Cheltenham Day One: Kopek Des Bordes can get punters off to perfect start

The Charlie McCarthy owned five-year-old was awesome that day, producing a performance of such quality that Ted Walsh was minded to compare him to Golden Cygnet, the runaway winner of the 1978 Supreme. His jumping, so poor when winning his maiden hurdle at Christmas, was much improved but what impressed most was that he was able to win so impressively despite still looking a work in progress.

He got worked up before the off, took a keen hold when the race began, and was hampered by the presence of a loose horse just when he seemed to have settled. That he was able to make light of all that speaks volumes about his enormous ability.

His temperament is the one niggling concern and connections will hope the application of a hood will stop Kopek Des Bordes from boiling over pre-race. Should that aid work the oracle, he’ll be a mightily tough nut to crack.

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Romeo Coolio, runner-up in last year’s Champion Bumper, can lead the chasing pack home.

The Unibet Champion Hurdle lost some of its lustre when Lossiemouth was rerouted to the Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle but the day one feature still looks a cracking contest. Should he prevail, Constitution Hill will become only the third horse to regain the Champion Hurdle but he’ll need to be back to something close to his 2022 Supreme-winning best to get the better of Brighterdaysahead.

The Gordon Elliott-trained mare was visually spectacular when humbling State Man at Leopardstown at Christmas and, in receipt of 7lbs, she looks a big danger to the favourite.

However, Constitution Hill has already seen off one top-class mare this season and Brighterdaysahead will have to produce something truly exceptional to avoid the fate that befell Lossiemouth at Kempton on St Stephen’s Day.

She’s unquestionably the most talented rival Constitution Hill has ever met but he’s the best hurdler since Istabraq and the expectation is he’ll wear her down to give Nicky Henderson a record-extending 10th Champion Hurdle.

Lossiemouth will be a warm order to retain her Mares’ Hurdle crown but there are reasons to believe that she might be the most vulnerable of the four day one shorties.

She’s a high-class mare but things haven’t gone to plan for her since her Hatton’s Grace win over Teahupoo. She was taken off her feet by Constitution Hill at Christmas and then suffered a heavy fall in the Irish Champion Hurdle last month.

And the fact she has been rerouted to the Mares’ Hurdle from the Champion at the 11th hour suggests her homework since Leopardstown may have been less than sparkling.

Given her talent, it’ll be no surprise if she bounces back but there’s enough negatives to take her on and Jade De Grugy has the talent to capitalise if her stablemate is below her best.

A Grade One winner last Easter, Jade De Grugy has only run once since, winning the Grade Three Quevega Mares’ Hurdle at Punchestown last month by six lengths.

This assignment obviously demands more but she’s had a smoother prep than Lossiemouth and ought to run a big race.

The other Grade One on the day one card is the My Pension Expert Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices' Chase and, in the absence of Sir Gino, Majborough is impossible to oppose.

Away from the Grade One fare, the Ultima Handicap Chase looks a cracking betting heat. Katate Dori makes most appeal of those towards the head of the market but, looking further down, odds of 20-1 are too big for Famous Bridge and he appeals as an each-way play.

The Nicky Richards-trained nine-year-old ran a fine race to finish fourth in this race last year and is a better horse now, evidenced by an impressive win at Haydock last February.

Joseph O’Brien has won two of the last six renewals of the Hallgarten And Novum Wines Juvenile Handicap Hurdle, a record Beyond Your Dreams can enhance further today, chiefly at the expense of stablemate Puturhandstogether.

And in the finale, the Princess Royal National Hunt Challenge Cup Novices' Handicap Chase, Haiti Couleurs, who got the better of Transmission at Cheltenham in December, is fancied to do so again.