Cheltenham Festival 2022 tips for Champion Hurdle and Supreme Novices’ Hurdle

Jonbon can get the home team off to a flying start in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, the opening race of the Cheltenham Festival.

Jonbon can get the home team off to a flying start in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle

Much has been written about the price owner JP McManus paid for the winning pointer, but so far it seems money well spent.

As a full-brother to Douvan, who won this race in 2015, he was never going to come cheap - but even for a man like McManus, £570,000 is a sizeable sum.

Nevertheless, Jonbon has already proved he has inherited a lot of his brother’s ability and this leggy type will clearly jump a fence in time.

He has already shown he is right up with the best of his generation in winning two Grade Twos this season and while many were not impressed last time out at Haydock, he needed to quicken twice in desperately heavy ground which many would not have been able to do.

Jonbon appears to have overcome his early tendency to get wound up and run keen, and also in his favour is that has had to knuckle down to win, which must stand him in good stead.

His toughest opponent may be stablemate Constitution Hill, but there is no doubt at this stage Jonbon’s form has more substance.

Next up is the Sporting Life Arkle Challenge Trophy, where it has to be said the absence of Ferny Hollow has taken a little sparkle off the race.

Favourite Edwardstone is a very likeable type, but he did have his limitations exposed over hurdles. That is not to say he is not improved enormously for the switch to fences, though.

In any other year a horse such as Willie Mullins’ Haut En Couleurs would be a double-figure price, but such is the paucity of lively contenders this season he is fourth-favourite.

There is certainly