NO rider has been more successful in the history of the Cheltenham Festival than Ruby Walsh. The legendary jockey turned leading broadcaster departed the saddle in 2019, with 59 winners at the meeting, and remains a major part of the Willie Mullins team. Walsh shared his thoughts on the 2024 extravaganza at a roundtable meeting attended by Mark Boylan on Thursday.

1.30 Sky Bet Supreme

Novices’ Hurdle

Willie has a lot of horses in the Supreme – including the likes of Tullyhill, Mystical Power, Mistergif, Anotherway and Asian Master – and could run five or six. We don’t know how good Mystical Power is – he’s kept surprising us and is going the right way. Mistergif could out-run his odds at a good price, but until declarations, it’s a hard race to size up.

2.10 My Pension Expert

Arkle Novices’ Chase

A wide-open and interesting contest, but not one I have a strong view on. Gaelic Warrior could possibly run here and he has to recover from a poor effort at the Dublin Racing Festival, Il Etait Temps is two from three over fences and only has a neck advantage over Found A Fifty from last time, and I think Found A Fifty could be suited better by a strong pace, which you should get here with Matata and Quilixios. Facile Vega has questions to answer. He could go up in trip [to the Turners Novices’ Chase], that’s a decision Willie will have to make. JPR One got his season back on track at Lingfield and Master Chewy has been trimmed into 16/1 lately. I thought he was an interesting one.

3.30 Unibet Champion Hurdle

It’s obviously disappointing not to have Constitution Hill here, but State Man sets a very good standard. When you think Paul Townend believes the horse didn’t give his true running when second in last year’s Champion Hurdle, if that’s a below-par State Man, that run is still good enough to win this year’s Champion Hurdle. He’s going to be incredibly hard to beat.

4.10 Close Brothers

Mares’ Hurdle

Like last year, I don’t see a massive amount of pace in the race, but I do think Lossiemouth is the one who has improved most from four to five. The trip is the only unknown for her. She seems a more relaxed mare this season and has grown up mentally and physically.

5.30 Maureen Mullins

National Hunt Amateur

Jockeys’ Novices’ Chase

I’d probably be in Corbetts Cross’ camp. He performed better here than Embassy Gardens last year and will take a bit of beating.

1.30 Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle

I thought Ballyburn would be good enough to win either the Supreme or Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle. Slade Steel is entered in the two races and I think he wants two and a half miles. Asian Master could be a little overlooked, though I’m not sure where he runs yet.

2.10 Brown Advisory

Novices’ Chase

I really do like Fact To File, but I think there’s a shape to this race that could make it interesting. Stay Away Fay is a Festival winner and Monty’s Star was good at Punchestown, but I think Broadway Boy will have a big influence on the race, even though I don’t fancy him to win. He’s a forward-going horse who will really help Stay Away Fay by making this a stamina contest, which is attacking the one thing you don’t know about Fact To File – will he or won’t he stay? He was brilliant at the Dublin Racing Festival. I know it was a match, but on the clock and the way he was doing it, he looks an exceptional racehorse. He needs to show he stays.

3.30 Betway Queen Mother

Champion Chase

El Fabiolo was really good in last year’s Arkle, but I’d say you could argue that Jonbon didn’t perform to the best of his abilities then. I was impressed by Jonbon in the Shloer and Tingle Creek. Things didn’t go right for him in the Clarence House, but you can’t write a seasoned horse off from one run. With Edwardstone and Gentleman De Mee here, I think there’ll be a strong pace and no hiding place. The margin for error at this level is so small. If there is one place you could look at with El Fabiolo – as Nico de Boinville pointed out this week – it’s that he’s not an exceptional jumper and does take the odd chance. Someday a chance catches up with you, and I’m hoping it doesn’t on Wednesday. I don’t see this race as a forgone conclusion. I definitely wouldn’t be brave enough to roll into El Fabiolo at 4/9.

5.30 Weatherbys

Champion Bumper

It’s hard to say there’s one standout. I thought Argento Boy was a good price, but he’s shortened up. Fleur Au Fusil is another at a price from Willie’s who could be going under the radar after doing plenty wrong when still winning two mares’ bumpers. Another mare, Relegate, won this race in 2018 when nobody could figure out who was the best in Willie’s. Maybe it’ll happen again.

1.30 Turners Novices’ Chase

I don’t have a massively strong opinion here. Ginny’s Destiny and Grey Dawning set a good standard for the British.

2.50 Ryanair Chase

This is wide-open, plenty have chances and I can see a big field. If the ground dries to good to soft or better, I’d really like Envoi Allen. His record at the Cheltenham Festival is incredible, winning on three of his four appearances. Horses for courses, horses for meetings.

3.30 Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle

This is probably Teahupoo versus the rest, really. He was slightly unlucky in the race last year and it looks like he has improved a bit. When you look at the rest, Crambo is only just in front of Paisley Park, the same with Noble Yeats, Sir Gerhard has to prove he stays, Monkfish could run in the Gold Cup, Flooring Porter has been chasing and you can throw a blanket over the rest of them. If Teahupoo has improved, he’ll be very hard to beat. Otherwise, a good jump or a bit of luck in running will split the rest of them. I think Noble Yeats – with headgear on him – is the one to be with outside of the favourite.

4.50 Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle

I’d say Fergal O’Brien is hoping the handicapper is wrong because he’s only rated Dysart Enos 131. Her form is rock-solid though, and Paddy Brennan thinks a lot of her. Gordon Elliott is really talking up Brighterdaysahead and I can only think of three horses he’s really done this with before: Don Cossack, Envoi Allen and Samcro. He’s talking about Brighterdaysahead like she’s the second coming, so you’ve got to listen to that. I know from looking at Jade De Grugy that we think a lot of her in Willie’s.

1.30 JCB Triumph Hurdle

It will be interesting to see how Nicky Henderson’s runners fare early in the week. I do think Sir Gino’s form is the best. Could you really say which of the first four from the Spring Juvenile Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival will come out on top here? Meanwhile, Sir Gino looks head and shoulders above the British juveniles. Usually when you can’t split four, it means one isn’t a superstar.

2.50 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle

Willie has the top three in the market but I do think some of the British horses might be a little overlooked. Captain Teague and Gidleigh Park look fair horses.

3.30 Boodles Cheltenham

Gold Cup

I’m with Galopin Des Champs. I have allegiances to the Willie Mullins camp so I’m not going to turn my back on him. I thought he was brilliant last year, spectacular at Leopardstown over Christmas and showed his superiority at the Dublin Racing Festival. Three and a quarter miles really suits him. Fastorslow is a faster jumper than him, but I just think Galopin is a little bit better. I think they’ll be first and second. The interesting one is what finishes third. Which Shishkin shows up? He’s a bit like trying to predict what the ground will be like next Friday. I don’t think Gerri Colombe ran to form at Christmas and he can be better than that. Paul Nicholls seems to think he can get Bravemansgame back and I’m not going to doubt him. Hewick would want better ground. I didn’t fancy him in the King George and I think he’s hard to fancy in the Gold Cup as well, but he’s a very good horse who absolutely deserves his place in the race. L’Homme Presse has a bit to find. I think Corach Rambler could be the interesting one at a big price. He was really good in beating Fastorslow snugly enough in the Ultima last year and he was spectacular in the National.

4.10 St. James’s Place Festival Hunters’ Chase

I think Its On The Line will be too strong a stayer for Ferns Lock. The latter looks made for Aintree.

4.50 Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase

I’d be fairly happy that Dinoblue will get the trip. I thought she did really well to keep going when second to Maskada in last year’s Grand Annual after standing on the second last and falling into the last.

On Tuesday, I thought Giovinco had a good chance in the Ultima but didn’t have a strong view in the Boodles. Maybe Ose Partir, based on his Christmas run, for Martin Brassil. As for Wednesday, the Coral Cup isn’t a race for me and is one I’ll swerve due to the luck you need in it. I thought Saint Roi might run well in the Grand Annual, though Frero Banbou is also a player at a big price. On Thursday, I hope Gaoth Chuil could be placed for my dad. How much does she have in hand? I would say very little but her style of racing suits the race. Gabbys Cross could run well for Henry de Bromhead too. A lot of people are talking about Letsbeclearaboutit in the Plate. I thought another one there, Riann, ran well at the Dublin Racing Festival and could have a chance. I like horses with proven stamina in the Kim Muir and that’s Where It All Began for Gordon Elliott. On the final day, I feel First Street has dropped to a really competitive mark in the County Hurdle, now down to 143 – a pound higher than when he was second to State Man in the race two years ago. I thought Quai De Bourbon was a good price at 10/1 or 12/1 last week for the Martin Pipe but has been cut to favourite now, and that doesn’t make any appeal to me in a race as competitive as this.

Come the day, I think they’ll be betting 6/1 the field in that race. At bigger prices, Answer To Kayf and Better Days Ahead fit the profile you like for the Martin Pipe and could be unexposed.