Five horses to follow at the Cheltenham Festival on Wednesday

Tipster: Harry Allwood.

Best odds: 7-4.

I was lucky enough to attend Dan Skelton’s Cheltenham Festival media day, hosted by The Jockey Club, a couple of weeks ago and you could not help but notice how well The New Lion looked. His coat was impeccable, and it was no surprise Skelton highlighted his potential star as his best chance of the week. 

Skelton’s confidence in The New Lion has been justified on the track this season, too, and the unbeaten six-year-old has improved with each outing, with his victory in the Coral Challow Novices’ Hurdle one of the most impressive performances from a novice in Britain and Ireland this season. 

The way he cruised through that race was incredibly impressive, and he made some useful rivals look very ordinary plus won with a huge amount to spare. The runner-up has bolted up since (and has been given a rating of 137) and the third won a Grade Two on his previous outing, which adds substance to the form. 

It has been well documented that Challow winners do not have a great record at the Cheltenham Festival, but Skelton made a good point that The New Lion is a speedier type compared to previous winners of that contest who were mainly three-mile plus chasers in the making. Skelton advised his charge is likely to come back in trip next season and could be a potential Unibet Champion Hurdle contender in 2026. 

His closest market rival, Final Demand, has certainly shaped like a stayer in the making and with the likelihood of decent ground at this year’s Cheltenham Festival, I think The New Lion will have too much speed for the Irish raider.

JP McManus certainly appears to share the same view, and it has to be a positive The New Lion will now wear the green and gold hoops. 

The ground will also be in his favour and providing he handles Cheltenham, this hugely exciting prospect could take some beating. He's my nap of the meeting.

Tipster: Martin Dixon.

Best odds: Evens.

I've been very confident about Ballyburn for this race ever since the positive weather forecasts became apparent and although he's trimmed into a general Evens, I'll be a bit surprised and disappointed if his class and relative speed doesn't see him come home ahead of this field under the prevailing conditions.

He's become more manageable and settled in his races this season and I was left with the firm impression as he powered away from Croke Park at Leopardstown that he's now ready to step up to staying distances, which of course he is bred for.

I will also back Gorgeous Tom at double-figure odds because I view him as the main danger with expected improvement stepping up to 3m and I'll also put the pair in a reverse forecast. 

Tipster: Lydia Hislop.

Best odds: 10-1.

I’ve had two horses in mind for this race for some time and both are set to line up.

No Langer Dan this year but Be Aware has an excellent chance of making it three on the bounce in this race for Dan Skelton. He shaped as though needing this trip when outpaced behind the principals at Ascot last time, making an unhelpful mistake two out as a result.

He’d previously done very well to split Burdett Road and Dysart Enos – both of whom contest graded events this week – when coming from further back than either of them in the Greatwood Hurdle for second. However, at 5/1 in a rough-house race like the Coral Cup has little appeal.

Instead, I’m siding with COMFORT ZONE. He won a couple of Grade Two events as a juvenile, here and at Chepstow, and was among the favourites for the 2023 Triumph until hitting a setback.

Crucially, he’s since gained experience in big-field handicaps – catching the eye for future targets at Punchestown last May, third at Galway with first-time cheekpieces when making an ill-timed error, and staying on strongly for third last time at the DRF despite having his rhythm interrupted when checked on landing two out against pillar-to-post winner Al Gasparo.

Unexposed at this trip, Comfort Zone is also the chosen mount of JP McManus’s retained rider Mark Walsh.

Tipster: Andy Stephens.

Best odds: 10-11.

Tipster: Dave Nevison.

Best odds: 7-1.

Gavin Cromwell gave My Mate Mozzie an Autumn and Winter break after he had a busy time on the Flat, and over Jumps, in 2024, and the nine-year-old more than caught the eye when he reappeared at the Dublin Racing Festival recently. 

He was dropped out way off the pace, but made significant and relentless headway in the last half mile at Leopardstown. 

He may have raced too far out of his ground because he was beaten just after landing at the last, and he may have also needed his first run since September. He certainly made my notebook for this handicap, anyway. 

My Mate Mozzie is bound to enjoy the fast pace here, and the spring ground will suit him very well. His trainer is a master at laying one out for a race like this, and I am trusting he will have this one spot on.