Cheltenham Festival day one: Punters can have last laugh with Happygolucky

With Constitution Hill potentially setting off as the shortest-priced favourite in the Champion Hurdle’s history, the Ultima Handicap Chase is likely to be the main race for many punters on the Festival’s opening day and Happygolucky (2.50) has an excellent chance at around 16-1 to improve on his close second in the same race in 2021.

Kim Bailey has clearly geared his programme this season around a return to the Festival and he steps back up to three miles-plus in first-time cheekpieces after finishing unplaced over an inadequate trip last time. Anything close to his best form seems sure to make him a major player.

Cheltenham 1.30 A fascinating for-him-or-against-him favourite to start the meeting. Facile Vega, last season’s Champion Bumper winner, beat the third-favourite, Il Etait Temps, with something to spare in December, but tamely surrendered his unbeaten record to the same horse at the Dublin Racing Festival last month. Pilot error – specifically, Paul Townend going off too hard – was put forward as an excuse, but it does not feel like an entire explanation so Marine Nationale could be better at around 9-2, having won the Grade One Royal Bond in December with more to spare than the narrow margin might imply.

Cheltenham 2.10 There was very little to choose between Jonbon and El Fabiolo, the winner and runner-up respectively, in the Grade One Top Novice Hurdle at Aintree last spring and it is likely to be a similar story over fences. Either could start favourite if the punters get behind them, but El Fabiolo put up the best performance by a two-mile novice this season in the Irish equivalent at Leopardstown last month and his 10-length success was backed up by a strong time.

Cheltenham 3.30 The moment National Hunt