 3m hurdles.

American Mike: made a winning hurdling debut at Down Royal and is 7-1 for CheltenhamCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

American Mike

By Liam Headd, reporter

Race: Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle (March 17, 2023)

Odds: 7-1 with Sky Bet and bet365

The Gordon Elliott-trained five-year-old is a 7-1 shot with Sky Bet and bet365 for the Albert Bartlett, but this could change if he wins the Grade 3 Monksfield Novice Hurdle at Navan on Sunday.

Although he was an odds-on favourite on his seasonal reappearance at Down Royal this month, he kicked on well after the final flight and made the victory look comfortable.

He demonstrated his speed and stamina to deal with the longer trip and he should prove a big threat over staying distances.

He also has Cheltenham experience after chasing down Facile Vega in the Champion Bumper and this will only enhance his claims.

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