I know this gorgeous Willie Mullins grey is so good he could win two races at Cheltenham Festival

There are many legends surrounding the Cheltenham Festival, but the most disturbing is people’s obsession with ‘the hill’.

It’s a test, sure, but the pundits and punters who sing its praises are probably the kind of people who believe in the Loch Ness Monster, or that the Earth is flat, or that good old Saint Nick defies the laws of physics every year by visiting a billion homes in one night!

1

Spoiler alert: There have been seven “official sightings” of Nessie this year alone – I’m not kidding – I’d like to know who decides which sightings are “official.”

They’re probably the same people who think Mexico has a pair of mummified aliens – for some reason they don’t look like ET, do they?

Anyway, back to work at hand.

Anyone who talks about Cheltenham Hill as if it were Mount Everest is talking from a hole.

For the skeptics, here are the facts: Cheltenham is a unique track because it has two different tracks – the old and the new.

They require different qualities, but like most pioneering trails, both are a serious test of speed and endurance.

I chose the Champion Hurdle over two and a half miles. This will allow us to set a standard time for comparison to other top courses.

Course and time

Cheltenham – 3 minutes 49 seconds
Ascot – 3 minutes 52 seconds
Newbury – 3 minutes 47 seconds
Sandown – 3 minutes 58 seconds
Leopardstown – 3 minutes 52 seconds
Navan – 3 minutes 55 seconds
Punchestown – 3 minutes 51 seconds

As you can see, the times per track are more than in line with Cheltenham – especially in Ireland, where their tracks are arguably more demanding in terms of endurance.

Obviously there are other factors to consider at the festival, but please, please let the legend of “The Hill” be lost forever.

Punt Festival

TULLYHILL is at the top of my pre-release list.

This gorgeous gray – trained by Willie Mullins – will reach the top over hurdles.

It cost £220,000 but looked worth every penny as he won his muscle car at Gowran in March.

Yorkhill and Bob Ollinger both won this race before going on to win the Ballymore a year later.

So it’s £15 each way on Tullyhill at 12-1 for Ballymore and £20 to win as a saver at 8-1 at top courtesy of my friends at Betfair.

Cheltenham Clow

CHAMPION Bumper winners (a dream to share) have a mediocre record in the Supreme Championship.

Free Bets – Get the best sign-up and race offers

Commercial Content Notice: Taking one of the betting offers in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. 18+. Terms and conditions apply. Begambleaware.org

Remember to gamble responsibly

A responsible gambler is someone who:

• Sets time and financial limits before playing
• Only gamble with money they can afford to lose
• Never chase their losses
• He does not gamble if he is upset, angry, or depressed
• gamecare – www.gamcare.org.uk
• Gambling science – www.begambleaware.org