Constitution Hill will face six rivals in the Unibet Champion Hurdle after Lossiemouth was rerouted to the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle on the opening day of this year’s Cheltenham Festival.
Willie Mullins will rely on defending champion State Man and rank outsider Winter Fog.
Gordon Elliott’s star mare Brighterdaysahead will go up against the boys and be accompanied by stablemate King Of Kingsfield, who acted as a pacemaker for her spectacular Neville Hotels Hurdle success at Leopardstown over Christmas.
The Jeremy Scott-trained Golden Ace beat Brighterdaysahead in last year’s Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle and will renew that rivalry.
James Owen’s two-time course winner Burdett Road completes the line-up.
Willie Mullins will have six runners in the curtain-raising Michael O’Sullivan Supreme Novices’ Hurdle on Tuesday, headed by hot favourite Kopek Des Bordes.
Kopek Des Bordes
Paul Townend will partner the market leader, who was so impressive when scoring in Grade One company at the Dublin Racing Festival but sports a hood for the first time, while the trainer’s son Patrick Mullins will be aboard Salvator Mundi.
Mark Walsh will ride the JP McManus-owned Irancy, Brian Hayes will be on Funiculi Funicula, Karniquet will be partnered by Danny Mullins and Sean O’Keeffe is set to ride Karbau.
The opposition is headed by Gordon Elliott’s Leopardstown Grade One winner Romeo Coolio and Workahead for Henry de Bromhead, who beat the reopposing William Munny at the same track on Boxing Day.
Just two of the 12 declared runners are trained in Britain, with Fergal O’Brien declaring Tripoli Flyer and Tutti Quanti set to represent Paul Nicholls.
Mullins has another odds-on favourite in the My Pension Expert Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase, with Majborough rated the one to beat in a field of just five.
Majborough will go for glory in the Arkle
Last year’s Triumph Hurdle hero has won both of his starts over fences, including a nine-length victory over Elliott’s reopposing Touch Me Not in the Irish equivalent at Leopardstown last month.
The Gavin Cromwell-trained Only By Night completes a trio of Irish raiders.
L’Eau Du Sud is unbeaten in four runs over fences for Dan and Harry Skelton, including a course and distance strike and a defeat of Touch Me Not in the Grade One Henry VIII Novices’ Chase at Sandown.
Harry Skelton said: “I think he needs to improve a little bit on what he’s done and I think the best we’ve seen of him was on nice ground back in the autumn.
“We’re very happy with our horse; with a nice drying week, I think we’ll have a great chance.”
Britain is also represented by the Nicky Henderson-trained Jango Baie, who drops back in distance after going down by a short head over two and a half miles in the Scilly Isles at Sandown.
Lossiemouth will be another Mullins hotpot in the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle after taking up that option rather than the Champion Hurdle.
The flying grey is already a two-time Cheltenham Festival winner, having claimed the 2023 Triumph before taking this contest 12 months ago.
Mullins will also be represented in the Mares’ Hurdle by last month’s impressive Punchestown victor Jade De Grugy and Gala Marceau.
De Bromhead’s July Flower adds to a strong Irish challenge, while the Henderson-trained Joyeuse is the shortest-priced British entry, having been supplemented for this race following a valuable handicap success at Newbury.
