Britain have been left humiliated by their Irish counterparts at the last few renewals of the Cheltenham Festival, with the race for the Prestbury Cup — the title given to the nation with the most winners from the meeting’s 28 races — largely one-way traffic.
2021’s behind-closed-doors renewal was particularly bleak, with the Brits on the end of an unprecedented and embarrassing 23-5 defeat. They did manage to pull it back to a more respectable 18-10 last year when the crowds returned, but the gap is still massive and the Irish are 1/10 in the horse racing betting to win the trophy for a fourth-straight year.
That said, there are some bankers set to line up for the hosts. So, without further ado, read on as we take a look at some of Britain’s best hopes at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival.
Constitution Hill
Where else are we going to start other than with Constitution Hill? The Nicky Henderson-trained horse is set to be the shortest-priced favourite of the entire Festival when he lines up for the Champion Hurdle on day one and nothing should be able to stop this freakish six-year-old from romping home.
Unfortunately, we now know that we won’t be treated the much-anticipated battle between two-time winner Honeysuckle and Constitution Hill in the Championship contest. However, that won’t stop avid and casual jump racing fans alike tuning in to see this potential horse of a lifetime land the Champion Hurdle.
Hermes Allen
Moving on to day two, Hermes Allen looks good value at 11/4 for the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle. Paul Nicholls has fired blanks at the Festival for the last two years in a row and hasn’t won a race over hurdles for five, but this six-year-old looks set to change that given his form this season.
The part Sir Alex Ferguson-owned horse is three for three under rules, winning maiden by 27 lengths on debut before winning a Grade 2 Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham in November and the Grade Challow Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury on New Year’s Eve. Both those races are good markers, with the former giving him course and distance form while there has been some fine form from the Challow runners up since.
Shishkin
A name not many would have expected to see on this list even a month ago, Shishkin looks like he is finally back to his very best. The Henderson-trained horse pulled up in the Champion Chase last year to end his 10-race unbeaten streak, with a rare bone condition the diagnosis, and he still didn’t seem himself when third by some distance in the Betfair Tingle Creek in December.
The nine-year-old has had a wind operation and stepped up in trip emphatically to win the Ascot Chase in some fashion last month — beating Pic D’Orhy by a comfortable 16 lengths in Berkshire. He’ll go to the Ryanair Chase on the penultimate day of the Festival and is the odds-on favourite to take Allaho’s crown at 8/11.
Luccia
Keeping the spotlight on Henderson. If Britain are to close the gap on Ireland any further this year, then the veteran trainer will play a massive part in that and Luccia is another great chance for Seven Barrows to rack up the winners.
The mare is unbeaten in her career to date, winning two bumpers last year before transferring that form to obstacles. The five-year-old won the Listed Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury in November and gave the boys a run for their money at Exeter in February — winning a Listed Novices’ Hurdle by 11 lengths. Henderson has the option of the Supreme, where she is 6/1, but the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle seems the more likely option at 3/2.