Cheltenham Festival - Day One – Copybet

Nicky Henderson's Lulamba proved one of the leading juvenile hurdlers last season despite looking far from the finished article and he met with his first defeat when runner-up in the Triumph Hurdle, coming out of the race looking like a fine long-term prospect.

This season he had his attentions switched to chasing and has appears to be a two-mile chaser out of the top drawer, going 3-3.

A facile victory at Exeter kicked off his campaign and he followed that up with a most impressive success in Sandown's Grade 1 Henry VIII Novices' Chase.

This French import finished his Arkle prep with a resounding win against all-aged opposition in Newbury's Grade 2 Game Spirit Chase and it's fair to say that Lulamba would not look out of place in Cheltenham's Champion Chase itself.

Willie Mullins' Kopek Des Bordes is also a hugely exciting prospect but lacks the experience of Lulamba and that could prove telling in what promises to be an Arkle to savour.

Paul Nolan does not have the firepower of Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott but this very shrewd Irish trainer is always to be feared when readying one for the Cheltenham Festival and in Iceberg Theory he has a very interesting young staying chaser on his hands who is worth siding with.

Like many in this race, Iceberg Theory comes here short on experience but all the signs point to him posting a much-improved effort over this marathon trip.

Iceberg Theory showed useful winning form over three miles as a hurdler but chasing was always going to be his game and he hasn’t looked back since being sent over the larger obstacles.

His debut over fences at Wexford saw him finish a promising second in that three-mile one-furlong contest and he quickly went one better in a beginners’ chase over two miles and six furlongs at Limerick in May, form which has worked out really well subsequently.

He wasn’t seen again until November when overcoming a drop back in trip to go in on his handicap debut at Cork, coming through really strongly after the last to win emphatically.

That victory marked him down for the big staying handicap chases over Christmas but he hasn’t been seen out again and his revised handicap mark of 133 remains very workable.

On pedigree, it should come as no surprise that Nolan has chosen to wait for this marathon contest as Iceberg Theory is a son of Flemensfirth, a noted stamina influence for chasers.

Add in the fact that Iceberg Theory already looks an assured jumper and it is clear he has a lot going for him.

Of course, there are plenty of other interesting sorts in the field but Nolan’s patience could well prove very telling.

Gordon Elliott has enjoyed a fine season and his Down Memory Lane is one of the eye-catchers in the Plate.

This eight-year-old looked destined for great things when making a sparkling winning debut over fences at Navan late in 2024 but it hasn’t been plain sailing since.

However, he looked back to his best when very confidently ridden to land the Foxrock Handicap at Navan in December and his fine record when fresh sees him firmly in the picture.