Cheltenham clues to be found all over the place today, not least at Prestbury Park itself.
Starting with the Triumph Trial, we have two top class juveniles in what looks a match race - Burdett Road and Sir Gino. My heart is with Burdett Road, I was mesmerised by the way he came up the hill last time and if he wins today he will go very short for the Triumph. Sir Gino won on debut at Auteuil and Joe Donnelly was so impressed by the race he bought him and also the runner up Salvator Mundi (sent to Willie Mullins, yet to run but is entered in the big juvenile race at the DRF). He showed he has a serious engine when winning at Kempton on yard debut and will give Burdett Road a very stern test.
We then have 2 handicap chases over exactly the same distance - the first one for novices only - and you do have to wonder at the racecard planning here. Ginny's Destiny will be looking to follow in the footsteps of Stage Star last season but the novice chase could also be worth watching with a view to the Grand Annual. Certainly a comparison between the two races might throw up an unexposed novice (although I think Solar Impulse in 2016 was the last novice to win the Grand Annual).
I can't warm to the Cotswold Chase at all - looks a very poor renewal that confirms the dearth of top class staying chasers in the UK. The Clarence House Chase has been saved but is only a shadow of the race it would have been with El Fabiolo staying at home. The International has, of course, lost Constitution Hill due to a bad scope but the reappearance of Lossiemouth does add a lot of interest and hopefully the mare can show why she is favourite for the Mares Hurdle. The Cleeve looks very open and the main challengers to Crambo for the Stayers Hurdle are likely to be seen at the DRF next weekend.
Up at Doncaster we should get more of an idea about the Supreme credentials of Jeriko Du Reponet as he finally gets a decent level of opposition in the Rossington Main. With Lossiemouth engaged at Cheltenham, Willie Mullins sends Gala Marceau and Ashroe Diamond to Grade 2 Mares Hurdle whilst in the River Don Range could go well for Sam Thomas.