Ruby Walsh Arkle and Champion Hurdle Tips - ‘He’s a decent horse and he’s a good each-way price’

On the fourth of this year’s Paddy Power Media’s ‘From The Horse’s Mouth’ podcast ‘Cheltenham Countdown’, former champion jockey turned tv pundit Ruby Walsh looks at the Champion Hurdle and Arkle Chase.

Did Paul feel Lossiemouth didn’t give her running, Ruby?

He didn’t say that - she was hanging to her left, she was always hanging in and obviously they were keen at that point of the day to be in the middle of the racecourse and she was hanging into her left.

I thought the signs weren’t great from a lot earlier than just down the back - I thought they hadn’t probably even got to the first hurdle and you were thinking: ‘Jack has a good hold to Brighterdaysahead, she’s taking him whereas Paul’s body language was a loop in the rein like he was squeezing’.

Rory then compares it to the way she ran in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton in 2024 and running to form, never going to win the race from the start, but come the end of the race she’s ended up running on

It was very much like here - I thought the very same.

When you watch her in Kempton thinking, she’s going to fall out of the television and I thought when she stepped to the third hurdle away from the stands and faced into the back straight under pressure, I was thinking ‘she’s just going to fall out of this race’ but to her credit she didn’t, she kept hanging on.

Now Paul did also comment that if when Brighterdaysahead got to the front over the second last, she waited in front which allowed Paul to sort of look like he was getting on her tail, but he did feel that if Jack had opened up at the second like going from the wings of the second last hurdle, he’d never have seen her.

I thought it was a brilliant performance from Brighterdaysahead, but would I fancy her in the Champion Hurdle, I think the ground would want to be soft.

Is the Champion Hurdle off the table for Lossiemouth now?

I wouldn’t say off the table because you wouldn’t know what would happen with the opposition in the next five weeks either so Willie doesn’t nail his colours to the mast for that reason, let the cards fall and see where you end up basically.

But I’ve always thought she was better going a bit further, I don’t think that she ran to her best on Sunday and maybe I’d be proved wrong that she is good enough or fast enough at two miles, but I just always felt she travels better going a little bit further just going that fraction slower which does seem to suit her.

But she’s still a very good mare.

The New Lion?

He’s probably the one for me in the Champion Hurdle, I think he is, I think the International wasn’t run at all to suit him, it was like a schooling session.

Harry show jumped him over the second last and again went to the last and had the time to be able to do the very same thing.

But I did think he showed a good enough turn of foot because it was a really slowly run race, they were giving a decent horse in Nemean Lion the absolute run of the race and then you’re giving him the advantage again going to the last hurdle by slowing down to make sure you get from A to B.

But being on the New Course with that long run in, you have time to do that, but you can’t do that in a Champion Hurdle.

1-2-3 in the Champion Hurdle

I think The New Lion will beat Brighterdaysahead and Golden Ace will be third.

Champion Hurdle NRNB

Paddy Power: 2 The New Lion, 3 Brighterdaysahead, 4 Constitution Hill, Lossiemouth, 5 Golden Ace, 12 Ballyburn, 14 Poniros, 16 Anzadam, 25 Alexei, 33 Nemean Lion, 40 El Fabiolo, 50 bar

Arkle Chase

Kopek Des Bordes didn’t take part at the weekend, but surely he’s in the picture?

He is very much in the picture and Western Warhorse has done it, Well Chief has done it, you can win an Arkle off one run.

Now I’m not sure, I know Well Chief didn’t because he won his novice chase in February in Taunton so he won it not off the back of one run and an injury, Western Warhorse was January at Doncaster. So they’re different in that sense.

But I do think Kopek was good at Navan, he jumped better than I thought he was going to jump a fence, I thought at times he was clumsy over a hurdle, but fences seem to have kicked his brain into gear, to move his feet at the same speed.

Last year you thought he’d never see a fence?

It looked like he had never seen a hurdle, but look he’s a very, very good horse, but I think you’re taking a little bit of a chance with him.

Anything at a bigger price?

Kappa Jy Pyke possibly — I thought he showed a good turn of foot to beat Jacob’s Ladder at Punchestown, Jacob’s Ladder won the handicap chase on Monday at Leopardstown.

I think he could be a little bit between trips as well, but I could see him coming here rather than going all the way up to three miles in the Brown Advisory.

It didn’t look like he stayed last year as a hurdler in Aintree so possibly he could go here at a double figure price.

He’s a good jumper, he beat Salvator Mundi in Thurles and he’s beaten Jacob’s Ladder at Punchestown, it’s probably solid enough form and maybe because he wasn’t in the top rung of novice hurdlers last season, he’s a little bit overlooked, but I’d say he’s a decent horse and he’s a good each-way price.

Given a free bet at this stage, who would you have?

I’ll take a stab at one of the ones at a price Irish Panther, Kappa Jy Pyke - probably going to get a better trail on Irish Panther because you’re going to be on the front end at 14-1, whereas Kappa Jy Pyke you’d be looking at it wondering can he sneak into third?

Probably never getting a real sniff for your win stake so if I had an each-way on Irish Panther, you’d be heading down the hill thinking I’ve a chance and then you’d be watching them going back up hoping he can hang on.

Is Irish Panther underestimated at 14-1?

I’d say he probably is yeah, if he pings the last, he didn’t really make too much of a mistake either [at Leopardstown at Christmas] and he was only just touched off and I think going back, it’s only back a furlong and a bit, definitely would suit him.

Arkle Chase NRNB

Paddy Power: 6-4 Lulamba, 5-2 Kopek Des Bordes, 4 Romeo Coolio, 5 Kargese, 14 Irish Panther, Kappa Jy Pyke, Mambonumberfive, 16 bar