The national hunt season is now in full flow in the UK and Ireland and, as a consequence, we are starting to get some proper movement on the markets for the Cheltenham Festival (12th-15th March 2019). Not everything has gone as expected, of course, and there is plenty of time for horses to build up a bit of form, but we are also starting to get an idea of who the main protagonists will be. Some of the more interesting early narratives are dealt with below:

Altior Looks Formidable
Is there a better chaser than Altior on the planet? Probably not. Unbeaten for three years (and never over fences) Nicky Henderson’s wonder horse looked like he had several extra gears when beating Un De Sceaux to the Tingle Creek Chase last week. 8/11 (William Hill) is the best price you can find for Altior for the Champion Chase. Barring injury, it’s hard to see him not winning and further cementing his Cheltenham legacy.

What to make of Annamix?
Consider the following: Annamix, a 4-year-old gelding who has yet to race competitively in the UK or Ireland (one second place finish in France), is the favourite for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, one of the biggest races at Cheltenham. The current odds are 8/1 with Paddy Power, and the rest of the field is double that price at least. There seems to be plenty of rumour – coming from Willie Mullins and the Ricci family – that Annamix will be a special horse, but is it really worth the risk at this stage? The Supreme Novices’ Hurdle looks completely open, so perhaps keep an eye on the trends with this 2019 Cheltenham betting info guide.

Faugheen’s disappointing return
Faugheen has a bit of habit of raising the hopes of punters and then dashing them again with a puzzling performance. The latter occurred at the Morgiana Hurdle in November, with a limp second-placed finish causing his odds for the Stayers’ Hurdle to drop down to 12/1 (William Hill). The question is was the Morgiana Hurdle a blip? Or indicative of a final decline for the horse once deemed the world’s greatest hurdler? It remains to be seen.

Will Buveur D’Air get enough respect?
Buveur D’Air is a wonderful horse, a superstar, but is not perhaps spoken about with the same sense of awe as horses like Altior and Might Bite. Perhaps it is down to the fact that Buveur D’Air has not had the tough rivalries that sometimes forge legacies in horse racing.

Regardless, he has shown in the Fighting Fifth recently that he deserves to be the evens favourite (Bet365) for a third successive Champion Hurdle. Perhaps then Nicky Henderson’s horse will get the deserved recognition as a modern great.

Gold Cup conundrum
Of all the big races at the Festival, the one that looks open is the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Bookies can’t agree on a favourite either, with the likes of Ladbrokes going for Presenting Percy at 4/1, whereas bet365 have plumped for Native River as the favourite at 9/2. The value might lie in backing Might Bite though. He had a horrendous effort in the Betfair Chase, which saw his odds drop to 9/1 with Betfair. However, everyone knows he is capable of much better.