That's the impression they appear to be trying to give, but two months away from the Festival I can't believe they really are that clueless. If they are, there is something badly wrong.

Thankfully, Navan survived. It seems plenty of the jump season has been wrecked.

Taken a chance with Release The Beast, and Harvard Guy.

Release The Beast was shocling last time. Dropped back in trip, I thought it worth giving him another chance against beatable opposition. Harvard Guy has to concede the weight, but he has two course and distance wins, and has given the impression of winning with a bit in hand. That said being by Telescope, I wouldn't want to get too carried away.

I am surprised Killaney King isn't stronger in the maiden. If his jumping is a little less ponderous he can beat the favourite who has been disappointing over hurdles.

Dineen tipped it up a couple of days ago, but nothing happened. The best price of any novice right now is the 25/1 Gidleigh Park for the Albert Bartlett. Of course that is on the basis that the trainer is sensible enough to send him in that direction.

Very testing conditions at Navan. Won't be giving another chance to either Release The Beast or Killaney King. Release The Beast hasn't progressed, and faded away very tamely. Killaney King isn't very big, was slow at his hurdles again, and wilted way before the business end. It was a long time before they got him on track so fairly safe to assume he has had problems.

Harvard Guy first actual winner of the year. Given the rag has blown the race apart, and the favourite has had nothing to drag him into the race, he has done very well to win. Coral Cup possible? No better than 10/1NRNB!

Tortuous listening to Mellish in between races condemning the ante-post market. Seems to put the majority of the blame on the bookmakers. Started by criticising the price of Marine Nationale. What price would he lay? The biggest issues punters have regarding ante-post are a combination of wishy-washy trainers and lazy journalists. There's nothing new about having a Supreme and a Ballymore. They are not new races. If Gordon Elliott can come on and say Firefox is going Supreme and Croke Park for the Albert Bartlett why can't other trainers do similar? Why does Mullins want to cultivate this image of a bumbling fool who can't assess a horse until a few days before kick-off? The pitiful stuff from journalists doesn't help. If you continually ask the wrong questions all you will get is the wrong answers.

I suspect the ground has gone a long way to helping the bookmakers land a cracking result.

Only By Night didn't look the same horse as in any of her previous runs. Another for the Cromwell scrapyard. Wyenot seemed fine until taken on then both her jumpimg, and the second rate jock seemed to lose the plot. Whatever the cause, punters got no run for their money.

And what an insane price for JPR One after just one below par run.

As I say I have not seen the race but I took 4.5 on the exchange this morning so that was what I expected to see.
I have long believed that he is the best Arkle prospect in GB but that still leaves about 6 Irish ones to beat.

I have an ante post JPR One at 30 but he is still 28 so I shan't be laying it off just yet. Not sure if he will run again now but as you say on quicker going he has a sporting chance if Marine National underperforms or falls. The run by Matata makes Libberty Hunter a bit better than we might have thought but LH was getting a lot of weight that day.

Game performance from Smiling Getaway. You would have to think it would have been a lot easier without the spoiling effort of Ici La Reine who appeared to be doing little more than setting the race up for the favourite.

Dismal performance from Lightening Mahler. Victoria Milano another to show a good attitude on ground that was likely a good bit softer than ideal. She also needs to brush up her hurdling.

jpr one 3 runs
1 fall
and tried to take the 2nd last home at sandown
but we,ll concentrate on hoping marine nat makes a mistake
if you look at racing like this why not back the outside in every race and hope everything else falls,
people with JPR chelt tkts talking about the arkle fav falling but no mention of yesterday,s fav and 3rd fav taking out at 1st fence and 2nd fav finishing 2nd despite doing everything wrong, in a6 runner race

The first Sky Sports day at Newbury, but it doesn't really start with much of a bang. Far more quantity than quality on offer.

In the opener I will still be keeping an eye on Aworkinprogress to try and figure out what they are playing it. The horse was beaten less than 10 lengths by Romeo Coolio in his last point, but at the moment it doesn't look as if he is likely to be winning a race anytime soon. Into The Park looked the one to beat in the second division, but any value has quickly disappeared. There are a few in the bumper who might want a stiffer test of stamina than Good To Soft might afford. Jurancon and Roysse would come into that category. It wouldn't be a surprise if Doctor Kildare was good enough to make a winning start. Not surprised at the support for Gaye Legacy in the handicap, but she now looks short enough with the very limited Benny Poste on board. Currently on a losing run of over 40, it wasn't so long ago he went more than a 100 without a winner. Hard to believe how he gets the rides.   

No surprise if the star of the show is on view at Leicester. Mt Fugi Park very much looks the part, and was impressive on hurdling debut. Unfortunately, that was more than three months ago so something has likely gone amiss since then. A return on heavy ground doesn't look ideal. I hope he can get away with it, but given the negatives the price looks very short.

The ground left me a little puzzled.

Lingfield winter ground is usually soft, or even worse. That's what I expected with the covers going down, and then getting some rain. I was wary of ground for JPR One, and thought it might suit Only By Night. It didn't stop the former, but Only By Night never travelled. Fields were strung out, but some of the times suggested the ground was a fair way away from being soft.

I was pleased when Newbury transferred to Sky Sports. That said a few own goals on the opening day, most notably the paddock shots, or lack of them. Unfortunately, they seemed as if they were in competition with the Matt Chapman Show. I want to see as many horses as possible, not close ups of this guy. We already get more than enough of that. He isn't the star. If he has to do interviews then play out the pictures over the top of the shots of the horses. Apiaffi is third division at best. He shouldn't be let anywhere near a Grade 1 track.

Just as balance Jess Stafford is the bland of the bland. She had one task at Leicester - to find out why Mt Fugi Park had been off 100 days - and I bet she didn't even think about doing it.

A pretty good day for the highlighted horses.

Just a word of advice to Nick Gifford. If you carry on like that with Aworkinprogress the horse will never (quite rightly) get a handicap mark. In The Park won very easily. His jumping didn't always convince, but I think that had much to do with the shortcomings of the jock. Gaye Legacy looked the likely winner throughout, and was a welcome winner for the out of form jock. Clearly it was a lot softer for the bumper than originally expected. It allowed the two horses I highlighted as needing a stamina test to take centre stage. The favourite was disappointing, and couldn't pick up on the ground.

A most peculiar ride from O'Neill on Mt Fugi Park. For most of the straight it looked as if he wasn't trying too hard to win. When he finally got after the horse to close the gap he immediately stopped riding and allowed the leader to regain the margin he had closed. He eventually just managed to win despite the ride. I think he is a much better horse than the second, but to judge today's performance we need to know what has happened in those 100 days absence.

I think you are being very kind, it's a stayer, it was most unlikely to take off. The point I was making was that he drove the horse along to close the gap, and then just stopped, losing the ground he had made up.

Not a bad card at Chepstow tomorrow.

I thought that Denemethy looked a good buy at 48,000. He isn't a bumper type, and in any case he got a very negative ride behind an easy winner. I am hoping (you can do no more with this stable) that tomorrow he will be ridden similarly to his points, and run the opposition into the ground. House Of Stories ran very well on his reappearance, and assuming he doesn't bounce, he looks the one to beat in the second division. The stable badly needs a winner. Not exactly thrown in, but I have stuck with Ionian Tiogair with the extra places in the last.

The irish racing has been distinctly low grade this week. You would think it's all about how far Mirazur West wins at Fairyhouse. It appears as if JP might have four at least for the Supreme.

Worringly, Bet 365 have cut Gidleigh Park from 14/1 to 9/1 for the Ballymore and most have shunted him out for the Albert Bartlett. It appears sanity has fallen over a cliff.

Anyone able/willing to post?

The opening is written as if they are pushing the horse into the Ballymore when he is still entered in the Albert Bartlett. So often that's what happens with a writer/paper bias. The key thing is whether the oldest schoolboy in town has actually made up his mind.

Thanks, really helpful.

Makes me wonder why I bother.

Which star names are entered for the Supreme, Baring Bingham and Albert Bartlett novice hurdles plus the Triumph?

Supreme Novices’ Hurdle favourite Mystical Power and Baring Bingham market leader Ballyburn have been given multiple options at the Cheltenham Festival after more entries for jump racing’s biggest week were revealed on Tuesday.
Mystical Power displayed an impressive turn of foot to win the Grade 2 Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle at Punchestown this month, a performance that saw bookmakers install him as the 4-1 favourite for the festival's opening contest.
However, Willie Mullins has kept his options open and put him in the Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle, formerly the Ballymore, a race for which he is available at 10-1.
His stablemate Ballyburn offers another poser for ante-post punters who are not taking up any non-runner no bet concessions as the Baring Bingham ante-post favourite has also received an entry for the Supreme.
Image link
Patrick Mullins, assistant to Willie Mullins, was pleased with the performance of Mystical Power, a son of the yard's Champion Hurdle heroine Annie Power, at Punchestown but thinks the Closutton camp will know more about their novice plans at Cheltenham following next week's Dublin Racing Festival.
Patrick Mullins said: "Mystical Power was very impressive at Punchestown and seems to be improving with every run, like his mother did. He would look an ideal candidate for the race.
"A lot of our other entries have multiple options and we'll know more after the Dublin Racing Festival."
The astonishing team of Mullins novices includes High Class Hero and Readin Tommy Wrong, with the pair disputing outright favouritism for the Albert Bartlett. They are both available at 8-1 but have been handed the Baring Bingham option in addition to the Albert Bartlett.
Nicky Henderson has put a team of five in the Supreme including the unbeaten second favourite Jeriko Du Reponet and Willmount. Grade 1 winners Caldwell Potter, Farren Glory and Jango Baie have been included in the 63 entries for the Supreme.
The Supreme is Jeriko Du Reponet's only festival option after Henderson decided against entering him in the Baring Bingham with Ile Atlantique, Caldwell Potter, Gidleigh Park and Slade Steel among the other 86 possible runners.
Blizzard Of Oz, Johnnywho, Lecky Watson and Shanagh Bob were put in contention among 63 entries for the Albert Bartlett.
Burdett Road could run this weekend on Trials day at Cheltenham and headlined 44 entries for the JCB Triumph Hurdle. Sir Gino, Storm Heart and Bunting were also included.
2024 Cheltenham Festival: big-race entries
Supreme Novices' Hurdle (March 12)
Total entries: 63
The key horses: Mystical Power, Jeriko Du Reponet, Ballyburn
Ante-post favourite: Mystical Power (4-1)
William Hill (NRNB): 7-2 Mystical Power, Ballyburn, 4 Jeriko Du Reponet, 10 Caldwell Potter, Farren Glory, 12 Firefox, Ile Atlantique, 16 bar
Baring Bingham Novices' Hurdle (March 13)
Total entries: 86
The key horses: Ballyburn, Readin Tommy Wrong, Ile Atlantique, Gidleigh Park
Ante-post favourite: Ballyburn (4-1)
William Hill (NRNB): 2 Ballyburn, 5 Mystical Power, 6 Readin Tommy Wrong, 8 Ile Atlantique, Gidleigh Park, 10 Caldwell Potter, Slade Steel, 12 bar
Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle (March 15)
Total entries: 63
The key horses: High Class Hero, Readin Tommy Wrong, Johnnywho
Joint-ante-post favourites: High Class Hero (7-1)
Paddy Power: 6 High Class Hero, 8 Readin Tommy Wrong, 14 Lecky Watson, Loughglynn, Captain Teague, 16 Shanagh Bob, My Trump Card, 20 bar
Triumph Hurdle (March 15)
Total entries: 44
The key horses: Burdett Road, Sir Gino, Storm Heart, Bunting
Ante-post favourite: Burdett Road (4-1)
bet365: 4 Burdett Road, 6 Sir Gino, 7 Storm Heart, 9 Bunting, 14 Salvator Mundi, Kargese, Salver, Nurburgring, 16 bar

What will Willie Mullins do with his 29 Baring Bingham entries? Talking points from the Cheltenham Festival novice hurdles

Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle
Henderson avoiding multiple entries
From his first 35 runners in the Supreme only Flown in 1992 finished in the number one spot for Nicky Henderson, despite any number of near-misses. That record has been improved considerably with recent victories for Altior (2016), Shishkin (2020) and Constitution Hill (2022), and Seven Barrows is once again strongly represented thanks to Jeriko Du Reponet, Jango Baie, Southoftheborder and Willmount.
Henderson has been very targeted with his entries, with Jango Baie (also in the Baring Bingham) and Jingko Blue (Baring Bingham and Albert Bartlett) his only potential runners with a choice of engagements.
Willmount: 12-1 for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at the 2024 Cheltenham Festival
Willmount: sole Grade 1 entry at Cheltenham is in the Supreme
Credit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)
Interestingly, Willmount only has the two-mile option after cutting out quickly when fancied in the Challow on soft ground.
Familiar names from the Flat looking to make an impact over hurdles
Reach For The Moon might have left some punters scarred after going from one-time royal Derby hope to beating a total of three horses following a gelding operation in his last two starts on the Flat for John and Thady Gosden.
Now representing the Queen and Sir Chips Keswick, and trained by Jamie Snowden, Reach For The Moon is one of a number on the list yet to jump a hurdle in public.
Willie Mullins has given an entry to the beautifully bred Gaucher – by Frankel out of Prix Vermeille winner Left Hand – who, like his Ebor-winning stablemate and fellow Supreme contender Absurde, raced in the Goldikova silks of Alain and Gerard Wertheimer.
There is even a Group 1 winner lurking in there, thanks to 2021 Tattersalls Gold Cup hero Helvic Dream, still very much a favourite with festival-winning trainer Noel Meade.
Early tip
Jeriko Du Reponet
5-1 generally
Silk
Jeriko Du Reponet
13:30 Cheltenham
View Racecard
Jky:
Tnr: Nicky Henderson
Came with a big reputation after winning an Irish point-to-point by 11 lengths and showed that faith was not misplaced in winning comfortably on both his starts over hurdles. Nicky Henderson plotted a similar course to Supreme success with Shishkin and the best is still to come.
Harry Wilson
Baring Bingham Novices' Hurdle
Where will Mullins play his trump cards?
The sheer strength of the Willie Mullins challenge is most noticeable here, with a whopping 29 of the 86 entries – that’s 33 per cent – housed at Closutton. 
Ballyburn and Paul Townend saunter home at Punchestown
Ballyburn: favourite for the Baring Bingham off the back of a 25-length success at Leopardstown
Credit: Patrick McCann
The betting will tell you that Ballyburn is the number one after his 25-length stroll at Leopardstown over Christmas, although he is also entered in the Supreme, for which he is 7-1 in a couple of places.
Readin Tommy Wrong and Ile Atlantique, the one-two from the Grade 1 Lawlor's of Naas over this intermediate trip, also feature in single figures, as does a fourth Mullins entry, Supreme favourite Mystical Power.
One horse from the yard who punters feel is more likely to go the two-mile route is Mirazur West, a 40-1 chance for the Baring Bingham but a notable shortener for the Supreme ahead of his appearance at Fairyhouse on Wednesday.
Early tip
Gidleigh Park
10-1 Paddy Power/Betfair
Silk
Gidleigh Park
13:30 Cheltenham
View Racecard
Jky:
Tnr: Harry Fry
Unbeaten in three starts and his bumper win has been franked by the runner-up The Jukebox Man, who has won three times since and finished third in the Challow. Made what looked a good field seem ordinary under a penalty in a novice hurdle at Newbury last time, jumping fluently once the pace quickened and easily extending away from a well-regarded Paul Nicholls runner. He looks an exciting prospect and could end a long-string of Irish winners in this race.
Harry Wilson
Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle
Captain Teague backed to show stamina
Paul Nicholls was pretty confident in the wake of Captain Teague's gutsy success in the Challow he was more likely to stay at two and a half miles and head to the Baring Bingham at the festival.
The markets have been lukewarm about that prospect, with initial quotes of 14-1 now generally rounded up to 20-1.
Captain Teagueholds entries in both the Baring Bingham and the Albert Bartlett
Captain Teague holds entries in both the Baring Bingham and the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham
Credit: Edward Whitaker
News that he has also been given an entry in the Albert Bartlett has sparked much more interest, with Unibet cutting him to 12-1 and Betfred now 14-1 for the longer race. That doesn’t mean he will definitely be stepping up in trip, although it is clear layers and punters feel this would be an easier assignment for him.
Early tip
Johnnywho
20-1 Paddy Power/Betfair
Silk
Johnnywho
14:50 Cheltenham
View Racecard
Jky:
Tnr: Jonjo O'Neill
Johnnywho was extremely impressive when winning his bumper in a canter at Taunton in March and was just as eyecatching when winning without ever coming off the bridle at Carlisle in November. He did all his best work at the finish when a close fourth in gruelling conditions in the Challow, suggesting the longer trip would suit, and his trainer Jonjo O'Neill is no stranger to success in this race, having sent out the winner in 2006 and 2007.
Harry Wilson
JCB Triumph Hurdle
Could Sir Gino form be the key to revealing Mullins’ number one?
Unusually the top two in the market – Burdett Road and Sir Gino – are trained in Britain, while the general fifth-best in most lists is Salvator Mundi, who is yet to carry the yellow and black checks of Joe and Marie Donnelly but is no bigger than 5-1 to make a winning debut for Mullins in the Grade 1 Spring Juvenile Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival.
He is currently behind stablemates Storm Heart and Bunting in most lists for the Triumph but clearly has been impressing the Mullins team, having joined after finishing less than two lengths behind Sir Gino in a newcomers’ race at Auteuil in March which is always closely watched by the big British and Irish buyers.
Katakana a springer for De Bromhead?
Henry de Bromhead poses at Cheltenham on October 27, 2023
Henry de Bromhead: could unleash Triumph entry Katakana at Naas
Credit: Alan Crowhurst
It would be unfair to label Henry de Bromhead's season to date as slow, although it is notable such a powerful yard has only has two horses quoted in single figures for the festival at this stage, Minella Indo in the Glenfarclas Cross-County and Envoi Allen in the Ryanair.
The Knockeen operation has such a brilliant recent record at Cheltenham, where De Bromhead has saddled 18 festival winners since 2017, that it seems unlikely at least some of his runners won't be able to show a great deal more in March.
Katakana is a best-priced 33-1 for the Triumph before making his stable debut, which could come as soon as Naas on Sunday. A winner of two of his three starts in AQPS (non-thoroughbred) bumpers for shrewd French handler Joel Boisnard, Katakana is one of only eight stable entries across the Grade 1 novice and juvenile hurdles.
Early tip
Salver
14-1 generally
Silk
Salver
13:30 Cheltenham
View Racecard
Jky:
Tnr: Gary Moore
Was impressive in the Coral Finale Juvenile Hurdle at Chepstow last month, proving far too good for his rivals when winning easily by 21 lengths from Balboa. Looking at formlines through the runner-up, who was a close second behind a horse who had previously chased home Triumph favourite Burdett Road, Salver does not look to have a lot to find with the market principals. The form of his previous win has been boosted with the second winning twice since and he should not be such a big price.
Harry Wilson

It's not as though it's never happened before