It Begins!

Finally the wait is over and Cheltenham is here. Now I've covered most of the main races already in my previews so I'll leave them out today. That leaves 3 posers to try and figure out on the first day so we'll start with the ladies and see what we can find.

Having originally been trying to figure out what horse would come 3rd in this race I nearly gave up after coming to the conclusion that none of them were good enough to place. That being the case I don't think it is any harm to look at last years 3rd Aura About You who is a big price to run into a place again this year. Normally I would never back a horse having it's seasonal debut but in such a weak race in depth anything close to last years run should see her cover the airfare for her owners. Sway has class but has fallen the last twice, Zarinava needs a flat track and 2m, No One tells Me is slightly flattered by how close she was to VdV at Christmas and Easter Legend just doesn't have the form in the book in my opinion.

In the match between the 2 main contenders I think it is unfair to judge VdV based on a run against Go Native when he clearly needed the run and wasn't going to be beaten around by Carberry. Leaving that aside when you consider Quevega's run here last year and subsequent 3rd to Solwhit at Punchestown she is in my opinion the classier animal. The big downside is the fact that is is her debut. I know no horse has won a Grade 1 on their debut after Christmas for over 20 years - I know this is a grade 2 but.... So I am very tentatively going to side VdV
1pt Aura About You to place 17/2 (Paddy Power)
1pt Voler de Vedette @ 3.2 (Betfair)

In the cross country chase you have to applaud the 10 horse who have turned up with zero chance of featuring to enable us to bet 1/4 odds on 4 places. Only 6 horses worth mentioning here.
Garde Champetre is hard to oppose since falling the first time around this course the only time this horse has been beaten here was when Davy Russell managed to find a short cut (and even then he nearly lost). Weight seems largely irrelevant in this race and a few extra pounds seems unlikely to halt him again.
L'ami is a consistent performer who continues to play second fiddle to stablemate GC. Should place again but of no massive interest bettingwise.
Sizing Australia is a young horse who is gradually edging closer to the favourite at each attempt. Would seem certain to feature and is definitely worth getting on side in one way or another.
Another Jewel is another young horse who picked up a similar race in Punchestown - will be interesting to see how he deals will Cheltenhams different challenge but cannot be written off.
Silver Birch is consistent over these fences but always falls just short and likely to be a similar story again - won't be disgraced but 5th or 6th seems to beckon.
Monkerhostin fills the role of the big name horse that should but doesn't beat a lot of inferior rivals due to not handling the different course. Same Same.

3pt Garde Champetre @ 9/4 (Will Hill)
1pt Sizing Australia @ 7.4 (Betfair)
2pts place Sizing Australia @ 1.97 (Betfair)
1pt e/w Another Jewel @14/1 (VC, Paddy Power)

And so that brings us to the last race of the first day or the 3rd for those of you looking at the races in chronological order. And for once the bookies more or less seem to have it right. The top 4 in the market are all deserving of their place their and although I expect to see plenty of fallers in this race the only value I can find is the bookies who are kindly paying 5 places instead of 4. As this is the case I see no harm in having a little e/w on the favourite who should jump better today in a race run at a proper pace.
1.5pts e/w Bensalem @ 11/2 (888sport)