Three British Horses To Follow If Irish Runners Aren't Allowed Over For The Cheltenham Festival

The Champion Bumper is a race that the Irish have a great record in and the top 11 runners in the betting for the race are all from Ireland meaning there is big value in the British horses if they do not run.

The horse we think could be overpriced at 25/1 is the Paul Nicholls trained Petrossian, who was a €30,000 purchase by Malcolm Denmark and given to Paul Nicholls this year.

The five year old gelding has only been seen once to date and that run came at Newbury in a Class 5 bumper when he went on to trounce the field by 7 1/2 lengths.

What was the most taking thing about the run was his turn of foot in the final stages and he looks as though he has the staying ability to handle the cheltenham hill.

Dan Skelton's Protektorat was a smart hurdles horse, but after making an emphatic start to his chase career, especially on debut at Carlisle when landing a Listed race by seven lengths, he could be a big player in the Marsh Novices' Chase at the festival without any Irish competition.

The son of Saint Des Saints was a previous winner at Cheltenham over the smaller obstacles, landing a listed event in January 2020 and since then has finished third in a Grade Two over the same course and distance, whilst also running a modest race at the festival in the Coral Cup.

Now chasing he looks to be a different proposition all together and on his chase debut looked to be something special, and franked that form next time out at Cheltenham when landing a four runner Novices' Chase at Prestbury Park.

He showed serious ability that day to win the event by 17 lengths from the smart Southfield Stone and Paint The Dream, with the latter winning last time out.

He steps up for the Dipper Novices' Chase at Wincanton on Saturday and if winning that could be much shorter in the betting for the race, even with the Irish runners.

Finally, the Triumph Hurdle this year looks to be going to the Irish with them holding all the aces at the top of the ante-post betting for the race, but Nassalam for Gary Moore could be the horse that is worth backing if they don't travel.

Moore seems to have acquired another superstar over hurdles this season with Nassalam and with the rescheduling of Chepstow's Welsh National meeting being put back to Saturday, it has allowed him to strengthen the juvenile and put him back into this event after being initially taken out back in December.

The gelding looks to be a very exciting recruit for the yard, being regarded as the next Goshen by many experts in the industry and on Saturday he can back those claims up when stepping up for his first taste of black type racing.

The gelding moved over to England during the Summer and was given to Gary Moore after being bought by John Stone after finishing second in a conditions hurdles event at Clairefontaine.

Since moving over to England, the son of Dream Well is unbeaten on both starts to date, having ran twice in two Juvenile Hurdle events and landing them by a combined 108 lengths, something similarly achieved by his stablemate.

Having landed his first event by 59 lengths, he stepped out at again over the same course and distance at Fontwell and managed to again be a long distanced winner.

This weekend he is set to run in the Grade One Juvenile Finale Hurdle at Chepstow and if winning that will certainly be smashed in for the race.