Will Getabird soar? The key contenders and trainer views for the Supreme

1.30 Cheltenham
Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle | Grade 1 | 2m87yds | 4yo+ | ITV/RUK

The opening race has a familiar look to it. A hot favourite trained by Willie Mullins, ridden by Ruby Walsh and owned by Rich Ricci. We have been here before, haven't we?

Had it not been for a freak named Altior and a different kind of freak called Labaik, Ireland's champion trainer would be chasing his sixth straight success in the Supreme. Champagne Fever (2013), Vautour (2014) and Douvan (2015) all lived up to the hype, while Min (2016) and Melon (2017) only found the aforementioned rivals too good.

This time Getabird is first to leave the nest. Unbeaten since arriving in Closutton, he shot to the summit of the Sky Bet Supreme market when brushing aside Mengli Khan in the Grade 2 Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle at Punchestown in January, a race Douvan and Vautour won on their way to glory in the festival opener, while 2016 runner-up Min won it in that season too.

So where does Getabird rank in the list of Ruby Walsh's recent rides in the race? "He's more of a Champagne Fever, Noland or Al Ferof type horse than a Vautour or Douvan, but if he’s as good as any of those he'll go very close," said the winningmost jockey at the Cheltenham Festival.

He added: "Some of the concerns we originally had heading over here, like how well he'd handle quicker ground, have obviously gone now with the way the ground is. His last serious bit of work was very good and his schooling has been great, but you have to respect the opposition."

Mullins also runs Sharjah, who looked set to win a Grade 1 at Leopardstown over Christmas only to take a crashing fall at the last before blotting his copybook with a tame display when seventh to Samcro on his return to Leopardstown in the Deloitte.

Can Kalashnikov hit the target?

The main obstacle standing in the way of a sixth Willie Mullins success in the Supreme is a rookie 25-year-old trainer who has never had a runner at the Cheltenham Festival, never mind a winner. It would be the stuff of fairytales if Kalashnikov could supplement his Betfair Hurdle success.

Amy Murphy has been a breath of fresh air this season and, while she may believe that her stable star will be better on better ground, he has proven that deep ground is no barrier to success.

Murphy said: "It's exciting – he's had a brilliant season up to now. I think the ground will be similar to what it was at Newbury and they were sloshing through it, compared to Sandown which was holding and tacky. Nobody wants to run novices on heavy ground but we'll have a good day out and he'll be put away after this.

"Being the first race on the first day, we're going to be getting the best of it. If it was run on the second day I'd probably be taking him out. I wouldn't change him for anything. He's in good order, will stay and goes there with a fighting chance."

Kalashnikov: the most likely danger to Getabird in the marketCredit: Edward Whitaker

Will Summer arrive in spring?

Look for heavy-ground form, they say. If you listen then you'll be on Summerville Boy, who looked a mudlark when squelching clear of Kalashnikov in the Grade 1 Tolworth Novices' Hurdle at Sandown when last seen.

The six-year-old has already been beaten by Slate House and Western Ryder at Cheltenham, but he looked a reformed character at Sandown and his proven ability to handle the ground is a big bonus.

"Summerville Boy is in great form and has had a good preparation. Everything has been going well with him and we're looking forward to it," said trainer Tom George.

Summerville Boy: a leading festival hope for Tom GeorgeCredit: Mark Cranham

What they say

Nicky Henderson, trainer of Claimantakinforgan
It's probably not his ground but I don't know whose ground it is. It's going to be heavy. He has won on soft and won a bumper at Haydock on heavy ground.

Mags Mullins, trainer of Debuchet
We're hoping for a good run from him but we're in very much at the deep end. Things haven't really gone his way this season and he hasn't had a straightforward run at things but this is the happiest that I've been with the horse all year and I think he'll improve from his run in the Deloitte. He has course form and the ground wouldn't worry me in the slightest as they're running on it every other day back home. Hopefully he has a chance and it's great to be here with him.

Kim Bailey, trainer of First Flow
He's in good form and he's done nothing wrong so far. Whether he's good enough for this is another matter. The plan was to go to Kelso but when that was off we rerouted and have gone this way instead. When we made our decision not to come to Cheltenham we didn't think it would be heavy. We hovered over the delete button about three weeks ago about whether to leave him in or not.

Colin Tizzard, trainer of Lostintranslation, Slate House and Shoal Bay
We're really pleased with Slate House. Our horses were under a bit of a cloud when he ran either side of Christmas, while he probably didn't get two and a half miles on heavy ground at Cheltenham last time. His coat has come through nice and early and he's got some decent form in the autumn, especially around Cheltenham. We think a lot of Lostintranslation but he came back all wrong from Haydock so it wasn't all the ground that day. He'll make a cracking chaser and he deserves to take his chance. He won his races and the owner was keen to take his chance. He ran a solid race around Cheltenham the time before last and I think he's improved a little. He was wrong in the new year and I think he's improved for his Kempton run. He won't disgrace himself, that's for sure.

Gordon Elliott, trainer of Mengli Khan
He's in good form and we're very happy with him. He should go well, although he'd prefer better ground.

Henry de Bromhead, trainer of Paloma Blue and Trainwreck
They're both well. I hoped Paloma Blue would improve for better ground, but he's not going to get it. He does have form on soft ground, though.

Harry Whittington, trainer of Simply The Betts
He's stamping the door down. I know he has enough class but he might not be ready to win a race like this. He's still a bit babyish. He put up a really good performance last time and will improve on that, but not enough to win a Supreme.

Warren Greatrex, trainer of Western Ryder
With the way the rain has come, you're going to need to stay well over two miles and it'll probably help him dropping back in trip. He ran at Cheltenham and Aintree last year so he handles big fields, while he ran round there over hurdles earlier in the season. He's a slightly forgotten horse having fluffed his lines in the Tolworth, where we thought at the time it might have been the ground. But it might just have been an off day and I thought it was a good run at Huntingdon behind what could be a very good horse – he has come on nicely since then. I think he's in there with a good each-way chance.

Sky Bet encourage Injured Jockeys Fund donations

The winner of the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle will be led back to the Cheltenham winner's enclosure by former jockey Richard Hawkins, rather than walk-in girls, with the race sponsor keen to raise the profile of the Injured Jockeys Fund.

In addition to giving exposure to the IJF, Sky Bet will also donate £5,000 to the charity and are encouraging racegoers and fans to also give generously, which can be done online at injuredjockeys.co.uk.

Hawkins, whose riding career was ended by a serious fall at Taunton in 2011, said: "Personally, like every young jockey, it was my dream to one day walk into the winner's enclosure at the Cheltenham Festival. And even though I'll be in front of the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle winner, rather than on board, this is the next best thing, not just for myself but also for promoting the vital work of the Injured Jockeys Fund."

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