Cheltenham Day One Tips

Trainer Willie Mullins is looking forward to a good day one

Sam Twiston-Davies says he is not feeling under pressure as the jockey prepares for the Cheltenham Champion Hurdle on Tuesday.

The 22-year-old will be on-board The New One for the opening day's main event and the promising jockey will be hoping to clinch his first ever victory at the coveted Festival.

It will certainly be a tough ask to win the Champions Hurdle with such a strong field lining up for the event but the seven-year-old bay gelding looks to be his best shot of crossing the line first this week.

The New One is in sensational form at the moment with five consecutive victories recorded at Aintree, Kempton Park, Cheltenham and twice at Haydock Park.

Get THREE FREE BETS for every Cheltenham winner you back PLUS Bet 10 Get 30

The performance in the most recent outing in Merseyside helped to strengthen claims for the Champion Hurdle with the Grade 2 race a good tester ahead of the big Festival event.

Twiston-Davies did have to shake The New One towards the latter stages but when asked the bay gelding duly responded to finish ahead of Bertimont in second and third-placed Strongpoint.

The jockey is feeling confident heading into the race on Tuesday and the youngster insists the pressure is not getting to him as he targets a maiden Festival win.

"It's a pressure every jockey would want," he said. "There's a lot more pressure throughout the week but it's a great position to be in. It's one I'm trying to grab with both hands."

AP McCoy, who will retire at the end of the season and is on-board defending champion Jezki for the Champion Hurdle, has provided his support to Twiston-Davies and the legendary jockey has tipped him to succeed.

"He's got a lot of the attributes I think you need to be champion jockey," he said. "The most important attribute is he's riding for Paul Nicholls and I think that's a big plus for any jockey."

Hurricane Fly, a two-time winner in 2011 and 2013, is another who could make a serious challenge for a third title and is looking good judging on recent performances.

The experienced 11-year-old has won three on the bounce - one at Punchestown and two at Leopardstown - in what has been a brilliant rejuvenation for Willie-Mullins' charge.

The bay gelding has been victorious 12 times from the last 14 outings and the form is far too good to ignore, leaving the two-time champion as one to consider to for the Champion Hurdle.

Trainer Willie Mullins looks well set to pick up a victory in the race with Faugheen the favourite for many to defeat stablemate Hurricane Fly to the title.

Last year's runaway Neptune victor has it all to prove at this level and he will need to jump sharper, but with Ruby Walsh booked for the ride the prospect of him doing so increases.

The seven-year-old bay gelding has strung together eight consecutive victories but the latest success, which came at Kempton Park in the Christmas Hurdle, did little to inspire confident with Mullins' charge not looking very fluent on the track.

Jezki looks to be the other main challenger for the race and with retiring McCoy on-board, last year's champion is in good hands to retain the title.

The seven-year-old seems to be going under the radar though, with the likes of Faugheen and The New One more fancied, but even though the form is not great, you can never rule out the returning champion.

The bay gelding could only manage third at Leopardstown in the latest outing but there were some positives to take out of that run, which leaves Jezki as one to consider for the Champion Hurdle.