This is it. This is the week we have all been waiting for. Day one of The Festival has to be up there with Gold Cup Day for me, as the excitement levels for the first race and the meeting in general are sky high. The smell of stale sweat from the Guinness arena is yet to develop and punters still have all their money in their pocket. It won’t be long until there are topless blokes everywhere without a penny to their name. But at this moment in time all is well.

It has been a long two years away from the Cotswolds, which I’m sure will only make it even sweeter for the patrons that are returning to Prestbury Park for the first time since the infamous 2020 meeting. Day one of The Festival brings us four grade one races and starts with what could be the race of the meeting, the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, over 2m87y. There are currently 39 horses on the entry list, with a max of 22 allowed. Not all will want to go here, but we are guaranteed some big names which will make this an interesting race to analyse.

Come on in and take seat, as myself and Dan preview all of the graded races at the 2022 Festival. Obviously no one will be listening to my picks, but Dan will certainly pick out a few winners for the fam. Loser will be coughing up the dough in the champagne tent on Gold Cup Day, so stayed tuned as I start saving.

Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle

As mentioned above, this is shaping up to be the race of the meeting. Which is very very welcome given the demolition job by ‘Appreciate it’ in last year’s renewal, that saw him win by 24 lengths . Nicky Henderson’s ‘Constitution Hill’ heads the market this year with the Willie Mullins trained ‘Sir Gerhard’, with both horses teetering around the 9/4 mark. Next we have another one of Mullins’ assassins, ‘Dysart Dynamo’ at the 11/4 mark. Nicky Henderson and JP’s ‘Jonbon’ is at 4/1 and the forgotten man, ‘Kilcruit’ rounds up the top five with a price of 7/1.

‘Constitution Hill’ has looked impressive in his two starts under rules, most recently romping home in the grade one Tolworth Hurdle in Sandown on 8th January. The 12-length victory over Jetoile looked uber impressive as CH powered away as he approached the last, winning with ease in the end. The ground was heavy that day and he didn’t even look like he broke a sweat. Nico de Boinville was quoted afterwards saying ‘he felt like a special horse’ and that ‘there is lots more to come’. CH passed the eye test with flying colours, but if you had to knock him for something, it could be the competition he beat. The Tolworth has not exactly being a good judge of form for the Supreme, with the last winner of both races being ‘Summerville Boy’ in 2018. CH will look to repeat that double in a matter of weeks but has some stiff competition to go through.

The seven-year-old ‘Sir Gerhard’ has the best form in the field but could easily go for the Ballymore on day two. The Cheveley Park product is two from two over hurdles, and also has the Cheltenham bumper trophy at home in his horse wardrobe. His latest victory was in the grade 1 Tattersalls Hurdle at Leopardstown on February 6th. His jumping was by no means perfect that day, but he won comfortably in the end. Second that day was ‘Three Stripe Life’, who is no slouch, and is a decent grade one performer. As mentioned, ‘Sir Gerhard’ also has Cheltenham form, which as you all know, is massive. As much as the Supreme is a speedy gallop, it ends up being a decent stamina test, which ‘Sir Gerhard’ will certainly pass. But will the recent lack in the fluency of his jumping send him to the longer Ballymore, allowing more room for error?

‘Dysart Dynamo’ was an impressive winner in Punchestown in mid-January, as he galloped the competition into submission in the grade two Moscow Flyer. Paul Townend was onboard the Eleanor Manning owned horse that day and was quoted afterwards saying ‘he’d gallop through a wall for you’. The Moscow Flyer has been a good predictor for Willie Mullins in the Supreme in the past, with Vautour and Douvan both winning the curtain raiser. Min was also went close-ish in 2016, being beaten by Altior by seven lengths. This will be a step up in grade for DD, but he has all the tools to take home the spoils.

The JP McManus owned ‘Jonbon’ has looked very good in his three starts over hurdles but has still a long way to go to justify his £570K price tag. ‘Jonbon’ was last out in Haydock on January 22nd, as he beat Richmond Lake by three lengths. Pundits were not overly impressed with the young fella’s performance that day, but he quickened away well at the end and got the job done. ‘Jonbon’ was the hype horse before Christmas but doesn’t seem to be getting the same attention now as the others. Is he being held to too high a standard due to his price tag, or is the criticism warranted?

Other interesting horses at the top of the market are ‘Kilcruit’ and ‘Mighty Potter’. ‘Kilcruit’ was narrowly beaten by ‘Sir Gerhard’ in last year’s bumper but has struggled over the last few months. However, he was back in the winner’s enclosure on Jan 31st, in a Punchestown maiden hurdle and by all accounts the time was very impressive, signaling he could be back to his best . Like ‘Sir Gerhard’, the Caldwell Engineering owned Mighty Potter recently beat ‘Three Stripe Life’ in a two miler. He certainly warrants consideration for an e/w punt at 12/1, but can he compete with the big boys? Only time will tell.

Out of the rest, I am not skilled enough to pick out a contender to put it up to the top guns. But that doesn’t matter, because I’m backing Willie Mullins all day here. The race should be named after him at this stage. If ‘Sir Gerhard’ goes here, I’ll be on him, but if he doesn’t, let me at ‘Dysart Dynamo’. It’s unlikely both will come here, but we’ll see.

Jack’s pick: Sir Gerhard/Dysart Dynamo.

Dan’s pick: Constitutional Hill (Nap of day one).

J.