Supreme Novices' Hurdle tips - My Tent Or Yours too good for Festival rivals

The opening race of the meeting continues to be one of the most tantalising prospects at the Festival and the famous ‘Cheltenham roar’ will last long into the week if the punters can get the better of the layers in a gruelling four-day marathon at Prestbury Park.

Race fans will be hoping that MY TENT OR YOURS (7/4, Paddy Power) can get them off to a flyer on day one of the meeting and backers of the horse will rightfully be feeling full of confidence ahead of his trip to Cheltenham.

Nicky Henderson’s six-year-old heads into the race after his facile success in the Betfred Hurdle and the way the superstar cruised to victory in the hottest two-mile handicap hurdle of the season will live long in the memory.

The ultra-talented superstar made a mockery of his 149 rating and despite a steady pace being set throughout, there was only ever one winner two from home in the competitive contest.  It was an exceptional performance from the novice and it wasn’t hard to see why the bookmakers were quick to price him for Champion Hurdle as well.

After much deliberation, connections of the horse have opted to take their chance in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and it looks sure to be a decision that will pay off this March.  The guaranteed frantic pace in the race will suit the favourite and jockey AP McCoy will hope that the gallop will help him restrain his mount.

The Betfair Hurdle was not the first time My Tent Or Yours has raced keenly in his career and Henderson will be hoping that his up and coming stable star can settle and do himself justice in the Grade One showpiece.  If he can do that then race fans could be treated to an exhilarating display and the hurdler’s impressive turn of foot and exuberant jumping will surely be too much for his rivals.

With the likes of Irish raider Jezki, Paul Nicholls' Dodging Bullets and Willie Mullins' Un Atout also taking their chance in the race, My Tent Or Yours will have to be every bit as good as he looked at Newbury, but he has always been held in the highest regard by trainer and jockey and the team behind the jolly certainly seem full of confidence.

Race fans will look back on the recent record of favourites in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and the defeats suffered by Cue Card, Cousin Vinny and Dunguib will hardly install too much confidence in favourite backers.  However, My Tent Or Yours already looks a far better horse than those who have failed in recent years and the 7/4 Non-Runner No Bet with Paddy Power looks far too good to turn down.  As short as 11/8 with one rival bookmaker, he looks ‘banker’ material and punters are advised to get stuck into the market leader now.

Nick Wilby’s advice – Back My Tent Or Yours at 7/4 with Paddy Power