Roche star to deliver

The Champion Hurdle will undoubtedly be the feature of the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival but in terms of handing over of cash, Youlneverwalkalone will be the centre of Irish punters' attention in the opening Capel Cure Sharp Supreme Novices' Hurdle.

The unbeaten Christy Roche-trained horse is probably the Irish banker of the festival. Never mind that he is flirting either side of the even money mark with the bookmakers, the roar that will greet his expected challenge on the turn-in will make Anfield's Kop sound funereal.

And there will be more than just solid cash invested in the horse named after the Liverpool anthem. Today is the first real test of Roche's and jockey Conor O'Dwyer's claims that Youlneverwalkalone is just that bit extra special. "At the minute he doesn't seem to have any flaws," O'Dwyer says. "He jumps well, he's laid back and he has serious gears. At this stage he's as talented a horse as I've ever sat on."

Roche's comment that "it will take a good one to get him off the bridle" is reassuring. But the hordes that will pile into the JP McManus-owned half brother to Galmoy today will do so on reputation and potential rather than hard form.

Youlneverwalkalone is unbeaten in this three hurdle starts this season, but the form of those he has beaten is hardly rock solid. The three horses closest to him at Leopardstown in February were beaten next time out.

That's the negative view, but the positive view is that Youlneverwalkalone could hardly have beaten any of those horses any easier. The evidence of the eyes rather than the form book indicates he might indeed be exceptional. The evidence of those closest to him suggest he could be too.

Noel Meade's tough ex-flat horse Sausalito Bay looks a perfectly reasonable each-way bet at 18 to 1. Come 2.05, however, Youlneverwalkalone should have the look of a horse who's a good price at any price.

It's not beyond the bounds of possibility that Roche and McManus could also end up back in the winner's enclosure, courtesy of the potentially well handicapped, Shannon Gale, in the Kim Muir, but for the purists, the Arkle Tophy could be spellbinding.

Frozen Groom and Commanche Court look best of the Irish but this is one race where the home look sure to have the edge.

Martin Pipe has thrown in Wahiba Sands to complicate the issue even further. Well though he has schooled, Wahiba Sands is unraced over fences and this is a helluva debut race. Norman Williamson will have made up many minds by choosing Decoupage instead of Bellator, but can you be confident after last year's County Hurdle that Decoupage will get up that hill?

After his defeat of Blowing Wind, one can be sure that Bellator jumps brilliantly at speed and the ground certainly shouldn't be fast enough to invconvenience him that much. That makes saying yes to 4 to 1 or thereabouts seem reasonable.

JP McManus's very public bet of £5,000 at 8 to 1 on Darapour for charity will mean even increased interest on the last race, but Take Control could spoil the perfect outcome.