RACING/Cheltenham preview: Monkerhostin is so well in on his form over hurdles he has to be backed to defy his inexperience with victory in the £110,000 Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham today.
Just one run over the bigger obstacles is hardly an ideal prep for one of the biggest handicaps of the season.
But the Philip Hobbs-trained seven-year-old runs off a mark some 20lb lower than that over timber and that looks irresistible after a debut win over fences that promised much for the future.
A wind operation at the start of last season made the world of difference to him and he landed the Coral Cup over timber in fine style at the Festival in March.
He followed up with a perfectly creditable seventh in Grade One company at Aintree and there was plenty to like about his debut over the bigger obstacles at Stratford last month.
True, he got home by only a neck from Vodka Bleu but everything, including the runner-up, had far more experience and had either won before or has since.
He made a mistake two from home but a sweet turn of foot saw him make up the lost ground with the minimum of fuss and the front two finished 15 lengths clear of the remainder.
Lack of experience is always a worry in a race like this but that is the only forseeable drawback and he looks primed to run a huge race.
Paperprophet can make the long journey down from Nicky Richards' Cumbrian base pay rich dividends by landing the Lombard Properties Handicap Hurdle.
The six-year-old has few miles on the clock and enjoyed an ideal pipe-opener for this £55,000-added prize when finishing runner-up to stablemate The French Furze over two and a half miles at Ayr last Sunday.
Royal Emperor is another out to recoup the petrol money as he treks south from Sue Smith's Bingley yard for the Servo Computer Services Trophy Handicap Chase.
A top novice last season, he found only Rule Supreme too good in the Royal & SunAlliance Chase at the showpiece meeting here in March.
The form of Cerium's win at Kempton was nothing special but the ex-French three-year-old could hardly have won any easier and merits plenty of respect in the Jet UK Juvenile Novices' Hurdle.
The action continues apace at Prestbury Park on Sunday with Rooster Booster undoubtedly the star attraction as he bids to defy top weight in the Greatwood Hurdle, a race he won in 2002 on his way to success in the Smurfit Champion Hurdle later the same season.
But he is not getting any younger and faces a stiff task in giving weight to some progressive rivals, none more so than Irish raider Accordion Etoile, who gets a massive 20lb from the valiant grey and will relish the forecast lively ground.
