This year’s Champion Hurdle could be a race for the ages. If the big four of Constitution Hill, Brighterdaysahead, Lossiemouth and State Man line up, what order do you reckon they’ll finish in?

Denis O’Regan, former multiple Cheltenham Festival-winning jockey: “I think it’s between Brighterdaysahead and Constitution Hill, and I’m just about sticking with the gelding. I fancy State Man to finish in front of Lossiemouth. I think he had an ultra-tough race in the Morgiana that left a mark at Christmas. He’ll be ripe at Cheltenham.”

Noel Chance, former dual Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning trainer: “I think Brighterdaysahead will win from Constitution Hill, from State Man and Lossiemouth. Constitution Hill has been under a bit of a cloud and I know Brighterdaysahead was flattered by the winning distance at Leopardstown, but nonetheless, she might very well outstay Constitution Hill.”

Jess Stafford, broadcaster at Racing TV and FanDuel TV: “1. Constitution Hill, 2. Lossiemouth, 3. Brighterdaysahead, 4. State Man. Brighterdaysahead could be vulnerable over the trip at Cheltenham. Those with the proven Cheltenham form will be the ones to keep on side.”

Paul Carberry, former champion and multiple Cheltenham Festival-winning jockey: “I think Brightersdaysahead might turn over Constitution Hill in receipt of the 7lb mares’ allowance, and Lossiemouth should beat State Man so that would be my 1-2-3-4.”

Ronan Groome, trader at AK Bets: “After all his niggles, I can’t be sure we’re getting peak Constitution Hill here. Brighterdaysahead has had a brilliant season but was well below her best here last year. It’s Lossiemouth for me, if she runs here. She loves Cheltenham and did very well to finish so close to Constitution Hill at Kempton given her camp felt she wasn’t at her best. 1. Lossiemouth, 2. Constitution Hill, 3. Brighterdaysahead, 4. State Man.”

Emma Nagle, pundit and presenter at IrishRacing.com: “I’m a massive Brighterdaysahead fan and was delighted to see Gordon Elliott confirm her for the race. If she can replicate her performance at Leopardstown, I’m not sure if anything will pass her. 1. Brighterdaysahead, 2. Constitution Hill, 3. Lossiemouth, 4. State Man.”

Galopin Des Champs (Gold Cup), Jonbon (Champion Chase). Fact To File (Ryanair Chase), and Teahupoo (Stayers’ Hurdle) are short-priced favourites for four of the other championship races. Which of them stand out as banker material for punters doing multiples?

Denis O’Regan:“Galopin Des Champs is the banker. No question. As for Jonbon, the nature of the Champion Chase test means it’s hard to be overly bullish in the race but there’s probably not much to take him on this year. Fact To File is definitely good enough to win the Ryanair Chase but I was impressed with Protektorat last time at Windsor. Once there’s a cut in the ground, Teahupoo wins.”

Noel Chance: "Jonbon in the Queen Mother is my banker."

Jess Stafford: “Nothing is an absolute God-given certainty for me in a jumps race. However, Galopin Des Champs has looked bulletproof at Cheltenham the last two years and the Gold Cup is a weaker race than last year too. Jonbon would come second in terms of banker material, but even he has his own question marks at Cheltenham.”

Paul Carberry: “I’d be completely shocked if Galopin Des Champs doesn’t win his third Gold Cup so he’s definitely one for multis. Although Jonbon hasn’t won at the Festival, his course form isn’t actually that bad and the opposition looks weak this year against him so I’d be happy to put him in too. The Ryanair looks a deep enough race and at the current price he is, I’m not fully convinced on Fact To File. Teahupoo at a short price is not one I’d want in my multiple; I actually thought stablemate, The Wallpark, was a good each-way bet in the Stayers’.”

Ronan Groome: “It has to be Galopin Des Champs. I am loath to be with a horse at his price taking on 22 fences and three and a quarter miles of Cheltenham terrain but this Gold Cup is easily the worst of the three has taken on.”

Emma Nagle: “I don’t want to jinx him, but Galopin Des Champs is the banker of the meeting for me. Barring bad luck, it’s hard to see anything troubling him. For multiples, Galopin Des Champs, Majborough and Teahupoo combined is a pretty solid bet, albeit Home By The Lee is looking a different horse this year in the Stayers’ picture.”

Jonbon is out to break his Cheltenham Festival hoodoo in the BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase \ Healy Racing

As for the whole of the meeting, which favourite are you most willing to take on?

Denis O’Regan: “I wouldn’t be overly gone on Gameofinches in the Champion Bumper. He’s essentially come straight from the point-to-point field into a big test like this and that’s not normally the route Willie Mullins goes down with his bumper horses. They usually get a year or six months before running for him. I will say, though, his biggest threat unfortunately got ruled out this week. I thought Windbeneathmywings would have won it.”

Noel Chance: "Kopek Des Bordes is unbeaten, but he’s got a tendency to boil over. At 5/6, he’s very short, so if you were a bookmaker, you’d be hoping he’d boil over."

"If you were a bookmaker, you’d be hoping he’d boil over."

Jess Stafford: “Teahupoo. I can’t have him at all in the Stayers’. He thrives on properly soft ground, his run behind Lossiemouth was only okay for me and there are some genuine improvers in this division, which is headed, in my opinion, by Lucky Place. I’m also against Ballyburn. His jumping didn’t inspire me at Leopardstown - he has actually conceded lengths through his jumping on both starts in graded company.”

Paul Carberry: "I think if both mares line up against Constitution Hill, at odds-on, he’d be one I think could get turned over."

Ronan Groome: “We will be taking on the lot at AK Bets so there isn’t much choice in the matter! There could be a tense atmosphere in the trading room if the first few big ones go in but it’s a long week. Personally, I’d be keen to get plenty into the bag on Jonbon in a race where so many ‘good things’ have been beaten down the years. Solness should rattle away from the front and it only takes one mistake and you’re gone in a Champion Chase.”

Emma Nagle: “I think Jonbon is very opposable in the Champion Chase. His record around Cheltenham is a worry and if it turned up soft I wouldn’t be shocked to see Energumene reverse the Clarence House form. Energumene has a fairly good record coming into the Champion Chase after a Clarence House defeat.”

Has anything caught your eye in the handicaps?

Denis O’Regan: “There’s obviously lots of chat about Kopeck De Mee and Wodhooh should have a big say in the Martin Pipe. I’m looking forward to hopefully seeing Jazzy Matty in the Grand Annual for Cian Collins, though. If he gets into that, he’ll be dangerous. He’s a former Cheltenham Festival winner who loves the track and was only beaten a head on his last visit there in October behind Path d’Oroux - they clocked an extraordinary time in the closing stages that day. The drying forecast will suit.”

Noel Chance: "Kopeck De Mee in the Martin Pipe. The handicapper was restricted by some funny stipulation, and he couldn’t give more weight than he gave him, having come straight from France. He’s 7/2 – he’s a good price."

Jess Stafford: “Henry’s Friend in the Ultima. He looks the exact type for the race - he has tactical speed to bring him into the race early and can keep his position with his solid jumping. He’s got the ideal rating of 145, which is between that 142 to 148 band I look for, and wearing cheekpieces means he ticks an unusual trend which is that nine out of 13 winners have worn headgear.”

Paul Carberry: “Paul Nolan looks to have laid out Feet Of A Dancer for the Pertemps Final, like he did with Mrs Milner back in 2021. I like the fact that she comes here fresh, having not run since qualifying for the race back at Christmas.”

Ronan Groome: “Watch out for Comfort Zone, who has options in the Coral Cup and Martin Pipe. With 10 runs over hurdles, he could be described as lightly raced in the former and exposed in the latter, but whatever the case, I think a strongly run race over this intermediate trip is ideal.”

Emma Nagle: “Total Look in the Fred Winter and Wodhooh in the Martin Pipe were two I was keeping an eye on. The BHA handicappers haven’t been easy on them, but I’ll still keep both on side. I also like Asian Master in the Jack Richards. He was fifth in the Supreme last year, his novice chase form is strong and has always looked like this sort of trip would suit. He could be well treated.”

What is your nap of the week?

Denis O’Regan: “Galopin Des Champs looks bombproof. I’ve never seen anything like his jumping at Leopardstown. He gets airborne and the turbo kicks in on the run-in. I think you’ll do well to find one as good as him in our lifetime.”

Noel Chance: "As mentioned above, I think Kopeck De Mee will be very hard to beat in the Martin Pipe."

Jess Stafford: “The New Lion is as straightforward as they come and has far more speed than he’s been given credit. The fact his last furlong was quicker than his second last at Newbury last time is a testament to that - and it’s also deeply unusual to see in a Challow. I’m excited to see him quicken away up that hill.”

Paul Carberry: "Now Is The Hour in the National Hunt Chase. Gavin Cromwell will be a trainer to follow next week and I love this horse's profile for the race."

Ronan Groome: “Don’t get caught up with the preview night chat about Kopek Des Bordes’ ability to handle the preliminaries. He was sensational at Leopardstown. If your only negative with him is how he walks around the parade ring and gets down to the start, you’re probably clutching at straws. He should win the Supreme comfortably.”

Emma Nagle: “Galopin Des Champs. What can beat him?”

Finally, give us one who could surprise people at an each-way price.

Denis O’Regan: “Tony Martin’s Hamsiyann, who has entries in the Coral Cup and Martin Pipe, He looks very interesting. Flicker Of Hope is another useful type who could well outrun his odds in the Albert Bartlett.”

Hamsiyann (right) could be a lively handicap outsider for Tony Martin, according to Denis O'Regan \ Healy Racing

Noel Chance: "American Mike, who is 16/1 in the Festival Plate on the Thursday [and also holds an entry in the Grand Annual on Wednesday]. He’s a graded winner in a handicap. He’s a decent horse and ran alright at Fairyhouse recently."

Jess Stafford: “Electric Mason in the Martin Pipe. He likes to do it the hard way from the front but he should stay all day and won’t be bullied out of it. Midnight It Is (Grand Annual) looks an improving horse of Gavin Cromwell’s too.”

Paul Carberry: "Although he’s towards the top of the betting for the County Hurdle, Lark In The Mornin is still an each way price at 6/1. He’s been lightly raced this season, presumably with this race in mind, having won at the Festival last season."

Ronan Groome: “Despite this being his seventh festival at the age of 11, I think Envoi Allen can outrun his odds in the Ryanair. He has come in for a little support in the last couple of weeks and has a real horses-for-courses profile .”

Emma Nagle: “I wouldn’t rule out Galileo Dame in the Triumph at big prices, if she goes there. She doesn’t have much ground to make up on Hello Neighbour, who is a fraction of her price, and looks like she could be an improver over hurdlers. I also like Kala Conti in the Mares’ Hurdle.”