3:20 Cheltenham (11th March) STAN JAMES CHAMPION HURDLE CHALLENGE TROPHY GRADE 1

The Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy. This Grade 1 race, run over a distance of 2m 110y, on good to soft going, is open to horses aged four years and older, the youngest to take part this year is five, with old timer Captain Cee Bee, seemingly making up the numbers at the age of thirteen. This is a fantastic race for punters looking for free bets and enhanced offers, so don't miss out, especially if opening a new account with top bookmaker William Hill.  

Notable victories of this race include inaugural winner Blaris (1927), Istabraq (2000) and last triple winner & legendary Dawn Run (1984). Only the second mare to taste victory in this contest, going on to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup (1986). The only horse to complete this notable double. Last year's winner Hurricane Fly, trained by Willie Mullins, was the first horse in 38 years to reclaim the Champion Hurdle after denying old adversary Rock On Ruby, who heads for the Arkle Chase. This bay gelding, a son of Montjeu, shades favouritism. Hurricane Fly is a true talent, winning 21 of his 24 races over hurdles, achieving prize money of over £1.6 m.

Experience tells Hurricane Fly will take all the beating here.  

His main opposition include hot fancy The New One. Nigel Twiston-Davies son of King's Theatre sits at the head of the betting with the Mullin's-trained talent, and may even go off favourite (unlikely). 

He is closely matched with My Tent Or Yours on their recent running at Kempton over 2m when the later blundered at the last, his jockey losing an iron, before a narrow half-length loss. The pair were closely matched in the betting that day there is likely to be very little between them today. 

Jezki is a fine young horse but looks held by Hurricane Fly and My Tent Or Yours. Mrs John Harrington has opted for the hood first time in an effort to garner a fraction more ability.

Our Conor, a five year old gelding, has struggled to contend with Hurricane Fly on their last two meeting, but in truth has done exceptionally well competing against older, stronger talents this season. Few could forget his impressive victory in last year's JCB Triumph Hurdle. Dessie Hughes' runner made a big impact that day and loved every inch of Cheltenham. This son of Jeremy, will have many punters thinking Prestbury Park could bring this horse on a few pounds and pose a serious threat. 

Melodic Rendezvous, Ptit Zig, Captain Cee Bee & Grumeti will need to have lady luck on their side to figure here.

Conclusion: A truly fascinating race. Hurricane Fly is definitely the horse to beat. A winner in this race on two of his three starts affirms that the Willie Mullins team may taste victory today. Ruby Walsh has been very critical of himself suggesting he still hasn't ridden this horse to his best at Cheltenham. If that is true, he must be stiff competition. Walsh will be at pains to get it right this year and something tells me he will. Hurricane Fly is the tip selection, while Our Conor is worth a small each way saver as this course looks made for this youngster. 

Irish Hopes On Hurricane

Ireland will be looking to make a brilliant start to the 2014 Cheltenham Festival by taking the opening championship race of the week with Hurricane Fly in the Champion Hurdle.

Last year’s winner is aiming to score in the 2m contest for a third time as he was also successful at Prestbury Park in 2011.

It has been a record-breaking year for Willie Mullins’ mount as he exceeded the highest number of Grade One victories in a horse’s career when he won the Morgiana Hurdle in November at Punchestown. That was his 18^th victory at the highest level in what was his seasonal reappearance ahead of another shot at the Champion Hurdle near the end of the campaign.

In the Ryanair Hurdle in December, he took on a couple of last season’s top novices in Our Conor and Jezki and was able to hold them both off in a further Grade One win.

His final outing before the trip to Cheltenham came in the Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown. He made no mistake in the race to record his fourth consecutive victory in the contest.

Hurricane Fly is currently in a battle with The New One as to who will go off as favourite in the Champion Hurdle market when the tape is released on Tuesday.

Nigel Twiston-Davies’ runner has not been seen since finishing second in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day. He was beaten by My Tent or Yours after a mistake at the last flight cost him the race of that occasion as it handed the momentum to his rival in the run in to the line.

The New One was the impressive winner of the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle at the Festival in 2013 and is looking to make it back-to-back wins at the meeting himself against the more experienced horses this year.

Fly proves he’ll be hard to beat in Champion Hurdle

When it comes to the most sought after Cheltenham Festival bets at the 2014 renewal of the outstanding National Hunt meeting, there appears little doubt that one of the most popular horses with punters is likely to be the dual Champion Hurdle winner Hurricane Fly, writes Elliot Slater.

The horse who has won more Grade 1 races than any other on the Flat or jumps in history - not just in Britain but anywhere in the world - the Willie Mullins-trained 10-year-old remains the one they all have to beat as he goes for a famous third win in the Stan James Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy on March 11, the opening day of the eagerly anticipated fixture at which more than a quarter-of-a-million racegoers are expected to be in attendance during the four days of the meeting.

Everyone will be looking for a banker and Hurricane Fly is sure to be one of the most feature Cheltenham Festival bets, especially as his two-mile championship race takes place on the first day of the meeting and a win would give punters a great start and plenty of cash with which to go to war against the bookies for the rest of the week.

Defeated only once in his last 17 starts over the last four years when having an off-day and running only third to Rock On Ruby in the 2012 Champion Hurdle, the gelded son of Montjeu has struck up a tremendous relationship with star Irish jockey Ruby Walsh, a factor that shone through on his most recent outing when he had to pull out all the stops to beat the young pretender Our Conor in a tremendous renewal of the BHP Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown in January.

His length-and-a-half defeat of last season’s Triumph Hurdle winner threw down the gauntlet to the younger brigade and showed that it will take a really good one to beat this legendary horse at Cheltenham in March.