Connections sweet on Wake in Supreme test
The County Meath handler took the Festival opener six years ago with Sausalito Bay and Sweet Wake is the 5-2 favourite to emulate that result.
The five-year-old has won both his starts over timber, taking novice events at Leopardstown and Naas, and Meade has high hopes of notching a hat-trick. "He has done everything right so far and I just hope that he continues in the same vein," he said.
"He has done everything we have ever asked of him. Paul (Carberry) is very taken with him and we'll just keep our fingers crossed that everything goes well."
Meade also runs the useful ex-flat performer Jazz Messenger, who will be trying to bounce back from a surprise defeat last time.
"The ground has definitely come right for Jazz Messenger - quicker ground will suit him much better," he added. "The only question mark with him is if he will jump quick enough.
"I think he has a fighting chance. 'Slippers' Madden has won on him twice so he will keep the ride."
Willie Mullins is represented by Quatre Heures but is concerned about the ground. The four-year-old has won his last two starts at Naas and Fairyhouse in good style but both wins were on soft and yielding ground. "The ground is probably quicker than most of us thought it would be - it could get very fast over the next few days," said Mullins.
"I would prefer more rain for Quatre Heures but he has travelled over well and I was pleased with the way he cantered this morning."
Nick Gifford is also concerned by the good ground and he has warned Straw Bear may not take his chance if the conditions are not entirely satisfactory. "He's in great form - I couldn't be happier with him. He's absolutely bouncing at home," said Gifford. "Obviously we want to run but if we thought it was going to be quick, I'm certainly under no pressure to run him.
Owner Graham Wylie will be hoping to repeat last year's success of Arcalis with the former Sir Mark Prescott in-mate Masafi.
"It's his first time going left-handed so that is the unknown with him, he also hasn't been on an undulating track. He doesn't go there with as obvious a chance as Arcalis did because we knew he had some class on the Flat and he would be a bit quicker than Masafi.
"He's also never been in this kind of company before."
* Always pay close attention to previous course form. At Cheltenham that can be very valuable, given the undulations, the fences and the punishing uphill finish. The last seven winners of the Champion Hurdle had won at the Festival before, while seven of the last eight winners of the Gold Cup had been placed at the Festival before.
* Pay attention to horses from the Willie Mullins stable in the Class 1 races. There are ten of those this week and all of Mullins' nine Festival winners have come at the highest level. His favourite race is tomorrow's National Hunt Flat race, the Weatherbys Champion Bumper; he's collected that five times.
* Martin Pipe's "second-string" runners in handicaps are always worth a look. The leading trainer at the Festival - he's had 34 winners - and he's won five handicaps over the last five Festivals (remember Maximize at 40-1, Blowing Wind 25-1 and Ilnamar, another 25-1 shot who paid over 90-1 on the Tote.
* Don't forget to respect strong favourites. Over the last five Festivals, backing favourites that started shorter than 2-1 has resulted in a 13% profit. There have been 23 such horses in that time, and only three didn't make the frame.
* In the Gold Cup consider backing outsiders each-way or to place, particularly in an open year - like this year. Stamina counts here, and there has only been one Gold Cup since 1986 which did not feature a placed horse at 20-1 or bigger. Runners-up in six of the last eight Gold Cups have figured between 66-1 and 25-1.
* Friday's County Hurdle has been reasonably kind to backers, given the competitive nature of this big-field handicap. Three of the last seven winners have started favourite and three others were well backed 8-1 and 10-1 (twice) shots.
* Stay away from five-year-olds in tomorrow's Champion Hurdle. Most horses are too weak at that age to do themselves justice in a race like that. The last winning five-year-old was the exceptional See You Then in 1985, and 67 have been beaten since. That shows the task facing Admiral, Faasel and Penzance in today's big race.
* Martin Pipe has provided some spectacular results in handicaps at the Festival, but not in today's William Hill Trophy. Korelo is a leading fancy for the meeting's top trainer but no winners from 26 runners is Pipe's dismal record here. He's also drawn a blank in Friday's two-mile Grand Annual Handicap Chase.
* Be careful with Sky's The Limit, one of the favourites for tomorrow's Coral Cup. He's five, and no horse of that age has won this competitive handicap from 55 runners.
* Don't rush to back top weights in the handicap chases. Of the last 26 such races, 23 have been won by horses carrying no more than 11st.
* Think seriously about 12-year-old Moscow Flyer or 11-year-old Baracouda this week. The former's Queen Mother Champion Chase win last year was the exception to the rule - he was only the fifth horse in double figures to win in the last 66 Festival races.
* Kauto Star is favourite for tomorrow's Queen Mother Champion Chase, but he's a six-year-old and punters should take note that no horse this young has won since Inkslinger in 1973.
* Irish trainers may claim that their horses are at a disadvantage in handicaps when sent to race in Britain. Xenophon, Spirit Leader, Oulart, Youlneverwalkalone, Fota Island and Fadoudal Do Cochet have all been well-backed handicap winners for Ireland at the Festival in recent years, and don't forget Victram in the Imperial Cup at Sandown on Saturday.
* Don't chase early losses if things go badly on the opening day today. Remember, there are 18 races left.
