The New Lion, last year’s winner Golden Ace and the supplemented Tutti Quanti are among nine confirmations for the Unibet Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham on Tuesday.
Dan Skelton’s The New Lion is clear favourite for the Festival’s opening-day feature, despite falling in the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle in the autumn and then having to work hard to win an International Hurdle marred by an injury to Sir Gino.
Golden Ace was a shock winner 12 months ago following the high-profile falls of Constitution Hill and State Man, but will return with high hopes of successfully defending her crown after chasing home Sir Gino in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day.
Paul Nicholls raised the possibility of adding Tutti Quanti to what appears an open contest following his runaway success in the William Hill Hurdle at Newbury last month and he was supplemented on Wednesday at a cost of £18,000.
Willie Mullins has left in star mare Lossiemouth, who retains the option of bidding for a fourth Festival success and a third Mares’ Hurdle on Thursday week. Anzadam and Poniros are the Closutton handler’s other two contenders for the Champion Hurdle.
Irish Champion Hurdle heroine Brighterdaysahead will look to make it third time lucky at Cheltenham for Gordon Elliott, who plans to stable his star mare away from Prestbury Park in a bid to turn around her Festival fortunes.
Elliott said: “She’s going to be based at Olly Murphy’s. She’s in good form and we’re looking forward to it.
“I’m hopeful more than confident.”
Joe Tizzard’s Alexei has earned his place by winning a valuable prize at Ascot, the Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham and the Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton so far this season, while the potential field is completed by Henry de Bromhead’s outsider Workahead.
