Cheltenham Festival - Live!

Preamble Ah, Cheltenham. This time last year I was lucky enough to waste my money in person at the course. But times have changed, there's a mortgage to pay and this afternoon I will be living vicariously through the 60,000 or so punters who are there.

The action starts at 2pm with the Supreme Novices Hurdle, but the big race of the day is the Champion Hurdle at 3.15, which sees last year's 33-1 winner Hardy Eustace attempt to hold off challenges from his Irish compatriots Back In Front, Macs Joy and Harchibald. Along with countless others, I wept tears of frustrated greed as Hardy Eustace came home first a year ago. This year the bookies are covering themselves by pricing him at around 7-2.

It would be deeply misleading of me to claim that I actually know what I'm talking about, so I take absolutely no responsibility for suggesting the following winners for the first four races (Paul Doyle will be in the hotseat in time for the final two races of the afternoon, the 4.40 and the 5.20):

2.15: Supreme Novices Hurdle Publican

2.35: Arkle Challenge Trophy Chase Watson Lake

3.15: Champion Hurdle Hardy Eustace

4.00: William Hill Trophy