Willie Mullins's novice hurdlers have been in brilliant form all week and I think Briar Hill is absolutely nailed on for the Albert Bartlett. I can't oppose him.
You’re looking at an unbeaten horse that is a course winner. Course form is always very important at Cheltenham, it can’t be over-emphasised. The records show it: horses that win there, and then fall away, somehow refind their form when they go back. Maybe it’s because they handle the course and its undulations better than others.
Briar Hill ticks all the boxes. The Pipes have Kings Palace but their other good novice, Red Sherlock, didn’t run well at all against Faugheen on Wednesday.
To me the Gold Cup is a two-horse race – Bobs Worth and Silviniaco Conti. They look to be different class to the others. I'll side with Bobs Worth . Nicky Henderson's have been running reasonably well all week but I'd say Paul Nicholls is coming close to pulling his hair out, the way some of his have been running.
The going looks like it will be too fast for Last Instalment and I oppose him on that basis. Philip Fenton has done a brilliant job with him, but three miles and two-and-a-half furlongs on that ground will be a major test for the horse.
Overall though you can’t ignore Bobs Worth’s course form: he’s been there and done it so many times.
On The Fringe must have a great chance in the Foxhunters. My old pal Enda Bolger has a brilliant record at the festival and I think ground conditions will suit this horse. Nina Carberry rides and if she's a little more patient than she was at Leopardstown, when they were beaten by Tammys Hill, then On The Fringe can win.
English hope Harbour Court is well fancied but Enda’s horse is only a nine- year-old and is peaking now.
