With it nearly a week to the start to the 2023 Cheltenham festival, the greatest show on turf, we have put up our lay of the four day meeting.
A lot of people with have their best bets for the festival (NAP) and next bests with around one week to the big meeting at Prestbury Park but looking through all 28 races we have picked out one horse we are willing to lay at the current prices.
When betting in horse racing sometimes you have to take out all emotion and sentimental value when looking at these horses and it is with a heavy heart we think the best lay of the Cheltenham festival is Honeysuckle at 2/1 in the Grade One Mares Hurdle on Tuesday.
A horse that has had an unrivalled career winning over the last three or four years Grade Ones like the Mares Hurdle, 2x Champion Hurdles, 3x Hatton's Grace Hurdles, 3x Irish Champion Hurdles and 2x Paddy Power Champion Hurdles.
However, now nine years of age she is coming to the end of her career and having not looked to have the same spark this season as she previously had, we are happy to have the field running for us against her in the Mares Hurdle.
Running twice this term making her seasonal debut when looking for a fourth Hatton's Grace Hurdle she was beaten after the last by Teahupoo and Klassical Dream, to us not having that same finishing power as she had in the past.
Next time out looking to land another Irish Champion Hurdle she was well beaten by the young pretender State Man, who swept her aside from the front fairly easily.
This season she looks like a nine year old who has her best days behind her and not getting that allowance in the Mares Hurdle against the likes of top, younger talents like Love Envoi, Marie's Rock, Brandy Love, Echoes In Rain and Epatante who although the same age has been faultless in her three runs this term.
Not having that same finishing speed, not looking like she stays the Mares Hurdle trip aswell as she used to and with the horses she is taking on in this years renewal, Honeysuckle is a horse for the ages but when it comes to this year's festival we are looking to take her on.