Pipe a live outsider to be crowned top Festival trainer

It’s no surprise to see the usual suspects at the head of the betting for who will be top trainer at the Cheltenham Festival, with Willie Mullins the red-hot favourite at 2/5 with Coral to land the honours.

Paul Nicholls is next best in at 7/2 followed by Nicky Henderson at 4/1. There is no doubting that they have very powerful teams heading into the four-day spectacular, but for those looking for value away from the big trio, a case can be made for David Pipe at 33/1.

The Pond House handler isn’t blessed with with the strength in depth of the main protagonists, but he does have three leading contenders to go to war with and a whole host of interesting handicap entries.

King’s Palace is the 11/4 favourite with Coral for the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, and looks to hold outstanding claims.

He is unbeaten in three runs over hurdles this season, and put in one of the best displays of slick jumping seen by a novice on the latest of those, when slamming Masters Hill by 14 lengths in a Grade 2 contest at Cheltenham.

The six-year-old is going to be extremely hard to beat, and looks the “banker” of the meeting for the Pipe team.

Red Sherlock also has leading claims in the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle, for which he is currently the 9/2 second favourite behind Mullins’ Faugheen.

The gelding won his first three bumpers in good style, and they included a listed contest over 2m 1f at Cheltenham.

He has since made a seamless transition to the obstacles, winning two minor events at Southwell and Wetherby before stepping up into Grade 2 company and scoring over 2m 5f at Cheltenham last time out.

The six-year-old traveled well throughout that contest and found plenty for Tom Scudamore’s urgings to see off the Mullins-trained Rathvinden by a cosy 2 1/2 lengths, with the pair pulling 29 lengths clear of the third home.

That form has a solid look to it, and the fact he has course and distance winning form to his name is a major plus.

If the highly touted Faugheen does have any chinks in his armour, then Red Sherlock looks the one to take advantage and land the spoils.